Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Recipe With Toasted Pecans

Chocolate chip pecan cookies are what happens when you put a handful of toasted pecans in with the chocolate. You get the melted chocolate you came for, and a buttery crunch from the pecans in every bite.

We love these for dessert after Sunday lunch, or as a snack with a glass of milk when the kids get in from school. One batch makes about two dozen, so there’s enough for the whole family.

Choosing Pecans for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Either pecan halves or pieces work in these cookies. Pieces are ideal if you prefer convenience, but if you want more control, then we’d suggest buying halves and chopping them yourself.

Freshness is the main thing to look out for. Fresh pecans taste sweet and buttery next to the chocolate, and older ones turn bitter enough that you’ll pick it up straight away in something this sweet.

Our family has grown pecans in San Saba since 1888, and we do our own shelling and packing, so there’s less time between the orchard and your mixing bowl. That short trip is what keeps our fresh pecans flavorful when they arrive at your door.

Ingredients

If you've already baked our pecan cookie recipe, you can start from that dough and fold the chocolate straight in. The amounts below are geared towards a chewier cookie, since two eggs and a spoon of baking soda leave the middle softer, so it’s up to what you like best.

Here’s what you’ll need for the dough and the mix-ins:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, chopped

How to Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Once your pecans are out of the bag, there are nine steps to a tray of cookies:

1. Heat your oven to 350°F, spread the halves in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan once or twice, until they’re golden and smell nutty. A minute too long turns sweet pecans bitter, so pull them as soon as you smell them.
2. Let the pecans cool all the way, then chop them into pieces about the size of a pea.
3. Beat the softened butter with both sugars for two to three minutes, until the mix looks light.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
5. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in another bowl. Add them into the butter on low speed and mix just until the flour disappears.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and the cooled pecans by hand.
7. Scoop the dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a tray or a plate, then chill it for at least an hour.
8. Heat your oven back to 350°F and set the dough 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and the middles still look soft. Let them sit on the pan for five minutes before you move them to a rack.

Tips for Chewy, Thick Cookies

Here’s how you can get them extra chewy:

• Leave the dough in the fridge for the full hour: Cold dough spreads more slowly in the oven, so the cookies stay tall instead of running flat.
• Don't swap the brown sugar out: Brown sugar holds more moisture than white, which is what makes the middles chewy. If you use all granulated instead, the cookie will end up crispier.
• Leave the scoops rounded: Don’t press them down before they bake, because a tall scoop of dough comes out thicker than a flat one.
• Tap the pan on the counter halfway through the bake: Pull the tray out at about six minutes, set it down firmly on the counter, then slide it back in. Cookies puff up with air as they bake, and that knock pushes the air out of the middle, which leaves you a denser, chewier center.
• Account for elevation: At 3,000 feet or higher there’s less air pressure, so the dough can spread more easily. Work another tablespoon or two of flour in and set your oven 15°F higher. The extra flour makes for a sturdier dough, and a hotter oven sets the edges quicker.

Easy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Variations

Once you’ve baked a batch, you might want to try something different, like our pecan pie cookies. Or you can stick with this basic dough and experiment with one of these easy variations:

White Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Swap the 1½ cups of chocolate chips for white chocolate. White chocolate doesn’t have the cocoa that makes dark chocolate bitter, so the cookie turns out sweeter and the toasted pecans come through more clearly than with traditional chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

Chop up chocolate bars instead of using chips, about 9 ounces to match the 1½ cups. Chopped chocolate melts into puddles and streaks rather than staying in neat drops, so you get pockets of melted chocolate against the crunch of the pecans. You can also chop a handful of our chocolate-covered pecans into the dough if you want even more chocolate in there.

Chocolate Chip Caramel Pecan Cookies

Swap half a cup of the chocolate chips for caramel bits. Caramel is sweeter and more buttery than chocolate, so you end up with a richer cookie and soft caramel sitting in among the pecans. Melted caramel stays hot long after the cookie has set, so do not bite into one straight off the pan.

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Swap half a cup of the flour for a cup of rolled oats. Oats soak up moisture as they bake, so these come out heartier and chewier than the plain batch. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a bit of warm spice alongside the oats.

What Else Can You Bake With Pecans?

Pecans suit all sorts of baking, from cookies and pies to cakes and candy. Our pecan shortbread is a crisp, buttery cookie with five ingredients and no chocolate, so you get a lot of the pecan flavor. And our pecan tassies are little pecan pies baked in a mini-muffin pan, which are perfect if you’d prefer a gooey dessert over a cookie.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the dough a day ahead?

Yes. Scoop the dough onto a tray, cover it, and leave it in the fridge for up to three days before you bake. The cookies bake just the same, and a longer rest gives you a little more flavor.

Do I need to toast pecans that are already roasted?

No, roasted pecans can go straight into the dough once they’re chopped. Check the bag first, though, because salted or candied pecans will change how the cookies taste.

How do I bake several batches with only one or two pans?

Keep the waiting dough in the fridge and let each pan cool to room temperature before you scoop onto it again. Dough that goes onto a hot pan starts melting before it reaches the oven, so those cookies spread more than the first tray did.

Can I make the cookies bigger?

You can. Scoop about three tablespoons for a bakery-size cookie, which makes a dozen instead of two dozen, and bake them for 14 to 16 minutes. Go by the edges being set rather than by the clock.