Description
Delight in these Pecan Pie Cookies featuring a tender, cinnamon-spiced cookie base topped with a luscious, sticky pecan pie filling. A perfect treat that combines the best of classic pecan pie flavors with the convenience of a cookie for an indulgent dessert or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pecan Pie Topping
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- â…” cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups pecans (chopped)
Instructions
- Whisk Sugars and Butter: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract into the sugar-butter mix, whisking until the mixture becomes glossy and homogenous.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon to ensure even distribution.
- Fold Dry into Wet: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined; the dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
- Chill Dough: Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm up, which helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Scoop Dough: Using about 2 tablespoons per cookie, scoop out dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them adequately.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly soft, ideally around 12 minutes.
- Create Indents: Immediately after baking, use the back of a spoon to gently press a shallow indentation into the center of each cookie to hold the pecan topping. Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Prepare Pecan Topping: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, light brown sugar, and maple syrup. Cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add Flavorings and Pecans: Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Allow the mixture to cool a few minutes to thicken but remain spoonable.
- Fill Cookies: Spoon the pecan mixture into the indentations of the cooled cookies evenly.
- Let Set: Allow the pecan topping to set for about 20 minutes before serving to ensure it holds its shape and melds with the cookie.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is critical to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Pressing indents in the cookies while they’re warm is easier as the dough is still pliable.
- Cool the pecan topping slightly before filling so it thickens but is still easy to spoon.
- You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For extra crunch, toast the pecans lightly before mixing them into the topping.
