For day 5 of my 12 Days of Thanksgiving Recipes we are making pecan pie cookies! We make shortbread cookies then top them with a caramely pecan mixture! It’s like everyone gets their own little personal pecan pie and I’m obsessed.
If you love pecan pie you will love these cookies. And if you put them in the fridge?? ADDICTING. Good luck eating just one but hello Thanksgiving if there’s any time to eat all the cookies now is the time.
ingredients needed for pecan pie cookies
shortbread cookies
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, cold
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour (390 grams)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cold water
pecan pie topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup roasted pecans
how to make pecan pie cookies
We start by making the shortbread cookies. Combine the sugar and cold butter and mix until totally combined. Since we are working with cold butter, this will definitely be easiest to do in a stand mixer, but a hand mixer can also work. Once the sugar and butter is totally combined, add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined. The dough will be pretty dry at this point but don’t worry because we are not done! With the mixer on low, add the cold water and mix until the water is just combined. The dough will be soft, but not sticky!
Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill for one hour!
Once the dough has chilled, roll it out until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough out. Transfer the cookies to a lined baking sheet. Once you’ve cut out all the cookies you can, gather the extra dough back together, roll it out again, and cut the cookies again, repeating until all the dough is used.
Bake the cookies and let them cool. While the cookies cool, make the pecan pie topping! Add the butter and brown sugar to a pan and stir as it begins to melt. When the mixture boils, let it boil for a minute then add the vanilla and stir. Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream, stirring throughout. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and stir until combined. Let the mixture cool for about 30 minutes.
Top each cookie with a scoop of the pecan mixture and a pinch of flaky salt. I love to keep these cookies in the fridge because I think they taste even better when they’re cold!
other recipes you will love
- pumpkin spice candied nuts
- apple cake with cinnamon whipped cream
- apple crisp cookies
- pumpkin spice donuts
- apple cinnamon roll cookies
pecan pie cookies
ingredients
shortbread cookies
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter cold and cubed
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour 390 grams
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cold water
pecan pie topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup roasted pecans
instructions
- Begin by making the shortbread cookies. Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low until the butter starts to break apart, then increase the speed. Mix for 4-5 minutes until totally combined.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour and salt and mix until just combined. The dough will be really dry, but don't fear we aren't done. With the mixer on low, add the cold water and mix until just combined. The dough will be soft, but should not be sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.
- After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick. Use about 3 inch wide circle cookie cutters to cut out the dough. Transfer the cut out cookies to a lined baking sheet.
- Once you've cut out all the cookies you can, gather the extra dough back together, roll it out again, and cut the cookies again, repeating until all the dough is used.
- Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes, until the cookies are just set. If they are starting to brown then they've cooked too long.
- While the cookies cool, make the pecan pie topping. Add the butter and sugar to a large pan. Stir while the butter melts and continue to stir until the mixture begins to boil. After it boils for one minute, turn off the heat, add the vanilla, and stir.
- Add the heavy cream and stir again. Add the cinnamon, salt, heavy cream, and stir until the pecans are fully coated. Let the mixture cool for at least 30 minutes and it will thicken as it cools.
- Scoop about 2 tbsp of the pecan pie mixture onto each cookie. Add a pinch of flaky salt. Enjoy! Keep any extra cookies in an airtight container in the fridge (and I think the cookies taste better cold anyway!).
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