Pecan Pie Cookies

By Krista Teigen

Updated May 16, 2025

These pecan pie cookies are my new favorite Thanksgiving dessert. There’s no fussy pie crust or caramel making to deal with in this cookie recipe. It’s as easy as making my favorite sugar cookies. The filling still has that great caramelized taste without complicated temperatures and crystallization to worry about—the oven does all the work here. Plus, they’re the perfect size for when you want just a taste and not a whole slice!

5-Star Reviews

“Ah-mazing! These little bites are almost too good to share for Christmas. Easy to follow recipe and enough filling left over to make little brittles! Thank you for sharing.” -Ashley

I love pecan pie , but it can be a chore to make. These pecan pie cookies are like having a shortcut in the palm of my hand! The filling is so quick and easy to put together, and the dough is super simple, too! I get a perfect mouthful of pecan pie in every bite!

Tips for Success

The filling should be quite loose. Resist the urge to continue cooking it down, as this can make it too hard and sticky to eat. Instead, let it cool slightly to make it more scoopable.
You can make the filling up to 3 days ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to use. I recommend gently warming it on the stovetop or in the microwave before scooping it into the cookies.
Feel free to stir some mini chocolate chips into the dough and/or the filling!

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the Cookies

▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter 170 grams, room temperature (1½ sticks)
▢ ½ cup brown sugar 107 grams
▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
▢ 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling

▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 grams (¾ stick)
▢ ¾ cup brown sugar 160 grams
▢ 1½ cups chopped pecans 171 grams
▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream 76 grams
▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
▢ ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Video

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. ¾ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until incorporated. 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a separate bowl whisk together, the flour, baking powder, and salt. 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, little by little, beating lightly after each addition.
Use a cookie scoop, to drop balls of dough, about 2 tablespoons in size, on a large baking sheet. Roll into balls.
Use the back of a measuring spoon to make an indent in each ball.
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Then, stir in the brown sugar and pecans until the sugar is incorporated. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1½ cups chopped pecans
Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. ⅓ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Spoon the filling into the middle of each cookie.
Bake for 9-10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool for few minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Hand Mixer
Cookie Portion Scoop
Baking Sheet

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Pecan Pie Cookies Step by Step

Gather all your ingredients.

cooke dough with an egg and vanilla added in a glass bowl. - 6

Mix the Wet Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream ¾ cup of unsalted butter, ½ cup of brown sugar, and ¼ cup of granulated sugar together. Beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until incorporated.

Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk together, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.

adding flour to cookie dough in a glass bowl. - 8

Mix the Dough: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, little by little, beating lightly after each addition.

scooping cookie dough with a cookie scoop. - 9

Scoop the Dough: Use a cookie scoop to drop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons in size) on a large baking sheet. Roll into balls.

pressing a teaspoon into cookies to form a well. - 10

Indent the Dough: Use the back of a measuring spoon to make an indent in each ball.

chopped pecans in a saucepan with a rubber spatula. - 11

Mix the Filling: In a saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Then, stir in ¾ cup of brown sugar and 1½ cups of chopped pecans until the sugar is incorporated.

pecan pie filling in a saucepan with a rubber spatula. - 12

Add the Cream: Stir in ⅓ cup of heavy cream, ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt.

spooning pecan pie filling into thumbprint cookie dough. - 13

Fill the Cookies: Spoon the filling into the middle of each cookie.

baked pecan pie cookies on a baking sheet. - 14

Bake the Cookies: Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Store

Store leftover pecan pie cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving at room temperature.

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Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Hand Mixer
Cookie Portion Scoop
Baking Sheet