Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are soft, chewy, and studded with dark chocolate chips, buttery pecan pieces, and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt. This small-batch recipe makes about 16 cookies and requires no chilling time—ready in under an hour from start to finish.
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Pecans add a welcome crunch and a rich, nutty, buttery sweetness that pairs beautifully with melted dark chocolate. They bring texture and depth to a classic chocolate chip cookie.
This chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe quickly became a family favorite—soft in the center, slightly crisp at the edges, and full of chocolate and pecan flavor.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Small batch: yields about 16 cookies, so you can bake two trays and enjoy fresh cookies without leftovers.
- No chilling required: roll the dough into balls and bake immediately—no hours-long wait.
- Molasses adds a subtle depth of flavor and helps keep the cookies tender and chewy.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter – Unsalted butter is recommended so you can control the salt level. The dough also includes salt and an optional sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top.
- Brown sugar – Adds moisture and chew. Dark brown sugar gives deeper color and flavor; light brown sugar can be used and will produce a slightly lighter cookie. Coconut sugar will yield a thicker, less-spread cookie.
- Cane sugar – A mild swap for granulated sugar; if you don’t have cane sugar, granulated works fine.
- Molasses – Two teaspoons of fancy (not blackstrap) molasses deepen the flavor and improve chewiness.
- All-purpose flour – Use 1 1/3 cups (180 g). The recipe hasn’t been tested with other flours.
- Chocolate chips – Dark chocolate chips for richness. Chopped dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate all work.
- Pecans – Raw pecan pieces are preferred. Chop pecan halves if needed. Avoid pre-roasted nuts that contain oil, which can cause uneven browning.
How to make chocolate chip pecan cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the room-temperature butter with the brown and cane sugars until creamy, about 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla until combined.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans, reserving a few pieces to press on top before baking.
Use about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll each portion into a ball, place on the prepared baking sheet about 2–3 inches apart, and top with reserved pecan pieces.
Bake 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly underbaked. For a glossy finish, add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of each cookie straight from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like.
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Measuring ingredients
The recipe includes US cup measurements and metric weights for accuracy. Use a kitchen scale for grams and a liquid measuring cup for milliliters. For dry cups, use the spoon-and-level method to avoid packing too much flour.
Storage tips
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.
To freeze, layer cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers or freeze in a single layer and then transfer to a bag. They keep well for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Roll the dough into smooth balls before baking. If needed, while cookies are still warm, gently shape them with a wide-mouth glass or round cutter by swirling it around the cookie to smooth the edge.
No—this dough can be baked immediately. If you prefer to chill it, roll into balls first so they keep their shape.
Yes. Store rolled dough balls in an airtight container in the fridge for 1–2 days. For longer storage, freeze the balls on a tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Add a few minutes to the bake time when baking chilled or frozen dough.
Over-spreading can result from too much butter or sugar, too little flour, warm dough, or placing dough on a warm baking sheet. Measure carefully and ensure dough is cool before baking.
Key recipe tips
- Room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter and a room-temperature egg mix more evenly and give better texture.
- Weigh ingredients when possible. Metric weights improve consistency over cup measurements.
- Sugar swaps. Coconut sugar can replace brown sugar but will reduce spread; granulated sugar works for the cane sugar measure.
- Cookie size. This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie—adjust baking time if you change the size.
- Sheet pans. Lighter-colored pans bake more evenly; darker pans can brown bottoms faster.
- Don’t overbake. Remove cookies when the centers still look slightly underdone; they firm up as they cool for a tender, chewy result.
More cookie recipes
- Almond Flour Cookie Butter Cookies
- Blueberry Lemon Cookies
- Almond Flour Monster Cookies
- Almond Flour Snickerdoodles
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment with your feedback and any tips you discover—I’d love to hear how they turn out!
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups (180 g) all-purpose white flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75 g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (60 g) cane sugar (or granulated)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons fancy molasses
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 g) raw pecan pieces
- ½ cup (95 g) dark chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and both sugars until creamy, about 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla until combined.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients gradually until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans, reserving some for the tops.
- Portion dough with a 2-tablespoon scoop, roll into balls, and place 2–3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Press reserved pecan pieces on top.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly underdone.
- Add reserved chocolate chips to the tops if desired and sprinkle with flaky sea salt while cookies are hot from the oven.
- Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter and egg for best texture.
- Weighted measurements improve consistency; use the spoon-and-level method if measuring by cup.
- Substituting coconut sugar will reduce spread; granulated sugar can replace cane sugar.
- Light-colored sheet pans bake more evenly and help prevent over-browning.
- Remove the cookies when centers still look slightly underbaked for a soft, chewy result as they cool.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
| Carbohydrates: 20 g
| Protein: 2 g
| Fat: 11 g
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on substitutions and brands used.