Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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The classic chocolate chip cookie gets an upgrade with this soft, warm, and gooey version including the addition of crispy pecans. Pecan chocolate chip cookies are sure to become a new favorite in your home.

Today is a SUPER FUN day on my site, as I’m participating in a little blog hop called Freaky Friday! Michaela from An Affair From The Heart put together this event where one blogger makes a recipe from another assigned blogger’s site.

And this month, it’s a virtual cookie exchange! Bring on ALL the cookies!

What I love about these Freaky Friday events is that I get connected with food bloggers I had never “met” before, and just like the bloggers I was paired with during previous Freaky Friday events, I got to find out a little bit more about Erin from The Speckled Palate, who I admit I only followed on Instagram prior to being able to take a deep dive into her site at assignment.

When I started perusing Erin’s site, I discovered she has a serious love for entertaining. And I mean serious love.

This woman loves hosting so much that she put together a guide to convince you to put all the excuses you have in your mind about why you shouldn’t host a dinner party and just host the dang party.

This guide also includes the excuse “my kids are a disaster.” So, yeah, she’s even got a good argument for why that’s a crappy reason not to host.

Erin is your best hosting hype woman!

I knew right away that her pecan chocolate chip cookies were the cookie for me, because I believe a simple, classic cookie can offer a whole lot in the way of flavor and impressiveness, but also, the ease of a basic chocolate chip cookie with some extra frills keeps cookie baking uncomplicated and painless, especially if cookie baking isn’t your specialty.

These cookies are really really simple. And I know you’re going to love them as much as I did (and as much as Erin’s readers do– they’re highly rated on her site!).

Aaaaand since I didn’t write the recipe, I think I can get away with calling them the best chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe I’ve ever made. Right? I think it checks out.

These chocolate chip and pecan cookies use basic pantry staples, and just ½ cup of chopped pecans. This makes for a great last minute dessert, and it means that I can basically have chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies any time that craving hits.

And I know the craving will… If you’ve never had a chocolate chip cookie with pecans, your life is about to change (for the way better).

To get started, add your flour, salt, and baking soda to a small bowl, and whisk it well to combine.

Then, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a large bowl and a hand mixer to get the job done.

Once the mixture is light and fluffy, add in your egg and vanilla extract and beat again until everything is incorporated.

Reduce the mixer speed and add in half of the dry ingredients. Once the first half of dry ingredients is incorporated, add the second half and mix until the dough is just combined.

Chilling the dough makes for chewy, thick cookies rather than flat and crispy ones.

*For a real treat, toast the pecans before you chop them and add them to the cookies. Deeeeeelish!

Drop scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, being sure not to add more than 8 scoops on the baking sheet. You can roll the dough with your hands if you want to, but it’s not totally necessary.

Bake the cookies for a quick 11-13 minutes, or until they just start to turn brown. Once you remove them from the oven, you’ll want to allow the cookies to cool for a full 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking.

To freeze your chocolate chip pecan cookie dough balls, you can either form the cookie dough into a log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag, or freeze dough that has been rolled.

Just scoop it, freeze it on cookie sheets, then transfer the cookie dough balls to a freezer bag. Use and bake within 3 months.

You could also opt to increase the chocolate chips to 1 and ¼ cup, but it really is that satisfying crunch that makes these cookies more fun than a traditional chocolate chip cookie.

The addition of crunchy pecans was pure perfection, and you know me, I can never say no to a chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Like my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, classic chocolate chip cookies, salted caramel chocolate chip cookies, or even my cinnamon sugar coated snickerdoodle chocolate chip pudding cookies.

Not only does it feature moist and earthy pumpkin puree, but it’s topped with a decadent bourbon caramel sauce. Umm… How can you go wrong when something sounds that good?

And remember how I said Erin is the queen of hosting? Look at all of her cocktails! Oh. Em. Gee.

I’ll be adding this peppermint white Russian to my list this winter, one hundred percent.

I hope you’ll consider adding Erin’s all-American chocolate chip pecan cookies to your baking list just like I did! Trust me, you won’t regret it (my empty cookie jars can vouch for that).

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes:

1. An Affair from the Heart – Candy Cane Puppy Chow
2. The Carefree Kitchen – Christmas Linzer Cookies
3. Devour Dinner – Peppermint Meltaways
4. Family Around the Table – Chocolate Overload Cookies
5. The Foodie Affair – Easy Pecan Pie Crust Cookie Recipe
6. The Fresh Cooky – White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
7. Hostess at Heart – Crumbl Cookie Recipe
8. House of Nash Eats – Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
9. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
10. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Strawberry Jam
11. Lemon Blossoms – Cranberry Orange Biscotti
12. Life Currents – Chocolate Mint Rugelach
13. Life, Love & Good Food – White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
14. Soulfully Made – Polar Bear Paw Cookies
15. The Speckled Palate – Saltine Cracker Toffee
16. Sue Bee Homemaker – Jam Thumbprint Cookies
17. Take Two Tapas – Sugar Cookie Truffles