Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies
Learn how to make delicious Pecan Maple Cookies with this step by step guide. This recipe is very easy to follow, with a step-by-step video!
Servings: 22 cookies
Ingredients
For the candied pecans:
- 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
For the cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour measured correctly (see blog post)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
Brown the butter:
- Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter melts and begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. It will foam first then settle and you'll start to see brown bits form on the bottom of the pan. You'll know it's done when it turns a deep amber color and starts to smell nutty. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Toast the pecans:
- While the butter is cooling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the pecans, brown sugar and maple syrup to a baking sheet and toss. Bake for 10-12 at 350°F. Start checking it at 10 minutes to avoid burning.
Make the cookie dough:
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, at least 3 minutes. Do not skip this step. Once combined, add the maple syrup, maple extract, vanilla extract, milk, pudding mix, and eggs and beat on high for another 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and turn the mixer on low to start so the flour doesn't get everywhere. Turn the mixer up to high and mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and repeat until dough is just combined. Add the majority of the candied pecans and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Leave about 1/3 cup out of the batter to top once they're baked.
Chill and bake:
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
- When you're ready to bake, scoop 2 tablespoons out of the dough and roll them into balls. We like using a large cookie scoop. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined backing sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden and just set on the top. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Top with the reserved pecans while they're still warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.4g | Protein: 2.6g | Fat: 13.4g | Cholesterol: 39.1mg | Sodium: 183mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16.4g