Soft and chewy cinnamon chocolate chip pecan cookies are made with brown butter, brown sugar, toasted pecans and cinnamon. They are super easy to make with no mixer needed!
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Chocolate chip and pecan cookies are classic chocolate chip cookies full of warm fall flavor.
They’re packed with both chocolate chips and toasted pecans. They are mixed together by hand and are super easy to make!
This recipe was adapted from and inspired by my delicious chocolate chip maple syrup cookies.
For more fall cookie recipes, try my pumpkin peanut butter cookies, molasses crinkle cookies, and chocolate chip snickerdoodles!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Since we are melting the butter, you won’t need a mixer to make these cookies.
- The melty chocolate and delicious pecans will have you coming back for more just like my cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies recipe!
- Everyone will love biting into the crisp edges and chewy middles.
- Cinnamon and brown sugar add warm flavor to these cookies. I can’t talk about cinnamon cookies without mentioning my recipe for snickerdoodle cookies!
- These chocolate chip pecan cookies only need to chill for 30 minutes. You can clean up and preheat the oven while the dough chills!
Ingredients
Here are some useful notes on some of the ingredients needed to make chocolate chip with pecan cookies.
- Chocolate chips: I use regular semisweet chocolate chips. Check out my chocolate blossom cookies if you love extra chocolatey cookies!
- Brown butter: Brown butter only takes a few minutes. It adds a rich, nutty flavor to these cookies. Using brown butter or melted butter in general makes it possible for us to mix these cookies by hand without a mixer.
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and free of lumps.
- Cinnamon: I love cinnamon in chocolate chip cookies. It adds a warm flavor. It tastes so good with chocolate! For a cinnamon flavored cookie dough, try my Lotus Biscoff Cookie Dough.
- Pecans: Pecans add flavor and extra crunch. I recommend toasting your nuts. Toasting the pecans first is optional, but it will give the cookies more flavor. Toast nuts first then chop them. Pecans can be toasted on the stovetop or in the oven. If you love pecans, you’ll love my pecan cheesecake and banana pecan muffins.
- One egg + one egg yolk: Use one large room temperature egg and one egg yolk. The extra egg yolk adds richness and makes these cookies chewy. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator a half hour before using.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions And Variations
- Instead of regular sized chocolate chips, use mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate. I’ve made these cookies with with Lindt 70% dark chocolate and they’re amazing. Use about 170 grams of chopped chocolate. For another incrdible chocolate chip cookie recipe, be sure to try my chocolate chip tahini cookies!
- Use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semisweet or a combination of them.
- Swap in walnuts or almonds in place of pecans.
- If you prefer to make these cookies nut-free, just leave the pecans out. You can either omit them or add more chocolate chips in their place.
- Melted butter can be used in place of brown butter.
How to Make Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Quick Video Recap
Instructions
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Brown or melt the butter. To brown the butter, add butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter starts to bubble, whisk constantly for 4-5 minutes. It will start to foam and you’ll notice little bits form. When the butter begins changing color, remove from heat and pour into bowl to cool for about 15 minutes.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above). Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. When you can smell the pecans toasting, toss them by shaking the skillet. Transfer them to a plate or paper towel to cool for a few minutes then chop them.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). Stir or whisk the sugars into the brown butter.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). Next, add the vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk. Then add the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above). Next, add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Then, stir until just combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). Form cookie dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each or 36 grams. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F for 9-11 minutes.
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. If you dredge the measuring cup into the flour, the flour will become compact. This can lead to dry cookies.
Tip # 2: Let the brown butter cool til not hot but just warm to the touch (but don’t let it re-solidify) before adding the sugars. If the butter is hot, it will melt and will ruin the cookie dough.
Tip #3: Add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops of your cookie dough balls. You can also add some right when the cookies come out of the oven.
Tip #4: Add a pinch of flaky sea salt to the freshly baked cookies. A sprinkle of sea salt brings out the chocolatey flavor of these chocolate chip cinnamon cookies.
Recipe FAQs
No. You don’t have to toast the pecans, but I recommend it. Toasting nuts enhances the nutty flavor and gives them a crisper texture. You can definitely taste the difference.
You can toast nuts on the stovetop or in the oven. This recipe doesn’t call for a large amount of nuts, so you can easily toast them on the stovetop.
Store these chocolate chip pecan cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight for up to 30 days. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a few hours before eating.
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Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all purpose flour measure carefully, avoid adding too much flour
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) salt
- 1¼ teaspoons (1¼ teaspoons) cinnamon
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 13 tablespoons (182 g) unsalted butter
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 1 (1) egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips semisweet or dark, plus a little more for decorating, optional or 170 grams chopped dark 70% chocolate
- ⅔ cup (66 g) pecans toasted (optional) then chopped, plus more for decorating, optional
- flaky sea salt for topping, optional
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter. Place the butter in a medium, light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it melts. Once melted, keep stirring while it foams and bubbles, then watch as it slowly turns deep golden in color. Stirring helps prevent burning and lets you see the color change and the milk solids forming on the bottom. When the butter smells nutty and the bits on the bottom are golden to medium brown (not light or tan, but not black), remove from the heat and immediately pour into a large heatproof mixing bowl. Scrape in all the browned bits, then let the butter cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes til no longer hot and just warm to the touch.
- Toast the pecans. Spread pecans in a single layer in a dry skillet over medium heat. When you can smell the pecans toasting, toss them by shaking the skillet. Toss and shake a few times to be sure they toast evenly. It should only take about 5 minutes to toast them. Nuts can burn easily, so make sure not to leave the nuts on the stove. Transfer them to a plate or paper towel to cool. Once cooled, roughly chop the pecans. If you are using chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips, chop the chocolate now. Cut the chocolate into small chunks about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.5–1.5 cm).
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- Add the sugars to the slightly cooled butter. Whisk or stir to combine.
- Mix in the egg followed by the egg yolk and the vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients in two additions. Stir until just combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Do not overmix.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies keep their shape and will prevent too much spreading.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop (or form cookies using about 2 tablespoons or about 36 grams of cookie dough) to drop cookies on baking sheet. Place them 2 inches apart. Stick a couple of extra chocolate chips or toasted pecans on top of the cookie, if desired.
- Bake 9-11 minutes until edges are lightly golden. The tops should look set and no longer glossy but still soft. Remove from oven. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Michelle
Okay, these were incredible, Natalie. You’ve done it again. It’s always amazes me that I can use one of your recipes and hit it out of the park on my first try. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your baking magic!
Natalie
Yay!!! Thank you so much Michelle, I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies and really appreciate your kind words! Thanks for your support. Love sharing my recipes with you!
Stephanie
Love these recipe! Cookies came out perfect and delicious
Natalie
Love to hear that Stephanie! Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed them 🙂 Have a great day!
Martin Proulx
Fantastic cookies and easy to make. Great balance between brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Delicious soft buttery goodness. Will make again very soon. Our kids loved them!
Natalie
Thanks so much for your kind words and great feedback Martin! So happy they were a hit with you and your family!!
Josee
I thought I would be fine with just one of these. Three cookies later.
Natalie
Hahaha happy you enjoyed these cookies Josee!