Butter Pecan Cookies Brown (Printable Version)

Nutty butter pecan cookies with toasted pecans, browned butter flavor, and a touch of flaky sea salt.

# What You'll Need:

→ Brown Butter

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter

→ Cookies

02 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped

→ Finishing

10 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, swirling often, until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and has a nutty aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
02 - While the butter cools, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely, then chop coarsely.
03 - To the cooled brown butter, add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in toasted pecans.
05 - Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough using approximately 2 tablespoons per cookie onto the sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
06 - Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look just set. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Brown butter does the heavy lifting, so you get restaurant-quality depth without complicated techniques.
  • The flaky sea salt creates this sweet-salty contrast that keeps people reaching for just one more cookie.
  • They're sturdy enough to ship to friends but tender enough to feel homemade in the best way.
02 -
  • Don't rush the brown butter cooling step, because if the butter is still hot when you add sugar and eggs, you'll end up with scrambled eggs in your dough, which I learned the hard way.
  • Room temperature eggs really do matter here because they mix smoothly with the butter and create a better texture than cold eggs would.
03 -
  • Use an instant-read thermometer if you're nervous about brown butter, it should be around 175 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit when you pull it off heat.
  • Chop your pecans coarsely so you get actual pecan pieces in each bite instead of little crumbs that disappear.
Go Back