Irresistible Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies: Easy No-Chill Recipe
Prepare to fall in love with these **Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies** – a delightful twist on a classic favorite. Imagine soft, incredibly chewy cookies loaded with rich, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate chips, generously studded with buttery pecan pieces, and finished with a delicate sprinkle of flaky sea salt. This isn’t just another cookie recipe; it’s a small-batch masterpiece designed for instant gratification with **no chilling time required!**
If you’ve ever wondered why pecans haven’t made a more regular appearance in your chocolate chip cookies, prepare for a revelation. Not only do these delightful nuts introduce a satisfying crunch that complements the soft cookie texture, but they also impart a nutty, buttery, and subtly sweet flavor. This harmonious blend pairs absolutely perfectly with the intense, gooey goodness of dark chocolate, elevating the humble chocolate chip cookie to a gourmet experience. Each bite offers a symphony of textures and flavors that will have you reaching for just one more.
This particular chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe has quickly soared to the top of our family’s favorites list. They strike the perfect balance between chewiness and softness, generously packed with an abundance of both decadent chocolate chips and wholesome pecans. It’s a recipe that promises a delightful treat without the usual wait, making it perfect for last-minute cravings or an impromptu baking session.
While these pecan-infused delights are a must-try, we also adore exploring other variations of chocolate chip cookies. For those seeking alternative flours, our oat flour chocolate chip cookies offer a unique texture, and for convenience, these air fryer chocolate chip cookies are a game-changer!
Table of contents
- Why You’ll Adore This Easy Cookie Recipe
- Essential Ingredients & Smart Substitutions
- Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Perfect Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
- Precision in Baking: Measuring Ingredients Accurately
- Storage Solutions for Freshness
- Common Questions About These Pecan Cookies
- Top Tips for Baking Success
- More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Explore
Why You’ll Adore This Easy Cookie Recipe
Beyond the amazing flavor, these chocolate chip pecan cookies boast several features that make them an absolute joy to bake and devour:
- Perfectly Portioned Small Batch: This recipe is specifically designed to yield about 16 cookies. This means no excessive leftovers, just the right amount for a family treat, a cozy evening, or sharing with a few friends. You’ll only need to bake them in two manageable batches, ensuring every cookie comes out perfectly. It’s ideal for those who prefer fresh cookies over a freezer full of dough.
- No Chilling Time Required: Say goodbye to the frustrating wait times often associated with cookie recipes! With this recipe, you can go from mixing bowl to warm, freshly baked cookies in under 30 minutes. Simply roll the dough into balls and pop them straight into the oven. This feature makes it an incredibly convenient option for sudden cravings or when you need a quick dessert.
- Molasses for Enhanced Flavor & Texture: A subtle addition of molasses is the secret to these cookies’ incredible depth of flavor and their signature soft, chewy texture. Molasses not only complements the richness of the brown sugar but also adds a beautiful moistness, ensuring your cookies stay tender for days. It’s a small ingredient that makes a big difference.
Essential Ingredients & Smart Substitutions
Crafting the perfect cookie begins with quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need, along with some helpful notes and substitution advice:
- Unsalted Butter: It’s crucial to use unsalted butter to control the overall saltiness of your cookies. We’ll be adding salt to the dough, and the optional flaky sea salt topping further enhances the flavor, so unsalted butter prevents an overly salty result. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for easy creaming with the sugars.
- Brown Sugar (Dark or Light): Brown sugar is key to achieving that moist, soft, and wonderfully chewy texture. I personally love dark brown sugar for its deeper molasses flavor and richer color, but light brown sugar works perfectly fine if that’s what you have on hand. It might just result in slightly lighter-colored cookies. I’ve experimented with coconut sugar, which produced a thicker cookie. While not bad, I found brown sugar gave these cookies their ideal spread and chewiness.
- Cane Sugar: I often opt for cane sugar over standard granulated sugar in my baking because it offers a more complex flavor profile. However, if cane sugar isn’t readily available, granulated white sugar can be used interchangeably without significantly altering the outcome, though you might miss a subtle nuance.
- Molasses (Fancy, not Blackstrap): To amplify the rich flavor of brown sugar and boost the cookies’ moistness and chewiness, I incorporate 2 teaspoons of fancy molasses. It’s essential to use *fancy* molasses, which is lighter and sweeter, rather than blackstrap molasses, which is much stronger and more bitter, and would overpower the delicate flavors of the cookie.
- All-Purpose White Flour: You’ll need 1 1/3 cups of standard all-purpose white flour for the perfect structure. This recipe hasn’t been tested with other types of flour, so for best results, I recommend sticking to all-purpose. Swapping flours can significantly change the texture and liquid requirements.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: For a truly decadent and rich flavor, dark chocolate chips are my top choice. The slight bitterness balances beautifully with the sweetness of the cookie dough and pecans. If you prefer, a good quality bar of dark chocolate, roughly chopped, would also be fantastic and can create lovely pools of melted chocolate. Semi-sweet or even milk chocolate chips can be used if that’s your preference or what you have available, though the flavor profile will be sweeter.
- Raw Pecan Pieces: The recipe specifically calls for raw pecan pieces. If you only have pecan halves, simply give them a quick chop to create smaller, more evenly distributed pieces. It’s important to use raw pecans rather than roasted ones, as roasted pecans often contain added oils and can burn more easily during baking, potentially imparting a bitter flavor.
Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Perfect Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Follow these detailed steps to bake a batch of heavenly chocolate chip pecan cookies:
Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Parchment paper is key to preventing sticking and ensuring even baking, making cleanup a breeze.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Whisking ensures these ingredients are evenly distributed, which is crucial for uniform leavening and flavor throughout your cookies. Set this mixture aside.
Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugars. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) set to medium speed, beat together the softened room temperature unsalted butter and both the brown and cane sugars. Continue to beat for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and creamy. Remember to stop periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
Step 4: Incorporate Wet Ingredients. Add the large room temperature egg, fancy molasses, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until well combined. The molasses will add a beautiful depth of color and flavor at this stage.
Step 5: Gradually Add Dry to Wet. With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the reserved dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tougher cookies.
Step 6: Fold in Chocolate & Pecans. Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips and chopped raw pecan pieces using a spatula. Reserve a small handful of both chocolate chips and pecan pieces; these will be used to press onto the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking, ensuring beautifully topped cookies.
Step 7: Scoop and Shape. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (or simply a regular spoon), scoop out portions of cookie dough. Gently roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, ensuring they are spaced about 2-3 inches apart to allow for proper spreading. Press a few of the reserved pecan pieces and chocolate chips onto the tops of each cookie dough ball for an appealing finish.
Step 8: Bake to Perfection. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them; the edges should appear set and lightly golden, while the centers should still look slightly soft and a little underdone. This is the secret to achieving those wonderfully soft and chewy interiors. Remember, cookies continue to bake for a few minutes after they’re removed from the oven.
Step 9: Enhance and Season (Optional but Recommended!). Immediately after removing the hot cookies from the oven, gently press a few extra chocolate chips onto their tops. This creates those appealing pools of melted chocolate. For an extra layer of flavor and a gourmet touch, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the warm cookies. The salt enhances the chocolate and pecan flavors beautifully.
Step 10: Cool and Enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a crucial 10 minutes. This allows them to firm up slightly before you attempt to move them. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling completely helps them achieve their final perfect texture and prevents them from becoming soggy.
Precision in Baking: Measuring Ingredients Accurately
While US cup measurements are conveniently provided in the recipe card for this recipe, for ultimate accuracy and consistent results every single time, I highly recommend using weight and volume measurements. If you see ingredients listed in grams (g), use a reliable kitchen scale – this is the most precise way to measure dry ingredients like flour and sugar. For liquids measured in milliliters (ml), a liquid measuring cup is your best friend. Smaller quantities, such as baking soda, salt, vanilla, and molasses, are accurately measured using standard teaspoons and tablespoons. Accurate measuring is a fundamental step to ensuring your cookies turn out perfectly soft and chewy, batch after batch.
Storage Solutions for Freshness
To keep your delicious chocolate chip pecan cookies fresh and enjoyable for as long as possible, follow these simple storage tips:
Room Temperature Storage: Once your cookies have completely cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container. Stored properly, they will maintain their delightful soft and chewy texture for 2-3 days on your countertop. For optimal freshness, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies; the bread helps to keep them moist.
Freezing Baked Cookies: These cookies freeze beautifully! To freeze, arrange the completely cooled cookies in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy a frozen treat, simply thaw them at room temperature for an hour or two, or warm them briefly in the microwave for that fresh-out-of-the-oven experience.
Common Questions About These Pecan Cookies
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about baking these delectable chocolate chip pecan cookies:
For those picture-perfect round cookies, here’s a neat trick: immediately after taking the hot cookies out of the oven, use a large round cookie cutter or a wide-mouthed glass. Place the cutter or glass over each cookie and gently swirl it around, guiding the edges inward to form a neat circle. Rolling your cookie dough into smooth, uniform balls before baking also significantly helps them maintain a beautiful circular shape as they spread and bake.
One of the best features of this particular recipe is that there’s absolutely no need to chill the dough! You can mix, scoop, and bake right away. However, if for any reason you prefer to chill the dough (perhaps for later baking or better handling in a very warm kitchen), I recommend rolling the dough into individual balls first. This makes it easier to transfer directly to the baking sheet when you’re ready to bake.
Yes, you certainly can! The rolled cookie dough balls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking. For longer storage, you can freeze the cookie dough. Arrange the dough balls in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking pan and freeze for a few hours until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When baking chilled or frozen cookie dough, simply add a few extra minutes to the baking time, as they will take longer to cook through.
Cookies spreading excessively can happen for a few reasons. Common culprits include: 1) too much butter or sugar in the dough, which alters the dry-to-wet ingredient ratio; 2) not enough flour, leading to a very loose dough; 3) the cookie dough being too warm (leaving it at room temperature for too long); or 4) placing the dough balls on a warm baking sheet, which causes the butter to melt too quickly before the structure sets.
Top Tips for Baking Success
To ensure your chocolate chip pecan cookies turn out perfectly every single time, keep these key tips in mind:
- Room Temperature Ingredients are Non-Negotiable: This is a golden rule in baking! Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature (it should yield slightly when pressed) and your egg is also at room temperature. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugars, creating a light and airy base, while a room temperature egg incorporates more evenly into the batter, preventing curdling and ensuring a smooth, emulsified dough.
- Embrace Measurements in Grams for Accuracy: While US cup measurements are provided for convenience, I cannot stress enough the importance of using a kitchen scale for dry ingredients. Measuring flour in grams (as specified in the recipe card) provides far greater accuracy than cups, which can vary widely depending on how the flour is scooped. If you must use cup measurements for flour, use the “spoon and level” method: spoon flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top with a straight edge, without compacting it.
- Sugar Substitutions with Care: You can certainly experiment with coconut sugar in place of brown sugar for a slightly different flavor profile. However, be aware that coconut sugar tends to yield cookies that don’t spread as much and might be a bit cakier. Granulated sugar can be directly substituted for cane sugar without issue, though you might lose a touch of the cane sugar’s subtle flavor complexity.
- Consistent Cookie Size for Even Baking: This recipe is designed for cookies made with approximately 2 tablespoons of dough each. Using a cookie scoop helps maintain uniform size, which is essential for even baking. If you opt for larger or smaller cookie dough balls, you will need to adjust your baking time accordingly to prevent under-baking or over-baking.
- Choose the Right Sheet Pan: The type of baking sheet you use can impact your cookies. I strongly recommend using silver-colored, light-colored sheet pans when baking cookies. Darker or gold-colored pans absorb more heat and can cause the bottoms of your cookies to brown (or even burn) too quickly, before the centers are fully set.
- Do Not Overbake for Softness: This is perhaps the most crucial tip for soft and chewy cookies! You want to take them out of the oven when the edges are just set and lightly golden, but the middle still looks slightly underdone and perhaps a bit puffy. Cookies continue to bake and firm up significantly as they cool on the hot baking sheet. Pulling them out at this stage ensures they retain their wonderful chewiness rather than becoming hard and crispy.
- Don’t Overcrowd Your Baking Sheets: Give your cookies space to spread! Placing too many dough balls on a single baking sheet can lead to uneven baking, misshapen cookies, and steam pockets, preventing them from achieving their ideal texture. Stick to the recommended spacing of 2-3 inches apart.
More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Explore
If you’re a cookie enthusiast like us, you’ll love these other fantastic recipes from our collection:
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
- Almond Flour Cookie Butter Cookies
- Pecan Skillet Cookie
- Blueberry Lemon Cookies
- Almond Flour Monster Cookies
- Almond Flour Snickerdoodles
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
We absolutely love hearing from you! If you decide to make this delightful chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe, please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Your feedback helps us and other bakers!
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Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
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Author: Leanne
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 16 cookies
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Description
These soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are a match made in heaven, featuring rich dark chocolate chips, buttery pecan pieces, and a delicate sprinkle of flaky sea salt. This small-batch recipe requires no chilling time, allowing you to enjoy warm, homemade cookies in under 30 minutes. It’s the ultimate easy cookie recipe for any time you crave a comforting, gourmet treat.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (180g) all purpose white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (75g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (60g) cane sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons fancy molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (60g) raw pecan pieces
- 1/2 cup (95g) dark chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer set to medium speed to beat together the room temperature unsalted butter and both the brown and cane sugars until the mixture is light, fluffy, and creamy, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Beat in the large room temperature egg, fancy molasses, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- With the mixer set on low speed, gradually add the whisked dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips and chopped raw pecan pieces using a spatula, reserving a small handful of both for topping the cookies.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart. Press a few of the reserved pecan pieces and chocolate chips onto the tops of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly golden, and the centers still look slightly soft and a little underdone.
- Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, add any remaining reserved chocolate chips to the tops, pressing them gently into the warm cookies. If desired, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the hot cookies for an enhanced flavor.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This crucial cooling time helps them firm up and achieve their perfect soft and chewy texture.
Notes
- For optimal results, ensure both your butter and egg are at room temperature. This allows the butter to cream smoothly with the sugars and the egg to blend evenly into the batter, contributing to a superior cookie texture.
- For consistent baking, prioritize using weighted measurements (grams) for your ingredients, especially flour. If using US cup measurements, always use the “spoon and level” method for flour to avoid adding too much, which can result in dry, crumbly cookies.
- While coconut sugar can be used as a substitute for brown sugar, be aware that it may lead to a cookie with a thicker texture and less spread. Granulated sugar can be swapped for cane sugar without significant impact on the final product.
- For even baking and to prevent overly browned bottoms, I highly recommend using light-colored, silver sheet pans. Darker or gold-colored pans tend to absorb more heat, which can cause the cookies to brown too quickly.
- To achieve that coveted soft and chewy interior, resist the urge to overbake! Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are just set and the centers still appear slightly underdone. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Don’t forget to refer to the detailed sections above the recipe card for extensive advice, additional tips, and answers to common questions, all designed to help you master this recipe.