Martha Stewart Butter Pecan Cookies

Martha Stewart butter pecan cookies are a crisp, sugar-coated shortbread-style cookie with toasted pecans, butter and vanilla that comes together in 30 minutes. This easy dessert fits fall baking, holiday cookie trays and a quick weeknight treat, and the simple recipe needs only six ingredients.

Toast the pecans until fragrant and let them cool completely before chopping, because warm nuts turn the dough greasy. Skip that and the cookies spread and lose their crunchy bite.

Martha rolls each ball in sugar before baking and sprinkles more on top once the cookies come out. That double coating builds a sparkly, crackly shell around a crumbly center.

Martha Stewart Butter Pecan Cookies

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

190

kcal

Toasted pecans give these cookies a nutty crunch, while a sugar coating adds a light crackle on the outside. Once baked, the buttery dough turns tender and crumbly in the middle.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pecans
  

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  

• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for coating
  

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  

Directions

• Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then toast 3/4 cup pecans on a baking sheet for about 6 minutes until fragrant. Let them cool completely before you finely chop them.
• Cream the butter: Beat 1/2 cup room-temperature butter and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until light. That aerates the butter, so the cookies bake up tender.
• Make the dough: Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 cup flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stop as soon as the dough comes together, then fold in the chopped pecans.
• Shape and coat: Divide the dough into 12 pieces and squeeze each into a ball. Roll every ball in sugar, then place them 3 inches apart on a baking sheet.
• Flatten the cookies: Gently press each ball down with the bottom of a glass, then reshape any cracked sides. Sprinkle the tops with a little more sugar.
• Bake the cookies: Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cookies turn golden brown. Sprinkle them with more sugar right away, then cool on a wire rack.

Tools for this recipe

• KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Nordic Ware half sheet pan, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use walnuts instead of pecans?

Walnuts work in the same amount, and toasting them the same way keeps the flavor deep. They taste a bit more bitter, so the sugar coating helps balance them.

How do I store butter pecan cookies?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. They stay crisp longer when fully cooled before you close the lid.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Shape the dough into balls, wrap them well and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then roll in sugar and bake as written.

Do I need a stand mixer for this recipe?

A hand mixer creams the butter and sugar just as well here, and so does a sturdy spoon if you soften the butter fully. Beating by hand takes a few extra minutes.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

The most common cause is butter that is too soft or warm pecans stirred into the dough. Use room-temperature butter, not melted, and cool the nuts completely.