Pecan Pie Shortbread Cookies
Pecan pie cookies are a fun twist on the traditional holiday pie! These cookies are made with a buttery shortbread cookie dough that’s filled with a rich caramel, honey, and pecan filling. Make them ahead of the big day and then bake off fresh for easy entertaining.
Overview
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Component Used: Shortbread Crust
- Techniques Used: How to Toast Pecans, The Creaming Method
Skip the traditional holiday pie and make these pecan pie cookies! The classic pecan pie flavor is there but in cookie form – and bonus you don’t have to make a whole pie.
My pecan pie cookies are made with a buttery shortbread cookie dough that’s filled with a rich caramel, honey, and pecan filling. They are decadent, delicious, and can be made in advance. Any dessert that I can make in advance of a big holiday meal is definitely one I will be making again and again and I bet you will too.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- A deliciously fun twist on the traditional (and expected) holiday pie.
- They are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table.
- The wonderful flavor of honey really shines in this recipe.
- No corn syrup! Some pecan pie recipes uses corn syrup which makes the filling gloopy. This recipe is not that.
- You can easily make these cookies ahead of time, freeze, and then bake off fresh.
Variation Ideas
Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies: If you’re that someone who loves a chocolate pecan pie, I highly recommend adding a chocolate drizzle over the top of the cookies after they have cooled. Use a piping bag or plastic storage bag with the tip snipped off.
Maple Pecan Pie Cookies: If you enjoy the flavor of maple over honey, swap the honey in this recipe for the same amount of maple syrup.
How to make pecan pie cookies
There are a few steps to making pecan pie cookies: make the dough, make the filling, assemble, chill, and bake. Let’s get started!
Make the pecan pie filling
We’ll start by making the pecan pie filling so that it can cool while making the shortbread dough.
Place the sugars, butter, and honey into a medium saucepan and cook over medium/low heat. Let the mixture melt and become cohesive then bring it up to a boil. Let it boil for about 3 minutes and then remove the saucepan from the heat. This step of boiling will thicken the filling. It will thicken even further as it cools.
Stir in the chopped and toasted pecans, salt, and heavy cream. Let sit at room temperature while you make the dough.
Make the shortbread dough
Shortbread dough is made with the basic creaming method. It is very important to start with room temperature butter for your shortbread cookies. This is essential for properly creaming the butter together with the sugar. Cream the two together until it is very light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla, salt, and flour to the dough and mix until it is just incorporated. You don’t want to over-mix the dough. The more you mix, the tougher your cookies will become.
The dough will likely be a bit crumbly looking but should hold together if pressed together in your hand.
Assemble and Chill
The ideal proportion of this cookie is to use 3 tablespoons of dough with 1 tablespoon of filling. I like to use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to ensure accuracy but it doesn’t have to be exact if you’d prefer to eyeball it.
Scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon portions then roll them into a smooth ball between the palms of your hands. Place the balls of dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets and press your thumb or spoon into the top of each, going fairly deep but not all the way to the bottom. The well should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pecan filling into the well of each cookie. Do not over-fill. Place the tray into the freezer for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) before baking. This helps them not to spread too much or overflow the filling.
If you don’t have the time to chill the dough, make my Salted Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars (also known as Pecan Diamonds!). They are very similar in flavor but in bar form and don’t require any chilling.
Bake
After chilling, divide the frozen dough balls between two prepared baking sheets. Bake both sheet pans as directed until very lightly browned on the bottoms. The top of the shortbread will not brown.
It is normal for these cookies to spread out a little during baking, the filling might even overflow a little. Don’t worry, they will come together. Use a large spoon or round cookie cutter to push the edges back into a rounded shape.
Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. After completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar or sprinkle of coarse salt if desired. I like to use both!
Storage
Room Temperature: Store baked pecan pie cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature. They will soften over time.
Freezer: Place baked pecan pie cookies in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead Cookies
There are two ways to prepare these cookies in advance.
- Make the components separately. Make the shortbread dough and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let sit out at room temperature to soften for at least 30 minutes before scooping and rolling. The pecan pie filling can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freeze the raw cookies. Make and assemble the cookies as directed but do not bake. Place them close together on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. You can then move them into a zipper freezer bag. The raw cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen adding 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious pecan recipes.
- Pecan Caramel Sticky Buns
- Salted Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars (also known as pecan diamonds)
- Maple Pecan Tassies
- Salted Maple Pecan Pie
Pecan Pie Shortbread Cookies
These pecan pie cookies are made with a buttery shortbread cookie dough that's filled with a rich caramel, honey, and pecan filling.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 70 grams (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 66 grams (⅓ cup) brown sugar, light or dark
- 25 grams (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 85 grams (¼ cup) honey
- 100 grams (1 cup) pecans, toasted & roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons, 30 milliliters) heavy cream
For the dough
- 226 grams (1 cup, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 133 grams (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 270 grams (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- powdered sugar if desired for dusting
Instructions
Prep:
- At least 30 minutes before making the cookies, set out the butter for the dough (226 grams/ 1 cup) to come to room temperature.
- Toast and chop the pecans (100 grams/ 1 cup). Follow my tutorial by using the stove-top or oven method.
- Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
Make the filling:
- Combine the butter (70 grams/ 5 tablespoons), brown sugar (66 grams/ ⅓ cup), granulated sugar (25 grams/ 2 tablespoons), and honey (85 grams/ ¼ cup) into a medium saucepan.
- Heat on medium/low until melted while stirring together with a spatula.
- Continue cooking until boiling. Boil for about 3 minutes and remove from the heat.
- Stir in the toasted and chopped pecans (100 grams/ 1 cup), salt (¼ teaspoon), and heavy cream (30 grams/ 2 tablespoons). Set aside to cool.
Make the dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and granulated sugar (133 grams/ ⅔ cup) on medium speed until light and fluffy- about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through. Don't over-do it or the cookies will spread too much in the oven.
- Add in the vanilla extract (1 ¼ teaspoons).
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the salt (½ teaspoon) and flour (270 grams/ 2 ¼ cups).
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on medium/low speed until just incorporated. The dough will likely be a bit crumbly looking, but should still look moist and hold together if pressed together in your hand.
Assemble:
- Scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon portions, roll into a smooth ball between the palms of your hands.
- Place the balls of dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets and press your thumb or spoon into the top of each, going fairly deep but not all the way to the bottom. The well should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pecan filling into the well of each cookie. Do not over-fill.
- Place the tray into the freezer for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) before baking. This helps them not to spread too much or overflow the filling.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/162°C. Divide the frozen dough balls between the two prepared baking sheets.
- Bake both sheet pans for 16-18 minutes until very lightly browned on the bottoms. The top of the shortbread will not brown. It's normal for the cookies to spread out a little during baking, use a large spoon or round cookie cutter to push the edges back into a rounded shape.
- Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- After completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar or sprinkle of coarse salt if desired.
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