Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Cookies
Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Cookies are the perfect blend of nutty, caramel-like brown butter, rich chocolate, and toasted pecans. These cookies have a chewy center with crispy edges, packed with toasty, sweet, and savory flavors. Whether you're serving them at a holiday gathering or indulging in a midnight snack, these cookies are a true treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the Brown Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
For the Cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the Butter
- Heat the butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and then turns a golden brown color, with a nutty aroma. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
- Cool the butter: Remove the browned butter from the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Make sure to scrape all the flavorful brown bits into the bowl.
Step 2: Prepare the Cookie Dough
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine sugars and butter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cooled brown butter until smooth.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in pecans and chocolate: Stir in the toasted pecans and chocolate chips or chunks until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This helps the flavors meld and prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
Step 3: Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still slightly soft.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Baking Tips
- Watch the butter closely: Browning butter can go from perfect to burnt quickly. Stir frequently and remove it from heat as soon as you see it turning golden brown and smelling nutty.
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and improves the texture, giving you thicker, chewier cookies.
- Toast the pecans: Toasting the pecans before adding them to the dough enhances their flavor and adds extra crunch. Simply spread them on a baking sheet and toast them at 350°F (175°C) for about 8-10 minutes, until fragrant.
Decorating Suggestions
- Drizzle with chocolate: For a fancy touch, melt some extra chocolate and drizzle it over the cooled cookies. This adds extra richness and visual appeal.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt: A pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie before baking adds a burst of salty contrast to the sweet chocolate and nutty flavors.
- Dip in chocolate: Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pecans or decorative sprinkles for a festive presentation.