Chopped up pecans mixed throughout melt in your mouth pecan sugar cookies topped with a brown butter icing makes these hard to resist.
When you think of the holidays, you think of sugar cookies... right? I know I do. If I go by my mom's cookies business, Heartsong Cookies, I'd say most would agree with me as this is her busiest time of year.
But back to these pecan sugar cookies. I feel like in today's world, everyone has a standard sugar cookie recipe, so why not kick it up a notch. That's what I did last year with my chocolate sugar cookies.
These pecan sugar cookies are actually my family's traditional sugar cookie recipe with one big difference, chopped up pecans mixed throughout. Also instead of a royal icing, I decided to go with a icing made with brown butter.
If you've never had brown butter, believe me when I say the flavor put these pecan cookies over the top.
If you want to make them more holiday looking, you can top with some festive sprinkles instead of more pecans. Either way, you'll love these pecan cookies.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - helps create that melt-in-your mouth texture you expect with sugar cookies and used for the icing.
- Granulated sugar - sweetens the pecan cookies.
- Eggs - helps bind the dough.
- Vanilla extract - added flavor.
- All-purpose flour - can't make cookies without flour.
- Salt - enhances the flavor.
- Pecans - the star of the recipe.
- Powdered sugar - sweetens the icing.
- Meringue powder - helps create a stable icing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and chopped pecans. On low speed, slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Do not over mix but make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Add some powdered sugar to rolling pin and parchment paper. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment to ¼″ thickness. Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from fridge and use a cookie cutter to cut in shapes. Transfer the cut cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. You will know the cookies are done when the edges are firm but the middle is still a little soft. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies are cooling, add the butter and salt to medium pot over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown for about 2-3 minutes or until it smells toasted, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
- Whisk in powdered sugar, meringue powder, water and vanilla extract, adding water 1 tbsp at a time to thin as needed. If icing gets too thin, add more sugar. The icing should be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough to hold its shape.
- Decorate the pecan cookies however you’d like the with the brown butter icing recipe below.
Can I Freeze the Cookies?
Plain or decorated pecan cookies freeze well up to 3 months. You want to wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in an air-tight container.
When you are ready to eat, thaw the cookies in the fridge or at room temperature
You can also freeze the sugar cookie dough for up to 3 months before rolling out. Just prepare the dough through step 2 and shape into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. When you are ready to prepare, thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before rolling out and following the remaining steps.
How Do I Know the Cookies are ¼ Inch Thick?
So I use a rolling pin that tells me the thickness that I’m rolling out. While you can use a ruler, if you bake at all, I wouldn’t use anything else.
How Do You Know When Butter is Browned?
Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, it will foam up and then subside. This is when you watch carefully as lightly browned specks will start to form at the bottom of the pan.
You will know the butter is ready when there is a nutty aroma. It makes these pecan cookies, so don’t skip it.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the dough mix easily and evenly.
- Toast the pecans as it draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the pecans crunchier.
- Use parchment paper to rolling pin when rolling out cookie dough so it doesn’t stick.
- Roll out sugar cookie dough first before placing in fridge for 1 hour so it is easier to get to ¼″ thickness.
- You know the pecan cookies are done when edges are firm, but middle is slightly soft.
Other Christmas Recipes
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Congo Squares
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms
- Ginger Cookies
If you’ve tried these pecan sugar cookies or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Pecan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Brown Butter Icing
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- 1-2 tbsp room temperature water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookies
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and chopped pecans. On low speed, slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Do not over mix but make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Add some powdered sugar to rolling pin and parchment paper. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment to ¼″ thickness. Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from fridge and use a cookie cutter to cut in shapes. Transfer the cut cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. You will know the cookies are done when the edges are firm but the middle is still a little soft. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate the cookies however you'd like the with the brown butter icing recipe below.
Brown Butter Icing
- Add the butter and salt to medium pot over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown for about 2-3 minutes or until it smells toasted, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
- Whisk in powdered sugar, meringue powder, water and vanilla extract, adding water 1 tbsp at a time to thin as needed. If icing gets too thin, add more sugar. The icing should be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough to hold its shape.
Notes
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the dough mix easily and evenly.
- Toast the pecans as it draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the pecans crunchier.
- Use parchment paper to rolling pin when rolling out cookie dough so it doesn’t stick.
- Roll out pecan sugar cookie dough first before placing in fridge for 1 hour so it is easier to get to ¼″ thickness.
- You know the cookies are done when edges are firm, but middle is slightly soft.
That brown butter icing sounds amazing!