Peanut Butter Cookies With Pecans

Of all the iconic cookies – chocolate chips, sugar, snickerdoodle, all the good stuff – a really reliable peanut butter cookie recipe with bits of pecan nuts has always eluded me.

I have found many recipes. Some end up tender, some crispy, other chewy, but I always wanted more.

My quest was not just for a delicious peanut butter cookie, but thick and soft cookie that can be bend rather then broke when folded in two, with a hint of crispiness, all while delivering a delicious flavor of peanut butter itself. 

Well, I’ve found it, the perfectly chewy peanut butter cookies with crunchy bits of pecans on top for that added texture and a rounder, richer flavor. Nothing beats it. And they’re perfect on their own or paired with coffee.

Without further ado, let’s make these deliciously perfect peanut butter pecan cookies!

How to Bake the Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies With Pecans?

The premise of a peanut butter cookie is pretty simple:

Take a basic cookie recipe and swap some of the butter and sugar for a peanut butter, to make a peanut butter flavored cookie.

Some peanut butter cookies are easy or fast, or crisp, but my ultimate peanut butter cookie is not only soft and chewy, but has a kick of crunchiness from the pecans and it’s packed with peanut butter flavor. 

So here are the key points:

• This recipe calls for ½ cup of smooth peanut butter and chopped pecans
• Heat oven to 325 F
• Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes

Yes, it’s pretty simple despite being so delicious!

How To Add the Chew to Chewy Cookies

I like my peanut butter cookies chewy. Some people love a good crunch, but for peanut butter cookies, I want that soft, almost sticky texture.

Here are some tips for making extra chewy cookies if you want yours to come out chewier, too:

• Use more flour and sugar for chewier cookies. Some like to add gluten-free flour, but I like to stick with the all-purpose flour. Use higher proportions of flour and sugar to set the cookies on the path to chewiness.

• Make the cookies the classic way. This means you will first beat the butter with sugar, before adding any other ingredient. This method will ensure all the butter is eventually distributed and will bring to the cookie soft texture. 

• Mix it well. As I mentioned, I add plain flour with gluten in this recipe. To make the cookies chewy, make sure you mix in the flour really well to activate the gluten in the flour. 

• Add a hint of crunchiness. People usually add chopped peanuts, but I love pecans. They are crispy, have a nice flavor, and they just work better for me than peanuts. Chop them roughly before adding to the mixture. You can leave some whole to place on top, too. 

• Shape the cookies. This is the fun part. Scoop the dough with a small ice cream scoop and shape the dough into balls. Arrange the cookies on a cookie sheet, lined with a parchment paper, and press gently to flatten. At this point you can add those pecan halves on top. 

• Bake them low and slow. When baking chewy cookies, you do not want to burn them (or you might get round biscottis). Baking on a low temperature helps the cookies spread a bit in the oven and prevents them from over-baking. 

Serving Ideas

You need very little instruction for enjoying peanut butter pecan cookies. I enjoy mine with a glass of warm milk, a cup of tea, or sometimes with a homemade caffè latte.

I also love these with some warm buttered rum during cold winter nights and after a long work day. The rum pairs amazingly with the peanut butter and the pecans, but that is just my opinion.

The good thing about cookies is you don’t even have to get creative. You can dig right in and be perfectly pleased. I’m sure whatever you come up with will be delicious.

Recipe Variations

You can slightly alter the recipe and make it your own.

I would not go with any dramatic changes here, but just some little twists on this classic, such as:

• Using brown sugar, and brown sugar only. Brown sugar is great to tenderize any baked goods, including cookies. It will also give them a more complex flavor than regular white sugar.
• Sprinkling chopped pecans or placing pecan halves on top of each cookie. This is something you can experiment with. One or two halves can give you a minimalist look or you can sprinkle pieces all over for a pecan confetti.
• Using rum extract in the cookies, instead of vanilla. It will give a nice flavor and turn the cookies into something unique. Rum pairs well with the peanut butter and pecan flavors.
• Sprinkling with sea salt. As these cookies are already sweet, you can sprinkle them with sea salt flakes to create that nice sweet-salty balance. 

How to Store the Cookies

Storing cookies seems simple, right? Don’t you just put them in the cookie jar and that’s it?

Well, not quite. The proper way to store peanut butter pecan cookies is in an airtight container. An airtight container will keep the cookies fresh and help them keep their chewiness.

For really long term storage, you can try this: Tuck a slice of bread in the airtight container, along with cookies. This is a simple trick, but it will help the cookies stay chewy for a longer time, because the cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread. 

How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies With Pecans

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with a parchment paper. 

In a mixing bowl beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugar.

Step 2

Add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Gradually sift in flour and baking powder. Stir to combine. 

Step 3

Once you have made the dough, stir in the pecans. 

Step 4

Shape the cookies into small 1-inch balls, using a cookie scoop. Arrange the balls on a cookie sheet, and press each gently.

Place pecan halves on top of the some or all of the cookies, and press gently.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.

Cool on a rack before serving. 

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