These pecan chocolate chip cookies really let the nuts shine. They are made with both pecan flour and crunchy pecans to really bring out the nutty flavor. These thick, bakery sized cookies have perfect crispy edges and soft centers and they're loaded with melty chocolate chips. I know you will love them!
For a time when I was a kid, we moved to live on my grandfather's farm in the deepest south of south Georgia. Our house was situated in the midst of a soybean field and we had a row of pecan (pronounced pee-can if you're from the south) trees in our front yard. When it was pecan season, my mom and I would go out everyday after work & school to pick up pecans to take to the shelling place in town - because when you're dealing in 5 gallons buckets of pecans, you don't crack them by hand.
There was actually no chore I dreaded more than collecting pecans. Sure, I like eating them, but picking them up one by one by one thousand is back breaking work. I guess you could say loving pecans is in my blood. After all, it's been a family food for generations. But I'm happy to let someone else do the work these days.
Ingredient Notes
These delicious nutty cookies are made with simple ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. The recipe is both gluten free and dairy free as written.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 flour for all of my cookie recipes. You can use your own flour blend, but know it may not turn out the same. If you substitute with another blend, ensure it contains xanthan gum (or a similar binder).
- Cinnamon & Cayenne - These may be unusual additions to chocolate chip cookies, but a hint of cinnamon and a little bit of spice from the cayenne pepper is the perfect compliment to the pecan flavor.
- Vegan Butter - I use Country Crock Plant Butter or Miyoko's Vegan Butter for my baking. If you're not dairy free, you can use regular unsalted butter in the same measure.
- Allergen Free Chocolate Chips - I tested these cookies with both Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips and Nestle Allergen Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Both were great! If you prefer, you can substitute chopped chocolate in place of chocolate chips.
- Pecan Flour - You can buy pecan flour online or make your own by processing pecan halves. The packaged pecan flour is a little finer grain than what I can make at home. But either way will work fine with this recipe.
See the recipe card for full ingredient list with measurements.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
This easy recipe is similar to making a classic chocolate chip cookie. I do recommend using a stand mixer to make things easier.
There is a little bit of chilling time involved to get the cookie dough perfect, but I promise it's worth it!
STEP 1: Add the butter, sugar and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat together on medium speed using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat another 3 minutes.
STEP 3: Combine the flour, pecan flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and whisk well.
STEP 4: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. It's okay if there are some bits of flour showing.
STEP 5: Add in the pecans and chocolate chips to the cookie dough and stir until evenly mixed.
STEP 6: Scoop the cookie dough into large balls and place on a cookie sheet. Then refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 2 hours. After the chilling time, you're ready to bake.
How to bake the perfect cookie
Following a few success tips will help you get the best results every time.
- Use the best quality ingredients you can afford and make sure they are fresh. Baking soda and baking powder both expire after a few months, flour and nuts can go rancid and chocolate can get chalky. If it's been in your cabinet for more than a couple of months, it's probably time to replace it.
- Measure accurately. Using too much flour will lead to dry, hard cookies. Using a kitchen scale is the best way to get consistent measurements and results, but if you don't want to use a scale then at least use measuring cups correctly. Stir your flour to loosen it up, then spoon it into your measuring cup. Level off the top with the back of a knife. Make sure to measure liquid ingredients with a liquid measuring cup and don't under fill or overfill measuring cups on any ingredients.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Don't spray with non-stick spray or put the cookies directly on the baking sheet and definitely don't bake them on aluminum foil or wax paper.
- Use a cookie scoop (ice cream scoop) to get perfectly round dough balls.
- Chill the dough balls for the required time if it is listed in your recipe.
- Leave space between your cookies when you place them on the sheet so they don't all run together during baking.
- Don't wait for your cookies to look brown all over to remove them from the oven, they will be crunchy or hard. Check the edges of the cookies with your finger, once it feels stiff the cookie is ready to remove. They will continue to cook a bit more while cooling on the baking sheet.
- Cool your baking sheet between batches.
Can you make cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough up to 2 days before baking or go ahead and scoop it into balls and flash freeze them for about an hour before transferring them to a freezer bag. Then you can bake a few whenever you want something sweet. They will be good in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Storage
Keep these cookies in an airtight container stored at room temperature for 3-4 days. They should retain their soft centers if stored properly.
More pecan recipes to try:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Gluten Free Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Pecan Flour
- 1 ¼ Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ Cup Vegan Butter room temperature
- ⅔ Cup Light Brown Sugar lightly packed
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 ¼ Cup Allergen Free Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Pecans roasted and roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Stir together until well mixed. Set aside.½ Cup Pecan Flour, 1 ¼ Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, ¾ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes until fluffy.½ Cup Vegan Butter, ½ Cup Sugar, ⅔ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat another 3 minutes.1 Egg, 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla, 1 Egg Yolk
- Turn mixer to lowest speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Once it is just combined, dump in the chocolate and chopped nuts and fold together with a spatula.1 Cup Pecans, 1 ¼ Cup Allergen Free Chocolate Chips
- Scoop into ¼ cupfuls and place onto a lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes until edges are just set. Remove from oven and cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Linda says
These are awesome!!! My family’s new favorite.
I love this one too!