Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
These classic cookies combine a buttery brown sugar dough with abundant semisweet chocolate chips and crisp pieces of toasted pecan. Chilling the dough produces a thicker, chewier texture, while baking it immediately creates cookies that spread more and develop crisper edges.
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Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to approximately 70°F
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract preferably Madagascar vanilla for a fuller flavor
Chocolate and Pecan Add-Ins
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli
- 1 cup pecans roughly chopped and lightly toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone baking mat.
- Place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, beat the ingredients on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, or until creamy and thoroughly blended.
- Add the eggs individually, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and continue mixing until the wet ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together until uniformly combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in several portions. Mix on low speed after each addition to prevent the flour from scattering, continuing only until a smooth and consistent dough forms.
- Fold the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans gently into the dough, distributing both add-ins evenly throughout.
- For thicker cookies with a chewier center, cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. For thinner cookies with crisper edges, proceed directly to portioning the dough.
- Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Leave at least 2 inches of space between each portion to allow the cookies to spread.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers appear just set.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the pan for approximately 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely.
Notes
For an added contrast of flavor, scatter a very small pinch of flaky sea salt over the cookies while they are still warm.