Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Extra-thick chocolate chip cookies made with nutty brown butter, toasted pecans, and loads of chocolate chips.

Welcome to day two of my unofficial cookie celebration. Like I explained in my Chocolate Reese’s Pieces Pudding Cookie post, this week was not an act of strategic planning and organized effort. I wish I were that proactive, but, the fact is, I’m just not.

Organization is not my strong suit. Take a look at my desk if you don’t believe me. I have to dig through the mountain of paper work and butter receipts in order to locate the desk, which is why I’m currently using my kitchen table as my office space.

It just so happened that this week’s posts consisted of all cookies, so I slapped a label on it and Cookie Week was born.

Today I have a very special, very easy cookie recipe for you. Remember when brown butter was all the rage? For all I know, it still is and I’m just now hearing about it. I’m not a trend setter, so I most likely missed the brown better memo.

I finally received the memo and decided to brown up some butter to use in these brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies.

If you haven’t jumped on the brown butter train yet, please make it your purpose in life to do so. It’s an absolute must, and once you’ve had brown butter, you’ll make any excuse you can to add it to every dish.

Brown butter is butter that has been cooked beyond its melting point. As the butter cooks, the milk solids begin to brown, creating a nutty aroma and flavor. It’s a wonderful flavor enhancer that adds an extra special touch to any recipe.

How to make brown butter:

1. Melt your butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
2. Continue to cook the butter, whisking occasionally to prevent burning. The butter will begin to foam once it’s cooked beyond it’s melting point.
3. As the butter continues to cook, the foam will turn to tiny bubbles and the butter will begin to boil.
4. Continue to cook until brown bits form in the bottom of the pan.
5. Once the butter is dark golden brown in color and smells nutty, remove from the heat. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature before mixing your batter.

Have I told you lately how much I adore pecans? Well, I do. They’re my very favorite of all the tree nuts. If you take a few extra minutes to toast them, they’re even better. I used Diamond Nuts Chopped Pecans to make this recipe extra special.

You better believe I toasted my pecans before adding them to the batter.

These cookies couldn’t be any easier. There’s no need for a mixer, and the batter comes together if one bowl. And, there’s no need to chill the batter prior to cooking–hello, instant gratification!

These cookies bake up extra thick with a crunchy exterior and chewy innards. The nutty brown butter pairs perfectly with the toasted pecans.

These cookies are best served with a tall glass of cold milk for dunking.

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Extra-thick chocolate chip cookies made with nutty brown butter, toasted pecans, and loads of chocolate chips.

Yield: 20-24 cookies

Total Time: 33 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Ingredients:

• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped (such as Diamond Nuts)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally for even cooking, until the butter is dark golden brown in color and smells nutty (use the visual above for guidance). Allow the butter to cool to room temperature before mixing the batter.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and cooled butter. Whisk in vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk until smooth.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt directly to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir to combine (I prefer to use a wooden spoon).
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and toasted pecans.
6. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough onto the lined cookie sheets. Store the remaining cookie dough in the refrigerator between batches.
7. Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely
8. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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Baking tools I used to make these cookies:

• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Large mixing bowl
• Baking sheets
• 1-tablespoon cookie scoop
• Wire cooling racks

If you love cookies, check out my other cookie recipes.

If you’re a brown butter addict, try this recipe for Chocolate Chip Brown Butter Banana Bourbon Blondies.

Disclosure: This recipe was developed for the amazing folks at Diamond Nuts. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my recipes and site while I work with brands I adore. Affiliate links included in post.