These Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are the kind of cookies I want when I’m craving something thick, soft in the middle, and packed with plenty of chocolate and toasted pecans. The edges bake up lightly golden while the centers stay chewy, and the mix of semi-sweet and white chocolate gives every bite a little something different.
The dough does need time to chill, but that is exactly what helps these cookies hold their shape and bake up thick instead of spreading flat. I like making the dough earlier in the day, letting it rest in the refrigerator, and baking the cookies when I’m ready for that fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
There are a few things that make this recipe stand out from a basic chocolate chip cookie. Melted butter gives the dough a rich flavor without needing to cream softened butter, while the combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour helps create that soft bakery-style center.
The chopped pecans add a buttery crunch that balances all the chocolate, and a little cinnamon gives the dough warmth without making the cookies taste like a spice cookie. Most importantly, the long chill gives the flour time to hydrate and lets the dough firm up before baking.
A Few Ingredient Notes
Melted butter: Let the butter cool before mixing it with the sugars. It can still be liquid, but it should not be hot enough to warm the egg or make the dough greasy.
Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar helps keep the centers chewy, while granulated sugar helps the edges set and lightly crisp.
All-purpose flour and cake flour: Using both gives the cookies enough structure while keeping the centers tender. Measure the flour carefully so the dough does not become dry.
Chocolate chips: I use both white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate here. The semi-sweet chips keep the cookies from tasting overly sweet, while the white chocolate gives you creamy pockets throughout the dough.
Pecans: Chopped pecans bring the texture that makes these cookies special. If you have a few extra minutes, toasting them first gives them a deeper flavor.
How the Dough Comes Together
Start by melting the butter and giving it time to cool. Once it is no longer hot, mix it with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. The mixture will look glossy rather than fluffy, which is exactly what you want with melted-butter cookie dough.
Add the egg and egg yolk, then mix in the vanilla. The extra yolk helps give the finished cookies a richer, chewier center. The baking soda is dissolved in hot water before it goes into the butter mixture, which helps distribute it evenly through the dough.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry mixture gradually and stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Fold in the white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped pecans by hand.
Why the Dough Needs a Long Chill
This is not a dough I would rush straight into the oven. Chilling it for about three hours gives the melted butter time to firm up and allows the flour to fully absorb the moisture in the dough. That helps the cookies stay thicker as they bake.
After chilling, scoop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. If the dough feels very firm straight from the refrigerator, let it sit for a few minutes just until it is easier to portion. Keep the scoops fairly tall rather than flattening them.
How to Tell When the Cookies Are Done
Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look a little soft. For this recipe, that usually takes around 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will continue to set on the hot baking sheet after they come out of the oven.
That slightly underdone-looking center is what gives you the soft texture once the cookies cool. If you wait until the middle looks completely firm in the oven, the cookies can end up drier than you want.
My Best Tips for Thick, Chewy Cookies
- Cool the melted butter. Hot butter can make the dough overly loose and can affect the egg.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour makes the cookies dry and heavy.
- Do not skip the chill. The three-hour rest is part of what keeps these cookies thick.
- Do not overmix. Once the flour is incorporated, fold in the chocolate and pecans and stop.
- Pull them while the centers still look soft. They finish setting on the baking sheet.
Easy Variations
You can keep the cookies all semi-sweet if you prefer a less sweet chocolate flavor, or use milk chocolate in place of the white chocolate. Walnuts can also replace the pecans, although the flavor will be a little different.
If you like an extra bakery-style finish, press a few chocolate chips and pecan pieces into the tops of the dough just before baking. It does not change the recipe, but it makes the finished cookies look especially good.
More Pecan Desserts to Try
If pecans are the part you love most, try my Lazy Girl Pecan Pie Bars or Crunchy Chocolate Pecan Billionaires. Both are rich, easy desserts with plenty of pecan flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to chill the dough for three hours?
Yes. Because the recipe starts with melted butter, the dough needs time to firm up. The long chill also helps the cookies bake thicker and gives the flour time to hydrate.
Can I use only semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Absolutely. The white chocolate adds extra sweetness, but you can replace it with more semi-sweet chocolate if that is what you prefer.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
The dough may not have been chilled long enough, the butter may have been too warm when the dough was mixed, or the baking sheet may have been warm before the dough went onto it.
Can I toast the pecans first?
Yes. Toasting the pecans before adding them to the dough gives them a deeper, nuttier flavor. Let them cool completely before folding them into the cookie dough.
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Melt the butter, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer, and let it cool until it is no longer hot but is still liquid.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix for about 4 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Mix in the whole egg until combined, then add the egg yolk and mix again.
- Stir the baking soda into the hot water until dissolved. Add it to the butter mixture with the vanilla and mix briefly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in a few additions. Mix only until no dry flour remains.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped pecans with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Arrange the chilled dough portions about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look a little soft.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
