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Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies. These tender and buttery shortbread cookies are loaded up with toffee bits and pecans. These easy to make cookies will soon be a family favorite!
These butter pecan shortbread cookies are loaded up with buttery goodness. Bits of sweet toffee. And crunchy bits of chopped pecans. These pecan cookies are so easy to make. Plus you can make them ahead of time, keep the dough wrapped in the fridge, and just cut off what you want and bake it at the time!
How to Make Butter Pecan Cookies:
I based this recipe off of the internet famous Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies by Alison Roman that appeared in her cookbook Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes (affiliate link)
Cream the butter and sugars. This recipe calls for SALTED butter. I never use salted butter in baking. Because I like to control the amount of salt in my baking, and salted butter can vary so much. But again, I’m basing this off of Alison’s recipe and she swore that salted butter was a must. The salted butter adds a deeper butter flavor to the cookies.
Use light brown and white sugars. This will help to give a deeper flavor to the cookies also. Which pairs so well with the toffee and pecans.
F.AQ’s about Butter Pecan Cookies:
Q: How long can I store this pecan cookie dough in the fridge?
A: This butter pecan shortbread cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, as long as it is wrapped in the plastic wrap completely. You can cut the cookie dough as desired and bake the cookies as needed. IF you need the dough to last longer, then you will need to freeze it.
Q: Can I freeze this pecan cookie dough?
A: Yes! Wrap the pecan cookie dough logs tightly in plastic wrap. Place them in plastic freezer bags. Then place in freezer. When ready to use, remove the cookie dough from the freezer, allow to sit out at room temperature for several minutes until easily able to be cut through and bake according to directions.
More cookie recipes to try:
- Brown Butter Toffee & Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Maple Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting
Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup toffee bits
- ½ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the room temperature butter and sugars. Beat or mix together until combined.
- Add in the vanilla extract and egg. Mix to combine.
- Stir in the all purpose flour. Fold in the toffee bits and chopped pecans.
- Divide the cookie dough in half. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Place one half of the cookie dough on the plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap, roll the dough into a long round shape. Roll it against the counter to get the dough compact and round. Make sure the cookie dough is completely wrapped in the plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill. Do the same with the second half of the shortbread cookie dough.
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Using a large knife slice the cookie dough into 1/2 inch rounds.
- Place the shortbread cookie rounds on a large baking sheet that is lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Press the edges of the cookies in to smooth out from cutting.
- Bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes until cooked through. Cookies will be slightly golden on the outside. They will not spread much or rise.
- Store the cookies in sealed containers at room temperature.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love these, especially my husband. He has asked me to make these several times since the first time I made them. And hasn’t gone back to the store for pecan sandies since. Looks like the stores have just lost our business when it comes to these cookies!
Love, Love, Love these cookies! Made them today and everyone loved them. I added a little more vanilla extract. After chilling for more than 4 hours, they did spread a little. Otherwise fantastic. This recipe is a keeper,!
How long can you keep in fridge or freeze these for
This dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before being baked. Or it can be frozen fo up to 2 months.
These are very good, so good in fact, my daughter asked me to bake some for her wedding. Easy recipe, love that I can make the dough ahead of time and the best part is the flavors. The toffee mixed with the pecans in a buttery short bread is a perfect pairing. Thanks for sharing it.
My grandmother would gift each of her 4 daughters with these on Christmas Eve to be enjoyed during or after each family opened presents on Christmas morning.
Sorry if this is a duplicate. I pushed post but it disappeared. 🙄
Just wanted to know if I had to make the log or can I scoop and bake. Won’t look like the picture I know. Would I still have to chill the dough for 2 hours if I scoop?
Thanks looking forward to making these.
You can scoop the dough, but they definitely won’t look like the images, this dough doesn’t really spread, it maintains it’s shape. You will want to chill the dough still though, because we need the butter to be nice and cold.
Can I scoop and bake?
Where do you get the toffee bits? I don’t think I’ve ever seen them at the grocery store.
I find them in the baking aisle, next to the chocolate chips.
Can I freeze the dough for later?
Yes! This dough freezes great. Freeze as a roll and simply remove and let come to temperature to slice and bake.