Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Soft Centers

Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pecan chocolate chip cookies have lightly golden edges, soft centers, and plenty of chopped pecans and chocolate chips. There’s no required dough chill: scoop the dough after mixing and bake the cookies one sheet at a time.

The 10-to-12-minute bake time is for roughly 2-tablespoon portions. Keep the scoops similar in size, leave room for them to spread, and use the color of the edges—not just the clock—to decide when they’re done.

Ingredients for Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (225g)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (255g)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (110g)

Weigh the flour or spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off; too much flour can make the cookies dry. Toasting the pecans deepens their flavor, but untoasted pecans work, too. Dark or milk chocolate chips can replace the semisweet chips in the same amount.

How to Make Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Prepare the oven and pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment. If toasting the pecans, spread them on a small baking sheet and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool before adding them to the dough.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugars: Beat the softened, not melted, butter with both sugars until combined and somewhat lighter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
4. Finish the dough: Mix in the dry ingredients just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. For more visible mix-ins, reserve a few chips and pecan pieces from the measured amounts for the tops.
5. Scoop: Portion about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, leaving 2 to 3 inches between portions so they do not spread into each other. Press on any reserved chips and pecans.
6. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time, checking at 10 minutes. The cookies typically take 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Remove them when the edges are lightly golden and set and the centers look slightly soft, but not visibly wet.
7. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes so they firm up enough to move without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes approximately 32 cookies. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for preparation and about 40 to 60 minutes total, depending on the number of batches. Toasting the pecans adds time.

How to Tell When the Cookies Are Done

Do not wait for the centers to look fully firm. Once the edges are lightly golden, the centers should look soft but not liquid or like visibly raw dough. They will continue to set during the 5-minute rest on the baking sheet. If the cookies turn out dry, check the flour measurement and remove the next batch a little sooner.

Cookie Size and Optional Chilling

The bake time applies to approximately 2-tablespoon scoops; larger cookies need a different timing window. For potentially thicker cookies, chill the portioned dough for at least 1 hour before baking. Chilled dough may take a little longer, so watch the edges and centers rather than relying on the same bake time.

For a salty finish, add a light pinch of flaky sea salt to each cookie immediately after baking. For another pecan dessert, try these turtle cookies with caramel centers.

Storage and Freezing

Cool the cookies completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Baked cookies or portioned unbaked dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bake frozen dough portions directly from frozen, allowing a few additional minutes and checking the edges and centers for doneness.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 32 cookies: 180 calories, 2g protein, 11g fat, and 19g carbohydrates. Per 100g of finished cookies: approximately 500 calories, 6g protein, 30g fat, and 54g carbohydrates. Values are estimates and will vary with cookie size, ingredients, and moisture lost during baking.