Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Unsalted butter:

Make sure it's truly room temperature — it should dent easily when pressed but not look greasy or shiny, or your cookies will spread too thin.

Light brown sugar:

The molasses in brown sugar is what gives these cookies their chew, so don't swap it all for white sugar or you'll lose that soft texture.

Pecans:

Toast them for 5 minutes before folding them in — it makes a noticeable difference in flavor and keeps them from tasting raw against the sweet chocolate.

Semisweet chocolate chips:

Feel free to swap in chocolate chunks or a chopped bar for bigger melty pockets, or use dark chocolate if you want a less sweet cookie.

All-purpose flour:

Spoon and level instead of scooping straight from the bag — packed flour is the fastest way to end up with dry, crumbly cookies.

Flaky sea salt:

This isn't optional if you want that sweet-salty bakery finish; a pinch on top right after baking is what makes these taste special.

Method

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, cream the room-temperature butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until light, fluffy and one even color, about 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined — don't overmix.

5. 5

   Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans by hand until evenly distributed, reserving a few of each for the tops.

   
6. 6

   Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough into balls onto the baking sheets, spacing them apart. Press a few reserved chips and pecans onto each.

   
7. 7

   Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers still look soft.

   
8. 8

   Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

   

Variations to try

• Swap pecans for walnuts or macadamia nuts if that's what you have on hand.
• Use half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate chips for a more complex flavor.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or espresso powder to the dry ingredients to deepen the flavor.
• Make them gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend — texture stays nearly identical.

Storage & make-ahead

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days — a slice of bread in the container helps keep them soft. To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temp or warm in a 300°F oven for a few minutes. You can also freeze scooped, unbaked dough balls on a tray, then bake straight from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.

Frequently asked questions

Why didn't my cookies spread very much?

If your butter wasn't fully softened to room temperature, the dough won't spread properly in the oven — make sure it dents easily when pressed but isn't melty.

Can I chill the dough anyway for later?

Yes, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days; just let it sit out for 15-20 minutes before scooping so it's easier to work with, and know cookies from chilled dough may need an extra minute or two in the oven.

How do I know when to pull them out of the oven?

Look for golden edges while the centers still look slightly underdone and soft — they'll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet as they cool, which keeps them chewy instead of crunchy.

Do I have to toast the pecans first?

It's not required, but toasting them for about 5 minutes brings out a much deeper, buttery flavor that pairs really well with the chocolate — worth the extra few minutes.