Browned Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think these might be the most delicious cookies I’ve ever baked or eaten! Modifying my go-to recipe by browning the butter till golden and super fragrant and adding crunchy toasted pecans, worked like I never imagined. They’re packed with flavour and texture and are seriously addictive. Get out that cookie scoop, it’s time to bake!

I’ve used browned butter earlier in baking, but this time I cooked it a little further than I’ve done before, till it reaches a dark but not burnt stage. I like this explanation on Wood and Spoon about the different levels of browned butter and how the flavour changes with each. Taking it to the third stage where the milk solids darken a lot, is when the flavour shines through the dough and even the final baked cookie. It’s nutty and caramel-y and adds a depth to the cookies I can’t quite put into words but I hope you try it to know!

I used the browned butter in its melted form itself, but you can also let it solidify in the fridge, then bring it back to room temperature and cream it with the sugars as usual. I’ve done it both ways and don’t usually notice a difference in the final outcome. The cookies bake up crispy on the edges and soft and gooey on the insides, but you can always bake them longer for firmer, all-round crispy ones if that’s what you prefer.

Toasting the pecans is crucial because they taste magical that way, and using them raw just isn’t the same. It’s a few extra minutes of work and absolutely worth it! They’re crunchy and delicious and walnuts work great if you don’t have pecans. The dough needs to be chilled before baking, but I like to chill it just for about 30 minutes which ensures they still spread but don’t flatten completely.

Ok, enough chatter. I hope you love these cookies as much as I did 🙂

Please read the recipes notes before beginning.

Browned Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutty browned butter cookies with toasted pecans and chocolate chips

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Makes: 20 cookies

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Ingredients

  

• 1 cup pecans (100 gms, walnuts work great too)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (160 gms, I used a soft, light brown kind)
• 1/3 cup caster sugar (60 gms)
• 140 gms butter, at room temp
• 1 egg, at room temp (see notes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (85 gms)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175 C. Spread the pecans out in a single layer on an un-greased baking tray. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until fragrant. Allow them to cool completely, then chop coarsely and set aside.
• To brown the butter (I do this while the pecans are cooling), place it in a saucepan (if it has a light coloured base, that's easier to see the browning) that's fairly deep because the butter will foam up! Set the saucepan on low heat and let the butter melt, stirring often. It will start to bubble and foam up vigorously, so keep an eye on it, stirring almost continuously at this stage to prevent burning.
• The milk solids will start to separate and you'll hear a sizzling sound. After 3 to 4 minutes, the butter will begin to smell nutty and toasty and you'll see the milk solids browning a little on the sides and the bottom and the surface looking a deep amber, golden colour. I prefer to take it to the edge and let the solids darken a fair bit (see post and photos above for more info), then take it off the heat and immediately pour into a mixing bowl so it doesn't keep cooking in the hot pan. Set aside to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Then add the sugars to the browned butter and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again (I use a balloon whisk) till incorporated.
• Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, if using. Fold to combine into a soft dough, which will look a little greasy because of the melted butter. Add the chopped toasted pecans and the chocolate chips and stir them gently into the dough, using your hands if needed to bring it all together.
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill it for 30 minutes. If chilling for an hour or longer, the dough will need to sit at room temperature before you are able to scoop it. Keep in mind the colder the dough, the puffier the cookies will be.
• Preheat the oven to 175 C again. Line a baking tray (or two if you're baking in batches) with silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Using a cookie scoop, make equal-sized portions (1.5 tablespoons each) of the dough and place them on the baking tray, at least two inches apart. You could also use a spoon if you don't have a cookie scoop. The dough might seem a little crumbly at first so use your fingers if needed to shape the individual dough balls and press the pecans and chocolate chips in.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges and still puffy in the middle. Take the tray out of the oven and very gently, press down on each cookie with the back of a spoon or a metal spatula to flatten further. Allow the cookies to cool and firm up for 10 minutes at room temperature on the tray itself, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake for 15 minutes if you prefer firmer, darker cookies but keep in mind, that as cookies cool, they continue to bake and firm up, so don't leave them in the oven for too long.
• Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for 4 to 5 days (I think these are best in the first couple of days). In the fridge, they'll last about 2 weeks and longer in the freezer. Happy baking!

Notes

*Browning butter removes some of its moisture, so the brown sugar is slightly higher in this recipe compared to my usual dough because it's moister than white sugar. Some bakers reduce the flour or add a couple of tablespoons of milk while using browned butter to prevent dryness, but I didn't find this necessary as we start off with a larger amount of butter to begin with in this recipe. Keep in mind that most cookies inevitably dry out in the center after the first couple of days, even when baked for 10 to 12 minutes.

*I have also made this recipe by chilling the browned butter till solid, then bringing it to room temperature and beating it with the sugars like regular cookie dough. The results are similar and both are delicious!

*I have an eggless cookie dough, but have not experimented with a browned butter version of it.

*Prep time does not include dough chilling time.

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