Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies
These Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies are maple flavored cookies that are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and filled with toasted pecan pieces.
Welcome to week 2 of Thanksgiving Month on Sprinkles and Sea Salt! You won’t want to miss this week, it’s all about Thanksgiving Desserts! This may surprise you, but I’m not super into classic Thanksgiving desserts like Pumpkin and Apple pie. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat them, but I wanted to share some alternative Thanksgiving dessert recipes that I’m very much into!
These Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies are rich with nutty flavor from the brown butter, toasted pecans and maple flavoring. They are easy to make and even easier to eat 😉
How to Make Brown Butter
Making brown butter for cookies may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it’s so worth it in the case of these Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies. Half the butter is brown and it gives the cookies there rich, nutty flavor that goes so well with the toasted pecans.
Preparing the brown butter is the first step in the recipe. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Once the butter is melted allow it to continue to heat until it starts to bubble and foam. At this point, whisk continuously until the butter turns a beautiful golden brown.
Transfer the butter to the bowl of your electric mixer. Put it in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool. This step is essential, because if you do not cool the brown butter your cookies will come out flat.
How to Make Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies
While your brown butter is cooling, use the same skillet you make the brown butter in to toast the pecan pieces. Toast them over medium-low heat until they start to give off a nutty aroma. This will take about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set the pecans aside.
Once the brown butter is cooled, add the other stick of butter and cream until the butters are combined and smooth. Add the sugars and continue to cream until the mixture is fluffy. Next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between. Mix in the maple and vanilla extracts.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour and other dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until the flour is just fully incorporated. Fold in the toasted pecan pieces.
Now it’s time to scoop and bake! Make sure you have 2 parchment lined baking sheets ready. Scoop the cookies onto the baking sheets, be sure to evenly space them. Gently press 1 pecan half into the center of each dough ball. Sprinkle the dough balls with flakey sea salt (this is optional, but recommended). They are now ready for the oven. Bake them at 400°F for 8 minutes. The higher baking temperature with shorter baking time helps the cookies achieve that crispy on the outside, soft on the inside texture we are aiming for.
Planning Tips
These Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies can be made well in advance and frozen. If you are going to go this route, you have 2 options. You can bake them and then freeze or you can make them, scoop them and freeze the dough balls.
If you choose to bake before freezing you will need to cool the cookies completely before wrapping them up well and putting them in the freezer. When you defrost them, remove for the freezer at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours prior to serving. Take them out of their wrapping and allow to defrost on a plate or flat surface where they are not touching one another.
If you choose to freeze the dough balls, it’s best if you scoop them onto a tray and flash freeze them for 1 hour before packaging them up. That way they will hold their shape well. When you take them out of the freezer to bake, pop them onto parchment lined baking sheets and then allow them to defrost, this will take 1-2 hours. Once defrosted, follow the normal baking instructions.
Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies
- Yield: 18 large cookies 1x
Description
These Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies are maple flavored cookies that are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and filled with toasted pecan pieces.
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, divided
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp maple flavor extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
18 pecan halves
flakey sea salt (optional)
Instructions
Heat a small skillet over medium heat
Add 1 stick of butter, melt
Allow butter to continue to heat until it starts to bubble and foam
Working with a wooden spoon, stir the butter continuously until it turns golden brown and gives off a nutty fragrance.
Pour the butter into the bowl of your electric mixer
Remove the bowl and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool the butter
While the butter is cooling, use the same pan to toast the pecan pieces
Add them to the skillet and toast over medium-low heat until they give off a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes
Remove skillet from heat, set aside
Preheat oven to 400°F
Put the mixing bowl with the cooled butter back in your stand and attach the blade
Add the other stick of butter, cream until smooth
Add the sugars and cream on high until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes
Add eggs 1 at a time, mix
Add the maple and vanilla extracts, mix
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda
Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mix until fully combined
Fold in the toasted pecan pieces
Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookies into balls, evenly space on the tray
Press 1 pecan half into the top of each cookie
Sprinkle with flakey sea salt (optional)
Bake for 8-10 minutes
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If you make these Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies let me know how you like them! Leave a comment here and/or give it a star rating! If you snap a photo I’d love to see it – share it over on Instagram and tag me @sprinklesandseasalt.