Today I'm proud to introduce my Browned Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies – a treat that promises to transport you to vegan cookie nirvana!
Imagine taking a bite into a cookie that's a perfect harmony of salty-sweet, where luscious chocolate chips meld seamlessly with the earthy, toasty tones of pecans and the crunch of salted pretzels. YUM!
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Simply Made With Pantry Staples - Chances are, you already have most of what you need to make these chewy chocolate chip cookies with pecans.
- Salty-Sweet - The nutty depth of browned vegan butter perfectly complements the earthy richness of pecans. The crunch of pretzels add an extra salty kick, and luscious chocolate chunks melt into every bite, ensuring this chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe is truly unforgettable.
- Perfect for Sharing - Whether you’re plotting a bake sale, hosting a holiday cookie swap, or simply want to brighten your neighbor’s day, these chocolate chip with pecan cookies are a surefire hit.
Love all varieties of pecan desserts? Try my plant-based recipes for pecan pie, sticky pecan buns, caramel pecan cheesecake, and pecan pie cupcakes next!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
As promised, you only need simple ingredients to make these chocolate chip and pecan cookies. Here’s what to grab:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan Butter - Make sure you’re reaching for block-style butter sticks such as Violife block or flora plant butter, not spreadable margarine from a tub, and don’t forget the extra tablespoon to toast your buttered pecans!
- Brown Sugar - You can use either light or dark brown sugar, depending on how pronounced you want the molasses flavor to be. You’re also welcome to use muscovado sugar for a less-processed alternative.
- Pecans - I suggest you reach for pecan pieces rather than expensive “fancy pecan halves” — save those for showstoppers like my caramel pecan cheesecake!
- Granulated Sugar - If you live in the US, make sure to reach for organic cane sugar to ensure it’s vegan-friendly.
- Vegan Greek-Style Yogurt - This acts like eggs, helping to bind the batter while imparting some fat into the dough. You’re also welcome to use vegan skyr, or regular unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt.
- Vanilla Extract - For rich, aromatic warmth. You can use an equal amount of vanilla paste if you prefer.
- Cinnamon - I love the warmth of cinnamon in these cookies, but if you’re more of a purist, you’re welcome to omit it.
- Vegan Chocolate - I suggest using bar chocolate cut into chunks for the meltiest texture. I use "milk" style, but you can use white, semi-sweet, or dark if you prefer.
- Pretzels - While optional, I find that pretzels add an extra layer of texture and a certain je ne sais quois to these pecan and chocolate chip cookies.
🥣 How To Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1: Brown the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Constantly stir until the butter turns a golden brown color and there is a nutty buttery aroma.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the browned butter and brown sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Toss the pecans in the same saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Step 4: Add granulated sugar, vegan yogurt, and vanilla to the brown butter and sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
Step 5: Fold in the dry ingredients using a spatula until almost mixed through but there are still some streaks of flour.
Step 6: Fold in around ¾ toasted pecans, chocolate chunks, and pretzels until just combined. Cover the bowl with the cookie dough with some clingfilm or a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 7: Use a cookie scoop to separate the dough into 9 portions. Place the cookie dough balls on the lined sheets - be careful to leave at least 2.5 inches of space between each ball of dough as they will spread whilst baking!
Step 8: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Then use a large cookie cutter or glass to carefully round off and shape the edges of the hot cookies.
🥨 Variations
While I think this recipe for chocolate chip pecan cookies is superlative, there are plenty of ways for you to make it your own:
- Pecan White Chocolate Cookies - While I prefer milk chocolate next to the pecans and pretzels, dairy-free white chocolate is a fun substitute! You’re also welcome to mix and match multiple types of chocolate if you like.
- Swap Your Nuts - Try using chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, or even peanuts for a different experience.
- Add-Ins - Feel free to go full kitchen-sink with these vegan pecan chocolate chip cookies. The combo of nuts, chocolate, and pretzels is lovely, but consider adding even more interest to the mix with dried fruits, cereal, or seeds.
📝 Recipe Tips
Don’t skip the rest. Allowing the flour some time to rehydrate by resting the dough in the fridge will yield better textural results.
Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop for evenly sized-treats. Go a step further towards creating bakery chocolate chip cookies by rounding off the edges. Use a round cookie cutter that’s larger than the baked cookies, then place it around each baked chocolate chip pecan cookie while it’s warm and make a swirling motion.
Stud the tops. Reserving some of your mix-ins to add to the cookie tops right before and after baking will result in extra indulgent treats.
Let the cookies cool completely before digging in. If you eat them while they’re still warm, the pretzels end up tasting a bit stale.
💬 FAQs
In my humble opinion, pecans are excellent in chocolate chip cookies. They add a rich, nutty flavor and a delightful crunch, complementing the sweetness of the chocolate perfectly.
These cookies are chewy instead of crispy due to their higher moisture content. This comes from using ingredients like brown sugar, and Greek yogurt, and a higher ratio of wet to dry ingredients. Additionally, underbaking cookies slightly can also contribute to a chewier texture, which I happen to love.
Once cool, transfer the cookies to an airtight container. They will keep well at room temp for about 5 days. If you’d like to extend their life, they freeze well for up to a month.
Alternatively, feel free to freeze balls of cookie dough to bake off whenever you get a homemade cookie craving! The dough should keep well for up to a month.
🍪 More Vegan Cookies
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Description
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) vegan butter (block-style), + 1 tbsp for frying *see note 1
- 110 g (½ cup) soft brown sugar
- 130 g (1 ⅓ cups) pecans
- 135 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 40 g (2 tbsp) vegan Greek-style yogurt or skyr, or regular unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 g (1 ½ cups + 2 tsp) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 120 g (4.23 oz) vegan chocolate , I use "milk" style, cut into chunks
- 40 g (½ cup) pretzels, optional
Instructions
- Brown butter: Add 150g of vegan butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Constantly stir the mixture for approximately 5 minutes, until the butter turns a golden brown color and there is a nutty buttery aroma. Do not leave it on the heat any longer as it will burn very quickly.
- Add the brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and pour the browned butter on top of it while still warm. Whisk well and set aside for 5 minutes. There's no need to wash the saucepan.
- Toast the pecans: Add another tablespoon of vegan butter to the saucepan and add in the pecans. Toss them over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Make the cookie dough: To the bowl with the brown butter and brown sugar, whisk in the granulated sugar, followed by the yogurt and vanilla.In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients so that they are mixed evenly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them together using a spatula until there almost mixed through but there are still some streaks of flour. Then fold in around ¾ toasted pecans, chocolate chunks, and pretzels until just combined. Reserve the other ¼ of the mix-ins for topping the cookies.Cover the bowl with the cookie dough with some clingfilm or a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (347°F) while the cookie dough is chilling. Line 2 large baking trays with some parchment paper.
- Use a 2.4"/6cm cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to separate the dough into 9 portions. Place the cookie dough balls on the lined sheets - be careful to leave at least 2.5 inches of space between each ball of dough as they will spread whilst baking! Stud the cookies with most of the remaining chocolate chips and chocolate chunks (saving a few pieces for when they come out of the oven).
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Then use a large cookie cutter or glass to carefully round off and shape the edges of the hot cookies. Let the cookies sit on the baking trays for 5 minutes to cool slightly. If you want big chocolatey pools, you can add more chocolate chunks to the tops of the cookies while they are warm.
- Carefully slide the sheet of parchment paper with the cookies off of the tray and onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Storage: Once cool, transfer the cookies to an airtight container. They will keep well at room temp for about 5 days. If you’d like to extend their life, they freeze well for up to a month.
Notes
- Vegan Butter - Use block-style buttery sticks such as Violife block or flora plant butter, not spreadable margarine from a tub.
- Swap Your Nuts - Try using chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, or even peanuts for a different experience.
- Add-Ins - Feel free to go full kitchen sink with a combo of nuts, chocolate, pretzels, dried fruits, cereal, or seeds.
- Stud the tops. Reserving some mix-ins to add to the cookie tops right before and after baking will result in extra indulgent treats.
Nutrition
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