Pecan Pie Cookies

Thanksgiving is coming up in just a couple of short weeks.  While my Pumpkin & Cranberry Biscotti, Apple Pie Cookies, and Pumpkin Pie cookies are the perfect twist cookies to bring to any family gathering or Friendsgiving celebration, these Pecan Pie Cookies are just another great option of something with classic flavors in a new, handheld form.

The almond flour in these cookies gives them a soft, tender texture.  If you don’t store them flat*, they might actually begin to fall apart!  The soft texture of the cookie is necessary though, as the pecan pie filling in the middle adds the crunchy texture one wants from a pecan pie.

The cookie itself gets a lift of flavor from a little bit of cinnamon and some imitation butter to help give a sense of that buttery pie crust.  The pie filling itself is packed with flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, bourbon, maple syrup, molasses, and honey.  It’s deep, sweet, and nutty and has won the praise of even my most pecan-pie-obsessed friends!

Top these off with a quick dusting of powdered sugar, and you can hold the full pecan pie experience in your hand.  The dough for these is very soft, even after chilling for a full 30 minutes.  I like to stick mine in the freezer for a few minutes before baking to slow the spreading a bit, but these are big and soft with the perfect combination of crunch from the filling and chew from the cookie.  Make sure to leave enough room for these on the baking sheet so that you don’t end up with one large, combined cookie!

If you’re lucky you may even have some extra pecan pie filling left after generously stuffing the cookies with as much as you can.  Feel free to eat it by itself or spoon atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream to celebrate all your hard work baking!

Print Recipe

Pecan Pie Cookies

A soft, chewy cookie stuffed with pecan pie filled--these will please any diehard fans of the classic pie! Yields 10-12 cookies

Course

Dessert

Cook Time

13-15 minutes

Servings

cookies

Ingredients

Pecan Pie Filling

• 1 cup pecans toasted and chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp bourbon
• 1 Tbsp honey

Pecan Pie Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter cold and cubed
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg large
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp imitation butter
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped
• coarse/flaked sea salt for sprinkling
• powdered sugar for dusting

Course Dessert Cook Time 13-15 minutes Servings cookies Ingredients Pecan Pie Filling 1 cup pecans toasted and chopped 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1 tsp molasses 1 Tbsp bourbon 1 Tbsp honey Pecan Pie Cookies 1/2 cup butter cold and cubed 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg large 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp imitation butter 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup almond flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped coarse/flaked sea salt for sprinkling powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Pecan Pie Filling

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the ingredients for the pecan pie filling: 1 cup toasted pecans, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1 tsp molasses, 1 Tbsp bourbon, and 1 Tbsp honey. Warm over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Pecan Pie Cookie

1. While the pie filling is on the stove, combine the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Cream together until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the egg, 1 tsp vanilla, and imitation butter one at a time until fully combined. Whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl 1/2 at a time. Mix until just combined. Stir in the 1/2 cup toasted and chopped pecans. Allow the dough to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough using a large ice cream/cookie scoop. Before placing the cookies on the baking sheet, create a small hole in the middle using either a clean finger or a butter knife, pushing the dough over the edge of the scoop. Spoon some of the pecan pie filling in the middle and cover with the excess dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. (Make sure to allow room for spreading with these cookies).
4. Bake 13-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack or a cool baking sheet.
5. One the cookies are cool, top with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes

*Best stored flat in an airtight container.

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