Maple Pecan Cookies
These maple pecan cookies are a chewy brown sugar cookie packed full of crunchy pecans creating a wonderful texture along with awesome flavor.
Maple pecan cookies came to my brain (as a flavor combo), in the ice cream aisle. I usually just get vanilla ice cream, but I love maple flavored things and I am always pro-nuts in baked goods. My Maple Shortbread Cookies are one of my favorite cookies I’ve created, so I wanted to make another maple cookie for fall. When I’m baking I’m always looking to ‘borrow’ flavor ideas. Could one treat be another?
I recipe tested these, a lot. I wanted a very specific texture and this is very close but I’m not sure it’s still quite right. Needless to say they are delicious, and I also got tired of making these cookies when they tasted perfectly delightful so I decided this is it.
Baking Notes & Tips
These maple pecan cookies use both maple syrup and maple extract for a strong maple flavor to come through. Just using one or the other wasn’t enough. We also use only brown sugar as it I think enhances the maple flavor and adds to the chewiness. I wanted these cookies to be chewy with a lightly crisp edge. Not too thick, not too thin but thinner than big fat cookies.
While most recipes can technically work without chilling the dough even when it specifies to, I would recommend chilling these at least for a few hours. If you can wait 8-24 hours your cookie will always be improved though. Chilling the dough will enhance the texture AND flavor.
I also think these maple pecan cookies taste fantastic when they are sprinkled with flaky sea salt right out of the oven. I know it might seem odd but salt really balances sweetness and brings depth to the actual flavors.
Maple Pecan Cookies Key Ingredients
- Chopped pecans – You could definitely use pecan halves but I prefer having little bits to bigger. I chop mine between roughly and finely. How finely you chop them is wholly your decision.
- Maple syrup – Using only maple syrup for maple flavor wasn’t strong enough, but it definitely helped the cookies spread a little more as well as a subtle maple flavor.
- Bread flour – Bread flour in a cookie lends itself to chewiness. Can you use all purpose? Yes. The texture of the cookie will be slightly different but I tried it using both flours and it worked either way. But if you want that good chewy cookie, I recommend using bread flour.
Ingredients
- 150 g Bread flour 1¼ cup
- ½ tsp Sea salt
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 113 g Unsalted butter ½ cup, room temperature
- 135 g Dark brown sugar ~â…” cup packed
- 1 large Egg room temperature
- 2 tbsp Maple syrup room temperature
- 1 tsp Maple extract
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 125 g Chopped pecans 1¼ cups
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add flour, salt, and baking soda and whisk together. Set aside.150 g Bread flour | ½ tsp Sea salt | ½ tsp Baking soda
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add butter and brown sugar. Mix on medium until butter and sugar are creamed, light and fluffy.113 g Unsalted butter | 135 g Dark brown sugar
- Add egg and mix thoroughly into dough.1 large Egg
- Add maple syrup, maple extract, and vanilla and mix into the dough.2 tbsp Maple syrup | 1 tsp Maple extract | ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- Add your flour mixture and mix on low until cookie dough just comes together. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so that there is no unmixed flour remaining.
- Add pecans and stir in with a rubber spatula.125 g Chopped pecans
- Either scoop cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, cover and chill, or cover bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 4 hours, but preferably 8 hours/overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F before dough comes out of the fridge, and line a cookie sheet with parchment.
- Scoop dough, leaving 3-4 inches on each side for spread. Bake on the center rack.For a 2 tbsp cookie, bake for about 11 minutes. For a 4 tbsp cookie, bake for about 13-14. Cookie edges will be lightly golden and the cookie will look mostly set.
- Let cookies cool on the pan for about 1-2 minutes, then move to a wire rack for cooling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!
