Pecan Pie Cookies – Texanerin Baking

These pecan pie cookies are the perfect treat to satisfy your craving for both cookies and pecan pie in one delicious bite! With a buttery crust and a gooey pecan filling, they bring all the flavors of classic pecan pie into a smaller, handheld version perfect for your Thanksgiving cookie lineup. These cookies can be made with all-purpose or gluten-free flour.

Prefer pumpkin? Or want both? I’ll be posting the pumpkin version of these cookies in a few days so you don’t have to choose between two great Thanksgiving flavors.

Ingredients

Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to make these cookies.

For the cookie base

I used a combination of oil and butter for the best taste and texture.

I also experimented with using powdered + granulated sugar, but the cookies were too crumbly with powdered. All granulated sugar yielded a better, chewier cookie.

For the filling

You can omit the chocolate on top of the cookies, if you’d like. You could alternatively top them with whipped cream!

And if you really love the chocolate pecan combination, check out these Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. They’re so much quicker to make than these cookies!

The cookies are cuter, but if you don’t care about that and want more chocolate and gooey pecan filling, the bars are the way to go.

How to make pecan pie cookies

Here’s a quick look at the steps needed to make these cookies.

Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

I made these cookies about 8 different ways to find out what way yields the best cookies without being too fussy.

I tested not chilling the dough vs. chilling the dough. And toasted vs. untoasted pecans.

I tested putting the pecan pie filling into the unbaked cookie dough and just baking the whole cookie all at once.

I tested not cooling the cookie bases after removing them from the oven and filling them immediately.

And many other things. Each step in the recipe is essential if you want your cookies to come out like mine.

Tips for success

All of these things are listed in the recipe, but I thought I’d point them out again as they’re quite important.

• Chill the dough – this helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
• Don’t overmix – to prevent tough cookies, mix the dough just until combined.
• Avoid overfilling the crust – you’ll have a mess if the filling goes over the side of the crusts.

Toasting pecans

If you’re wondering if you have to do it – I would highly recommend it! It adds so much flavor.

It makes a huge difference in recipes that don’t have a long bake time, like these cookies or this Pecan Tart.

The most important thing when toasting pecans is to keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.

Pecans can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in seconds, especially since they continue cooking slightly after being removed from the heat.

Stirring them frequently and watching for a fragrant, nutty aroma and light browning will help you achieve the best results.

In the oven

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), spread the pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes.
2. Stir them around and bake for another 3 to 6 minutes until they’re fragrant.
3. Let the pecans cool for about 10 minutes before chopping them for the filling.

Stovetop directions

This method is quick but requires close attention to avoid burning. Since you’ll have the oven on already for the cookies, I think you might as well use the oven as it toasts them more evenly.

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the pecans in a single layer.
2. Stir frequently for about 3 to 5 minutes until they’re golden and give off a nutty aroma.
3. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the pecans to a cutting board to cool.

Chocolate topping

The chocolate drizzle over these pecan pie cookies adds a contrast of texture and flavor and a decorative touch. The smooth, rich chocolaty taste also complements the nutty sweetness of the cookies.

You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Or dark chocolate, if you prefer.

The microwave is the quickest way to melt the chocolate.

1. Use a glass or ceramic bowl and heat the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval to prevent scorching.
2. Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
3. You can add a small amount of butter or refined coconut oil if it’s too thick. Using unrefined coconut oil will leave a coconut taste, so definitely go with refined if you need it.

I piped the chocolate onto the cookies because I have more control, but you can also get a decent drizzle with a spoon.

Reheat the chocolate briefly if it cools and becomes too thick to pipe.

How to store

You can keep them at room temperature in an airtight container for about 4 days or store them in the fridge for up to a week.

How to freeze

These cookies freeze beautifully, even when piped.

Just place them in a freezer-safe container and they’ll last for up to 3 months.

Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

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Gluten-free option

For the gluten-free version, I used King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour. It’s an excellent substitute that works just like regular flour, making it simple for anyone following a gluten-free diet.

Also, make sure you use gluten-free chocolate chips. Check out Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free for more information.

Only have Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour? I haven’t tried Bob’s in this cookie recipe. I’m guessing it’d probably work, but the result would be a little more sandy.

But Bob’s works perfectly in this Gluten-free Pecan Pie and the chocolate pecan pie bars I mentioned earlier.

Things like oat, coconut, almond, etc. flour won’t work for these cookies. You need to use something that’s meant as a direct sub for all-purpose flour.

More Thanksgiving recipes

If you’d like to add some new Thanksgiving recipes to your menu, I’ve got cocktails, savory dishes, and some amazing desserts like this Apple Crumble Cheesecake.

And I’ve also got some easy-to-make treats like these Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Bars, which can also be made with all-purpose flour.

I hope you’ll enjoy these pecan pie cookies! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments if you try them out. Thanks! 🙂

❀

• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 29 min
• Ready in: 2 h
• Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• 2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour, white whole wheat or or for gluten-free, use King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup (102 grams) vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large (50 grams, out of shell) egg, room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 1 large (50 grams, out of shell) egg, room temp
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (84 grams) pecans

For topping:

• 2/3 cup (112 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chip or chopped chocolate, melted

Directions

Toast the pecans:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
2. Spread the pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. Stir and bake for another 3-6 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Remove the baking sheet to a cooling rack to cool for about 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle and then chop finely.

Make the cookies:

4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
5. In another large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat together the butter, oil and granulated sugar until well blended.
6. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
7. Gradually beat in the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
8. Grease 24 cavities of two standard muffin pans.
9. Roll the dough into twenty-four 27-gram balls. Place one in the center of one of the cavities and squish down to create a little crust that you’re going to fill. You don’t need to create a thin pie crust kind of shell.
10. Chill for 30 minutes or freeze for 15. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C) and place a baking sheet large enough for your muffin pans in the lower third section of your oven.
11. Place the cold muffin pans on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until nicely browned. The bottom won’t brown as nicely as the sides, but that’s normal.
12. Remove from the oven, press them down with your fingers or a spoon to make a more defined indentation where the filling will go. I made these 4-5 different ways and this one produced the best looking/tasting cookies.
13. Let cool for at least 15 minutes on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling and lower the temp to 350 °F (175 °C).

Make the filling:

14. Mix all the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
15. Spoon 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of filling into the mostly cooled crusts. Do not fill it over the edges of the crust.
16. Bake for 14-15 minutes. The filling might look greasy or bubbly, but this goes away as it sits. The topping will have formed a sugary crust.
17. Let cool completely in the pans and then remove by running a sharp knife around the edges. I was actually able to remove them after only about 10-15 minutes, but to be on the safe side, I think it’s best if they cool completely (about an hour) before trying to remove them.

Decorate:

18. After the cookies have cooled, pipe the melted chocolate over the cookies.
19. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Recipe by Texanerin Baking | www.texanerin.com