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Frosted Butter Pecan Cookies: These homemade brown sugar cookies are made with browned butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and maple sugar toasted pecans—the secret to making them better than the rest. Each cookie is lightly dipped in a sweet, thick, and creamy pecan-infused maple frosting that sets overtop each buttery pecan cookie. These cookies are absolutely scrumptious. This is a new favorite cookie for the season of baking, sharing, and gifting.
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Here we go! With Halloween on Thursday, my thoughts are slowly shifting to the Thanksgiving holiday, and I am so excited! One of the many fun things about creating and sharing recipes with you all is that I can really embrace and honestly overshare all holiday recipes, which are my favorite to create.
If there is one season I love the most for cooking and baking, it’s this time of year.
I want these recipes to sparkle and, and even more importantly, be delicious! I definitely got this from my Nonnie, whom I miss so much! She made everything special no matter the season, but especially in the fall!
And my gosh, she would love these cookies!! Just like my mom, Nonnie loved a good butter pecan cookie. Honestly, she loved pecans in general!
Taking inspiration from my Nonnie’s brown sugar pecan Brie, I baked up these cookies, and they are so good! I even added some chocolate to them!
Ingredients and Special Tools
Pecan Mix Ingredients
- pecans
- maple syrup (use real maple syrup, nothing with added sugars)
- dark brown sugar
- cinnamon
Cookie Ingredients
- butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- dark chocolate chunks
Frosting Ingredients
- powdered sugar
- vanilla
- milk
Special Tools
- small pot
- sheet pans
- electric mixer
- small whisk or fork
Step-by-step details
Step 1: make the pecan syrup
In a small pot, mix the maple syrup and pecans. Simmer until the maple syrup is steamy and you can smell the sweetness in the air.
Simmering the pecans in the maple infuses the maple with the pecan flavor.
Pull the syrup off the heat, use a fork to strain out the pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Toss the pecans with brown sugar and cinnamon, then bake them until they’re caramelized. Let them cool, and then give them a good chop.
Step 2: brown the butter
Brown one stick of butter, leaving the other stick at room temperature. This gives you the flavor of browned butter but leaves you with a cookie that has great texture, too.
When the butter is browned, pour it into a bowl, then add the remaining stick of butter.
Step 3: make the cookie dough
To the butter you want to add the brown sugar and beat everything to combine. Now add the eggs and vanilla.
Mix in the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4: the mix-ins
Next, mix 3/4 of the chopped pecans and some chocolate chunks into the dough and roll into balls.
Save a handful of pecans for topping the cookies!
Step 5: chilling and baking
Chill the dough balls for 5 to 10 minutes. I don’t usually do this when baking cookies, but with this recipe, I found that a quick chill yields the best cookie. Thicker but not cakey and with just barely set edges!
Once chilled, bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. When you pull the cookies out, give them a light tap on the counter to ensure they set perfectly.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
Finish these up!
Step 6: make the frosting
Use the reserved pecan infused maple syrup to make the frosting. Mix the maple with powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Add a pinch of sea salt too!
Step 7: dip each cookie
Finish the cookies with a dip into the frosting. Then sprinkle the tops of each frosted cookie with chopped pecans.
These are the perfect holiday cookies. I’m getting so excited about this year’s cookie box!
Looking for cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
Chocolate Bourbon Chai Latte Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting
Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Frosted Butter Pecan Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Frosted Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
Pecans
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cookies
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a pot, combine the pecans and maple syrup. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strain the pecans away from the syrup and place on the prepared baking sheet. Set the syrup aside to use for the frosting.3. Toss the pecans with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 10 minutes, until toasted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt (if desired). Let cool, then chop.4. Add 1 stick of butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add the remaining stick butter to the brown butter. 5. Beat the butter with the brown sugar and mix until combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips and 3/4 of the chopped pecans, saving the rest for topping.6. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes.7. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until just set. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter to flatten, if needed. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook as they sit on the baking sheet.8. To make the frosting. Whisk the powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of the reserved maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the milk, adding more as needed to thin the frosting. Dip each cookie into the frosting, then sprinkle with chopped pecans. Let the icing set. EAT! Or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
We made these for Thanksgiving and they were SO GOOD! Perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Hi Gabby,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your comment! XxT
REALLY delicious- DO NOT OVERCOOK! The ones that I pulled out a little late were dry.
Also, dont eat the dough, you wont be able to stop…
Dont skip on cooking the pecans down- it adds a great depth of flavor. Another amazing recipe!
Hey Paige,
Happy Holidays! Thanks a bunch for making these cookies, I’m so glad to hear they were enjoyed! Have the best day:) xx
The dough tastes great but the cooked cookies had a bitter flavor from the mapled pecans. Going back to thumbprint cookies, too much work not enough pizazz.
Hi Will,
Thanks for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear you didn’t love them. xx
Made these to add to my Christmas Cookie boxes this year. Perfection. They freeze really well too. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Colleen,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! XxT
so good!! made them for thanksgiving and everyone loved them
Hi Lindsey,
Amazing! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xx
My friend made these and they are amazing! Is it possible to use almond milk or something dairy free in the frosting? Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
So glad to hear you enjoyed these cookies:) Yes, you can use any other milk that you enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Made these for Thanksgiving, along with your Chai Pumpkin Pie and both were a huge hit. So delicious and came together quickly. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
Thanks so much, Karen:) Love to hear you enjoyed the recipes! xx
Can you make these with GF flour? I did and they are super crumbly. Any suggestions?
Hi Jillian,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! So sorry, I have not tested these with gf flour. I wouldn’t think they would be super crumbly but next time, I would try reducing the flour to see if that helps! xx
You seem to add chocolate chips to most of your cookies/bars. Can you make these without chocolate chips?
Hi Patty,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
These are great without chocolate chips. I added maple extract to icing, as it needed more flavor. Everyone loved them! Sea salt on the nuts a must, perfect on top of the icing.
Thanks so much, Patty!
Can you freeze the frosted butter pecan cookies??
Hi Marie,
Yes! I would freeze these cookies without the frosting:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Do you have to use dark br sugar?
Hi Barb,
I recommend it for this recipe, but light brown sugar will work. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Looking forward to making these! Question: You mention using dark chocolate chunks, but then the recipe itself calls for semi-sweet chips or chunks. ??
Hi Tammy,
I love using dark chocolate, but you should use your favorite and what you love most! Please let me know if you give these cookies a try! xx
These cookies are AMAZING! I used honey instead of maple syrup but the final result was great. Thank you for the recipe! Can’t wait for the 19th to receive your latest book to join the other 3 HBH books in my kitchen 🙂
Hi Alicia,
Yay!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you and was enjoyed! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your feedback! Thanks for ordering the new book:) Happy Friday! XxT
Firstly, these cookies are absolutely DELICIOUS! The brown butter is flavor forward and really speaks in this cookie. A few things I discovered: agree with another person that with my 1 Tablespoon scoop this recipe made 48 cookies, which I don’t mind but perhaps your idea of “rounded” Tbsp.is different than mine??? Frosting recipe was way too much, easily had half left, so I would only use 1/4 cup maple syrup to coat the pecans so I didn’t waste that expensive syrup in leftover frosting. We loved them without and with frosting, but the sprinkles of candied pecans on the frosting is definitely a winner. I took them to a crew working on our neighbors house and they were “over the moon!” It’s a keeper.
I forgot to mention that I used pre-chopped pecans, mixed them with the brown sugar/cinnamon and baked – then they were all ready, no chopping necessary. Worked great.
Thank you so much, Sandra! I am so glad to hear these cookies turned out nicely for you! Thanks for sharing your notes:) Have the best evening! xT
Hi Tieghan,
I really want to make these but without the chocolate (unfortunately I am not able to have it). I am definitely sold on the maple and pecans and frosting!!! Will the cookies spread more if I just omit the chocolate chips? Should I increase the amount of pecans? Recommendations?
Thank you so much for all your recipes, they keep my family coming back to the table.
Hey Rhonda,
No worries, you can just omit the chocolate, no big deal! I hope you love these cookies, let me know how they turn out for you! xx
do you dip the ENTIRE cookie in the frosting? Or just the tops?
Hi there,
I just did the tops, but if you wanted to do the whole cookie that’s great too! I hope you love this recipe! xT