Butter Pecan Cookies Brown Butter (Printable Version)

Nutty cookies with toasted pecans, brown butter, and a touch of flaky sea salt.

# What You Need:

→ Brown Butter

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter

→ Cookies

02 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped

→ Finishing

10 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, swirling often, until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and has a nutty aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
02 - While the butter cools, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely, then chop coarsely.
03 - To the cooled brown butter, add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in toasted pecans.
05 - Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough, about 2 tablespoons per cookie, onto the sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
06 - Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look just set. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The brown butter does all the heavy lifting—your kitchen will smell like a fancy bakery within minutes of starting.
  • They're crispy at the edges and tender in the middle, that perfect cookie texture everyone chases.
  • Sea salt on top sounds fancy but works pure magic, cutting through the richness and making every bite interesting.
02 -
  • Brown butter can burn faster than regular butter, so stay in the kitchen while it cooks—walking away is how I learned this lesson the hard way, twice.
  • The flaky sea salt on top is not optional decoration; it's the secret that prevents these from tasting one-dimensional and sweet, so don't skip it even if you think salt on cookies sounds weird.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen thermometer if you have one—brown butter should reach about 350°F for that perfect nutty stage without tipping into burnt.
  • Room temperature eggs really do matter here because they incorporate more smoothly into the brown butter base, creating a better texture.
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