Frosted Butter Pecan Cookies. – Half Baked Harvest

Frosted Butter Pecan Cookies: These homemade brown sugar cookies are made with browned butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and maple sugar toasted pecans—the secret to making them better than the rest. Each cookie is lightly dipped in a sweet, thick, and creamy pecan-infused maple frosting that sets overtop each buttery pecan cookie. These cookies are absolutely scrumptious. This is a new favorite cookie for the season of baking, sharing, and gifting.

Here we go! With Halloween on Thursday, my thoughts are slowly shifting to the Thanksgiving holiday, and I am so excited! One of the many fun things about creating and sharing recipes with you all is that I can really embrace and honestly overshare all holiday recipes, which are my favorite to create.

If there is one season I love the most for cooking and baking, it’s this time of year.

I want these recipes to sparkle and, and even more importantly, be delicious! I definitely got this from my Nonnie, whom I miss so much! She made everything special no matter the season, but especially in the fall!

And my gosh, she would love these cookies!! Just like my mom, Nonnie loved a good butter pecan cookie. Honestly, she loved pecans in general!

Taking inspiration from my Nonnie’s brown sugar pecan Brie, I baked up these cookies, and they are so good! I even added some chocolate to them!

Ingredients and Special Tools

Pecan Mix Ingredients 

• pecans
• maple syrup (use real maple syrup, nothing with added sugars)
• dark brown sugar
• cinnamon

Cookie Ingredients 

• butter
• brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• flour
• baking soda
• salt
• dark chocolate chunks

Frosting Ingredients 

• powdered sugar
• vanilla
• milk

Special Tools

• small pot
• sheet pans
• electric mixer
• small whisk or fork

Step-by-step details

Step 1: make the pecan syrup

In a small pot, mix the maple syrup and pecans. Simmer until the maple syrup is steamy and you can smell the sweetness in the air.

Simmering the pecans in the maple infuses the maple with the pecan flavor.

Pull the syrup off the heat, use a fork to strain out the pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Toss the pecans with brown sugar and cinnamon, then bake them until they’re caramelized. Let them cool, and then give them a good chop.

Step 2: brown the butter

Brown one stick of butter, leaving the other stick at room temperature. This gives you the flavor of browned butter but leaves you with a cookie that has great texture, too.

When the butter is browned, pour it into a bowl, then add the remaining stick of butter.

Step 3: make the cookie dough

To the butter you want to add the brown sugar and beat everything to combine. Now add the eggs and vanilla.

Mix in the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt.

Step 4: the mix-ins

Next, mix 3/4 of the chopped pecans and some chocolate chunks into the dough and roll into balls.

Save a handful of pecans for topping the cookies!

Step 5: chilling and baking

Chill the dough balls for 5 to 10 minutes. I don’t usually do this when baking cookies, but with this recipe, I found that a quick chill yields the best cookie. Thicker but not cakey and with just barely set edges!

Once chilled, bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. When you pull the cookies out, give them a light tap on the counter to ensure they set perfectly.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

Finish these up!

Step 6: make the frosting

Use the reserved pecan infused maple syrup to make the frosting. Mix the maple with powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Add a pinch of sea salt too!

Step 7: dip each cookie

Finish the cookies with a dip into the frosting. Then sprinkle the tops of each frosted cookie with chopped pecans.

These are the perfect holiday cookies. I’m getting so excited about this year’s cookie box!

Looking for cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Brown Sugar Maple Cookie Pie

Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting

Chocolate Bourbon Chai Latte Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting

Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies

Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lastly, if you make these Frosted Butter Pecan Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!