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These maple pecan cookies are a celebration of the best fall flavors – browned butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and pecans – all rolled into one little bite. The texture does it for me with the crunch on the outside and forever-soft chewiness on the inside. Plus, no need to chill the dough so you can bake ASAP!
I almost don’t want to tell you how many times I’ve tested this recipe.
It started by wanting to make maple cookies with either candied ginger or pecans, and I think I’ve made this recipe close to 10 times at this point.
I even photographed it before, but it wasn’t quite right. Still delicious, but something was always a little bit off.
Here’s what I wanted:
- Enough maple flavor you could tell they were maple cookies without someone spilling the beans
- Soft and chewy on the inside
- Just the right balance of salt and sweetness
- Depth of flavor that made you want to keep eating them again and again
Thank goodness this version finally worked!
If you love the combination of maple and pecan, try these heavenly Maple Pecan Blondies or my Maple Pecan Scones. So good!
Here’s why this Maple Pecan Cookie recipe works
- Cooled browned butter takes the flavor to the next level with a little extra nuttiness
- Just the right balance of brown sugar, white sugar, and maple syrup adds sweetness and texture
- A little extra flour helps offset the extra liquids without making the cookies too dry
- The combination of pure maple extract and syrup nails the maple flavor
- A generous pinch of salt will help balance the sweetness and bring out more flavor
Key Ingredients
Browned butter – I know you’re probably about to skip this recipe specifically because you don’t want to bother with browned butter, but please stay! Browning is easy, can be done the night before or morning of, and totally changes the flavor.
Pure maple syrup – Not breakfast syrup. We want real syrup for real flavor. I usually use Grade B for extra depth of flavor.
Maple extract – This will help make sure the maple flavor is really clear without being over the top. If you don’t have any, try using vanilla extract or a combo of vanilla and almond to play up the nuttiness.
Brown sugar – I tested this recipe with all brown sugar as well as using some white sugar. I prefer to use mostly brown sugar with a little white sugar. This gives you the nice crunch on the outside while the extra molasses keeps them soft and chewy on the inside.
Pecans – You can totally make this recipe without adding any nuts, but I love the little bit of crunch and extra flavor you get from the nuts. You can also use candied maple pecans, if you want to make them extra decadent!
Salt – Crucial! Salt brings out sweetness and balances the flavor. I use a teaspoon of kosher salt, which is coarser and flakier than regular salt. If you use table salt, you’ll need half as much.
How to Make Maple Pecan Cookies
Step 1: Brown the butter and let it cool to room temperature first. This can take a couple of hours. I like to put the hot browned butter directly in the bowl of my stand mixer to let it cool there so it’s all ready to go. If using a hand mixer, add it to a large bowl instead.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).
Step 3: Once the browned butter has cooled and thickened to room temperature, add the brown sugar and cream it together using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or your hand mixer). It won’t get quite as fluffy as regular butter.
Step 4: Add the egg, extract, and maple syrup. Mix into the cookie dough.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients and slowly mix into the dough.
Step 6: Fold in the pecan pieces and roll the cookie dough into 1.5 inch balls. Space evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Once done, the cookies will lose their glossy sheen on top and just set on the edges, but will still a look underbaked and will feel soft to the touch.
They will continue to firm up on the pans out of the oven and we want to keep them soft and chewy.
How to Brown Butter
Not confident with your butter browning skills? Let’s do this together.
1. Place the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Once the butter begins to melt, reduce the heat to medium low and keep an eye on it.
2. It will first start to froth and look foamy, then the bubbles will reduce to small white spots. These are the milk solids, which will eventually melt and toast on the bottom of the pan.
3. Once the butter is ready, you’ll notice that it starts to look foamy again but with golden brown pieces on the bottom of the pan.
4. Go ahead and either cool the butter in the pan or transfer it to your mixing bowl to let it cool in place.
Storing Suggestions
Once cooled, leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze ’em for later!
Tips & Variations
- Use walnuts instead of pecans for a similar, but different flavor profile.
- Add a glaze. I played with topping these cookies with different things like rolling them in maple sugar or adding a drizzle of the maple glaze from my Maple Scones. I found that they are sweet and flavorful enough without those things and opted to publish this recipe without any topping. If you want to try a glaze though, go for it!
- Try dark brown sugar for even deeper, richer flavor.
- Scoop and level the flour into your measuring cup to make sure you add just the right amount.
- Cool the brown butter quickly. As noted, I like to add the hot brown butter right to my mixing bowl to minimize mess. Then, I place the metal mixing bowl into a large bowl filled with a couple of inches of ice water. This will help the butter cool down quickly. Once you see it starting to firm up, remove it from the ice water and let it come to room temperature.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies
- Apple Cider Crinkle Cookies
- Honey Gingerbread
- Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with Walnuts
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Chewy Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies
Equipment
- sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), browned and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp maple extract
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Brown the butter and let it cool to room temperature first. This can take a couple of hours. I like to put the hot browned butter directly in the bowl of my stand mixer to let it cool there so it’s all ready to go. If using a hand mixer, add it to a large bowl instead.1 cup unsalted butter
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Once the browned butter has cooled and thickened to room temperature, add the brown sugar and cream it together using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or your hand mixer). It won’t get quite as fluffy as regular butter.1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar
- Add the egg, extract, and maple syrup. Mix into the cookie dough.2 tsp maple extract, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 egg
- Add the dry ingredients and slowly mix into the dough.
- Fold in the pecan pieces and roll the cookie dough into 1.5 inch balls. Space evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.1 cup chopped pecans
- Once done, the cookies will lose their glossy sheen on top and just set on the edges, but will still a look underbaked and will feel soft to the touch. They will continue to firm up on the pans out of the oven and we want to keep them soft and chewy.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes on the pans until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature or serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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🍂🍪 Want more cozy fall recipes?
My brand new recipe ebook, The Cozy Season Bakebook, has 20 seasonal bakes that taste like a love letter to fall!
You can expect all the most iconic fall flavors, like cinnamon apple, pumpkin spice, maple, pecans, and more.
It’s also intentionally low-tech and beginner-friendly, so anyone can bake along!
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