Gooey dark chocolate chips combine with nutty, crunchy pecans in this recipe for chocolate chip pecan cookies. They’re the perfect treat for everyone who likes to mix salty and sweet flavors.
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Cookies are the best way to try out new flavor combinations! I experimented with sweet and salty flavors in this recipe for pecan chocolate cookies, and the result is a chewy, chocolatey treat, topped with salty pecans for complexity and crunch.
Also, don’t feel limited to pecans and dark chocolate! You can try whichever add ins sound good to you — I’ve tried chocolate chip pecan cookies recipes with salted almonds, milk chocolate, cashews… Feel free to get creative! For a nut-free option, try swapping the pecans with white chocolate chunks or salted pumpkin seeds!
Even better, these pecan chocolate chip cookies only take 25 minutes to prepare and bake! So, time to get in that kitchen, break out the chocolate, and have some fun with your family while baking these delectable cookies.
You can also use any of your leftover pecans to make these chocolate covered pecans recipe!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
STEP TWO: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
STEP THREE: Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until the dough comes together and there are no more streaks of flour. Gently fold in pecans and chocolate chips using a silicone spoon or spatula.
STEP FOUR: Using 2-tablespoon-sized portions, roll your dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on your baking sheets. Slightly flatten into ⅓-inch thick discs.
STEP FIVE: Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
STEP SIX: Cool chocolate chip pecan cookies for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to fully set.9
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
- Chill your dough. To get thick, chewy chocolate chip pecan cookies, chill your dough in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour before rolling into balls and baking. This helps the flour in your dough to really soak up all of the ingredients. It also allows your butter to firm back up, meaning your cookies won’t overspread.
- Step up chocolate chips with baking chips. Chopped chocolate that is made specifically for baking is usually higher quality and creates gooier, thicker pockets of melted chocolate in your chocolate chip pecan cookies.
- Top with sea salt. To really amp up that sweet and salty combination, add some flakes of sea salt to pecan chocolate chip cookies when you take them out of the oven!
Variations for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
- Vary your nuts! Try this recipe with any variety of roasted, salted nuts like peanuts, cashews, or almonds, or even pistachios.
- Amp up the nutty flavor with almond extract. If you want more of that nutty, floral flavor in your cookies, try adding 1 teaspoon of almond extract to your pecan chocolate chip cookies.
- Try different chocolates. This recipe will work for any type of chocolate chips — dark, milk, semisweet, or white!
More Cookie Recipes
- Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
- Peppermint Kiss Cookies
- Strawberry Jam Cookies
- Fruitcake Cookies
- Cookie Monster Cookies
- Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Storing and Freezing Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
These cookies will last 5-6 days in an airtight container, stored on the counter at room temperature.
You can also freeze chocolate chip pecan cookies in a freezer-safe storage bag, in which case they will keep for at least a few months in the freezer! Simply thaw on the counter when you want a sweet treat.
How Do You Make Cookies Chewy Instead of Crispy?
If your pecan chocolate cookies are coming out more crispy than chewy, there’s a chance you used too much flour — or you used baking soda instead of baking powder! This can also be a result of using too much butter, as more liquid in the dough can cause it to thin out and bake crispier.
If you consistently find your pecan chocolate cookies coming out crispy, try less time in the oven at a higher temperature.
Can You Use Melted Butter In Cookies?
I would recommend using room temperature butter over melted. Melted butter tends to make your cookies spread out too quickly in the oven, causing them to be thinner, crispier, and possibly burnt.
Room-temperature butter will cook evenly with the rest of the mix, giving you thick and chewy chocolate chip pecan cookies!
More Chocolate Chip Cookies and More
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with No Butter
- Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnut
- Chocolate Chip Without Baking Soda
- Double Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Chocolate Chips Without Brown Sugar
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Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped roasted salted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Next add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated– you don’t want to overmix!
- Add the chocolate chips and chopped pecans and gently fold them into the cookie dough.
- Scoop out 2-tablespoon sized portions and place the cookie dough balls 2” apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the cookie dough balls into ⅓” thick discs.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or just until the edges are lightly browned. We want soft, chewy cookies so make sure not to overbake them!
- Allow the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
