These Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies are soft, buttery, brown sugar cookies topped with brown sugar frosting and more pecans — perfect for Christmas baking or any day of the year! Includes step by step recipe video
You’ll also love these Pecan Pie Bars, The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe, and these Soft Molasses Cookies!
Post and photos updated and video added October 11, 2017.
I know what you’re thinking.
I’m all about a dense, chewy, fudgy cookie. And these cookies are soft and fluffy.
I’m all about chocolate. And these are, well, not.
And I totally wish I could deliver a batch of these to all of you personally so that you could understand just how good they are. But I can’t. You’re just going to have to make a batch for yourselves and thank me later.
Yes, they’re soft and fluffy instead of dense and chewy like most of the cookies I make. But they’re filled with brown sugar. And they’re topped with brown sugar frosting. And pecans. Pee-cans.
Sorry, I’m Canadian.
But I tried to channel my secret inner Southern girl when I made you these praline-inspired cookies.
Now, when you make these, there is just the perfect amount of frosting for the cookies plus about 3 tablespoons. Feel free to spoon those right into your mouth. You don’t even have to tell anyone.
This Brown Sugar Frosting is my new favorite thing. It’s so easy because the sugar and milk are melted together, and everything else can just be stirred in. But then, with 5-10 minutes it’s firmed right up so you can stack them right away. And if your frosting gets a little cool and difficult to spread, just pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or back on the stove on low for a few minutes, and you’re good to go (I actually had to do this twice while making these).
Christmas or not, you need these in your life.
Tips and Tricks for Making these Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies:
- I don’t chill my dough before rolling and baking these, but if your butter was quite warm you might find your cookies are a little flat. If you want them to hold up better and be thicker after baking, just pop the dough in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Since I’ve started baking my cookies on parchment paper I just can’t stop — they come off without a fuss and the clean up is nill. Plus, you can reuse and reuse and reuse parchment paper for baking! I highly recommend these parchment baking sheets.
- These cookies hold up well and are perfect for gift giving! I love these Christmas cookie boxes for gifting baking — and they can also be reused!
Watch the recipe video and see how easy they are to make!
Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour, I did 50% whole wheat, 50% all-purpose, but you could use all-purpose
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 36 pecan halves or chopped pecans, toasted, optional
Frosting:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup milk or cream, I use 1% milk
- 1 tbsp butter or margarine
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Cookies:In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add in flour, baking soda, and salt beat until combined. Stir in chopped pecans.
- Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes (or more).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Shape into 1″ balls (I used a 1 tbsp cookie scoop) and place a couple inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets or parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes or until set (not glossy at all in the middle) and lightly browned at the edges. Cool before frosting.
- FrostingCombine brown sugar and milk in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
- Stir in 1½ cups powdered sugar and whisk or beat with a mixer until smooth. If frosting is too thin, add more sugar, but keep in mind it will firm up dramatically within a few minutes.
- Spread each cookie with about 1 tbsp frosting and top with a pecan or chopped pecans. Let frosting set before storing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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JANET LEVY says
I was thinking egg nog in place of milk might taste good in this recipe. Thoughts?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tried so I can’t say how it would work! If you do try it please keep us updated.
Sam says
Do you these need to be refrigerated? I’m just wondering about the milk in the frosting
Ashley Fehr says
No they can be stored at room temperature for a few days. They freeze great though!
Marcella B Medearis says
Do you freeze before you frost or after?
Ashley Fehr says
Either works just as well!
Carol Stone says
I thought I had pecans but it’s walnuts I have. Do you they would work instead of pecans?
Ashley Fehr says
I think that would be great!
Alexis says
I’ve made these and absolutely love them. But I’ve never made them ahead. Do you think they will hold and be fine if I make them two days before an event?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes I think that would be fine!
Michele McConnell says
Carol, I add maple extract to my icing and put chopped walnuts on top. Turns out like a maple walnut cookie and is absolutely delicious.
Ashley Fehr says
Great idea!
Kathy says
Love the taste of these so so much! Mine do turn out pretty flat tho. Would love them to puff up a bit.