Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans are a fun twist on a classic with a sweet Southern spin. These cookies start with a buttery dough and are filled with crunchy, caramelized glazed pecans for a little extra sweetness and texture. Every cookie bakes up soft in the middle with crisp, golden edges.
If you enjoy cookies with a little crunch, you might also like my Cookies with Nuts collection, where you will find more recipes featuring walnuts, pecans, and other nut-filled favorites. My husband will always say his favorite is a classic chocolate chip cookie, but he still stood by the cooling rack asking for one of these before they were even cool.
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A Quick Look: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans
Recipe Name: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans
Ready In: about 1½ hours (including chilling and glazing the pecans)
Yield: 34 cookies
Texture: Soft centers with crisp edges and a little crunch from the glazed pecans
Flavor Profile: Buttery and sweet with creamy milk chocolate, balanced by semi-sweet chocolate and a light hint of salt
Difficulty: Easy with one extra step for the glazed pecans
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Why You'll Love This Cookie
- A mix of milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips for a balanced chocolate flavor that is not overly sweet
- Glazed pecans add a sweet crunch with just a hint of salt
- Soft centers with lightly crisp edges
- A little different from a classic chocolate chip cookie
- Easy to make with just one extra step for the glazed pecans
Key Ingredients
Glazed Pecans
The glazed pecans are a simple step for this recipe, but they really make a difference in this cookie. The brown sugar and butter create a light coating that adds sweetness, and I like to add a little cinnamon for extra flavor. They also hold a bit of their crunch after baking, which pairs nicely with the soft cookie.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Cookies
- Milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips: Using both gives a balanced chocolate flavor that is not overly sweet.
- Cornstarch: Helps keep the cookies soft and gives them a slightly thicker texture.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise slightly and contributes to a tender texture.
- Store-Bought Glazed Pecans: Some store-bought glazed pecans are better for snacking than baking. Making them at home gives you better texture and flavor for cookies.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Glazed Pecans
Step 1: Chop the pecans into smaller pieces before glazing. The glaze seems to stick better this way instead of chopping them after they have cooled.
Step 2: I use an 8-inch frying pan on the stove for glazing the pecans. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper so they are ready to cool once glazed.
Step 3: Add the light brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt to the frying pan over medium heat. Stir until melted and combined.
Step 4: Bring the mixture to a low boil and let it reduce by about half.
Step 5: Add the chopped pecans and stir continuously to coat all the pieces. This will take a couple of minutes as the glaze thickens.
Step 6: Continue stirring until most of the glaze is coating the pecans and very little liquid remains in the pan.
Step 7: Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the pecans onto the prepared sheet pan. Spread them out so they do not clump together. This helps them distribute more evenly in the cookie dough.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans
These cookies are easy to put together. I like to have everything prepped and within reach before I start mixing.
Prepping
Step 8: In one bowl, weigh or measure the dark brown and white sugars and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, then whisk to combine.
Mix the Cookie Dough
Step 9: Add the cubed butter to your mixing bowl.
Step 10: Cream the butter for one to two minutes, until it looks soft with light peaks.
Step 11: Add the sugars and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes.
Step 12: Now, add the vanilla extract and one of the eggs. Mix well before adding the second egg. Scrape down the bowl, then mix briefly to combine.
Step 13: Turn the mixer down to a low speed and add the flour mixture about a third at a time. Mix until just incorporated.
Step 14: Mix for about 5 seconds, then use a spatula to make sure the chips and pecans are evenly distributed.
Step 15: Chill the cookie dough for about 20 minutes, just enough for the butter to firm up slightly without making the dough hard.
Scoop and Bake
Step 16: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scooper, place 12 mounds onto one of the prepared sheet pans.
Step 17: Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft. Leave them on the pan for a minute before moving them to a cooling rack
🫙🍪 Storage
I store them in an air-tight container with parchment paper between the layers. This way the edges stay crisp and the centers stay soft and a little chewy.
FAQs
Absolutely! Roasting nuts always gives an added layer of flavor.
How are you choosing which brand will give you the best cookie with so many brands out there? I found a site that offers a breakdown on the chocolate chip brand war :-): The Best Chocolate Chips for Baking Cookies and More
The original cookie was created and baked by a woman named Ruth Wakefield back in the 1930s. Here is a link to that recipe courtesy of The New England Today Food.
The cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly golden, and the centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
❄️ Can I Freeze This Cookie?
I do not typically freeze cookie dough when testing my recipes, so the instructions above reflect how this cookie was baked and stored. If you would like to explore general freezing options, the AI tool below can provide additional guidance.
A Few Other Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you tried this Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans
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Ingredients
Glazed Pecans
- 1 cup (99 g) Pecans chopped
- ¼ cup (55 g) Light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Butter unsalted
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Cookies
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) Dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar white
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon Corn starch
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ cup (87.5 g) Semi-Sweet chocolate chip
- ½ cup (87.5 g) Milk chocolate chip
- 1 cup (112 g) Glazed Pecans
Instructions
Making Glazed Pecans
- If using pecan halves, chop them into slightly smaller pieces. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper so the glazed pecans are ready to cool once finished.
- Using an 8-inch frying pan, combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat. Stir until melted, then bring to a soft boil. Continue stirring until the mixture reduces by about half and thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Add the pecan pieces and stir to coat them evenly. This will take a few minutes as the glaze thickens. You want most of the butter-sugar mixture to cling to the pecans, with very little glaze left in the bottom of the pan. Transfer the pecans to the prepared sheet pan and spread them out so they don't clump together. Let them cool while you make the cookie dough.
Making the Cookies
- Weigh or measure the light brown and white sugars into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, then whisk to combine.
- Add the cubed butter to the mixer bowl and cream on medium speed for one to two minutes, until soft peaks form. Add the sugars and mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and one egg, mixing well before adding the second egg.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture about one-third at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Add the semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips along with the glazed pecans. Mix for about 5 seconds, then use a spatula to evenly distribute the mix-ins if needed. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, place 12 mounds of dough onto a prepared sheet pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
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Notes
- Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden, and the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Chilling the dough for about 20 minutes helps control spread and gives the cookies a thicker, softer center.
- Make sure the glazed pecans are cooled and separated before adding them to the dough so they distribute evenly.
- Mix the flour in just until incorporated to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Using both milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips gives a balanced flavor that is not overly sweet.
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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