Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies

Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies

Let me tell you a little story about how I got here... to these cookies with pecans.

I'm scared to say this in the South, but my husband and I are not big fans of traditional Pecan Pie. We love the idea of pecan pie, but that thick, gooey, super sweet filling just doesn't really appeal to either of us. 

We do love pecans, and a flaky pie crust... so a few years back, I decided to make some Pecan Pie Bars for Richy and see what he thought of them. 

Well... he loved them! These bars quickly became a holiday staple for us, and he requests them every year around Christmas.

Pecan Pie Cookies Recipe

The next time I decided to venture out, I made an easy pecan cookies recipe. My favorite thing is - these cookies are easy to make but they taste and look so impressive!

These Chewy Pecan Pie Cookies were a huge hit from the first time I made them. They have all the "good parts" of Pecan Pie without that super-thick sticky filling. 

These Easy Pecan Pie Cookies are perfect—a pecan pie in cookie form. This recipe also works well as a Christmas cookie.

My husband instantly declared them wonderful, and I shared them at my son's birthday party over the weekend. They ended up being a bigger hit than the cake 😉

Someone even said they tasted like Crumbl Cookies. I haven't ever had those but I'll take that as a compliment.

What are Pecan Pie Cookies?

Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies are buttery thumbprint cookies with nutty filling. This delicious cookie is soft and buttery and replaces the flaky crust of a pie.

I then put a small amount of the pecan pie filling in the center of the cookie. It's not exactly the classic pie filling, but it's oh-so-good.

For a fun twist, we drizzle them with melted semi-sweet chocolate and call them Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies. I found this idea in a magazine along with the recipe for pecan cookies.

Why You'll Love This Pecan Pie Cookie Recipe

• You get all the flavors of pecan pie in an easy-to-serve, delicious cookie.
• They're perfect for the holidays and impressive for a cookie exchange.
• Our whole family loves them and they're a crowd-pleaser too.

Tools

• Medium or large bowl
• Electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer)
• Large Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

These cookies are made from staple ingredients in your pantry or easily found at your local grocery store.

Cookies

• Light brown sugar
• Butter - I prefer salted butter, but you could also use unsalted butter for these cookies.
• Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• All Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder

Filling

• Pecans - the very best price you'll find on pecans is at Sam's Club and they'll even ship them to you!
• Light brown sugar
• Heavy whipping cream
• Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Drizzle

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Find the complete recipe for butter pecan cookies with chocolate drizzle and full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Pecan Pie Cookies

This pecan pie cookies recipe is an easy recipe. It has the classic nutty flavor of pecan pie with a buttery sugar cookie as the base. 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. For the cookie base, in a medium mixing bowl, cream together the wet ingredients (brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla) until very smooth and light. Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder), then mix the flour mixture on low until well combined. It will be a firm sugar cookie dough.
3. Shape dough into 1.5 inch balls. I used a small cookie scoop to do this... that makes it so easy!
4. Place the cookie dough balls 3 inches apart onto a lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave that much space - these babies spread out!
5. Make an indention in the center of each cookie using your thumb - roll it around to hollow out a good "pocket" for the pecan pie filling. This is why they're also called Pecan Thumbprint Cookies.
6. For the easy pecan pie filling, gently stir together the filling ingredients: chopped pecans, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.
7. Fill each cookie with a heaping teaspoon of pecan filling. That stuff is good!
8. Bake cookies for 10 - 14 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to cool on the pan for at least one minute, then transfer to a wire rack and let them cool for at least another 10-12 minutes.
9. Melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and completely melted. Drizzle with a fork over the cooled cookies and let them set for a few minutes.
10. Or eat them instantly... licking the warm chocolate off your lips to avoid being caught!

Variations

Instead of drizzling with chocolate or along with the chocolate, you can drizzle these with caramel and call them "Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies."

Most of the time we call them Chocolate Pecan Cookies or Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies.

Serving Suggestions

These soft cookies are great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, a cookie exchange, a classroom or office party, or dessert at home for no special occasion at all.

Storage Directions

Chewy pecan cookies can be stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in a couple of layers of plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cookies will soften over time due to the pecan pie filling.