Description
These Brown Butter Iced Pecan Sugar Cookies are irresistibly buttery, tender, and packed with rich, toasted pecan flavor. Made with a soft brown sugar cookie dough infused with warm cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and finely chopped toasted pecans, each cookie features delicately golden edges and a deliciously tender center. Finished with a luscious brown butter icing and a generous sprinkle of crunchy pecans, these homemade cut-out cookies offer the perfect balance of sweet, nutty, and caramelized flavors. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, Christmas celebrations, homemade gifts, family gatherings, or enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Pecan Sugar Cookies:
- 1 1/4 cups (140 g) pecan halves
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- For the Brown Butter Icing:
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) milk
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Toast and Chop Pecans: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the pecan halves evenly on a baking sheet and toast for 8–10 minutes until fragrant. Allow them to cool completely, then chop finely. Measure 3/4 cup of the toasted chopped pecans for the cookie dough and reserve the remaining pecans for topping. Turn off the oven.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Brown Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and packed light or dark brown sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the room-temperature egg and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, then mix until well combined.
- Incorporate Flour and Toasted Pecans: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the prepared dry flour mixture to the creamed butter base, mixing just until incorporated. Gently fold in 3/4 cup of the finely chopped toasted pecans by hand until evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- Roll and Chill Dough: Divide the cookie dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion out to approximately 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Stack the rolled dough pieces with parchment paper between them, cover securely, and refrigerate for 1–2 hours until firm enough to cut into clean shapes.
- Cut and Arrange Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the chilled dough into desired shapes, carefully re-rolling any scraps as needed. Arrange the cut-out cookies approximately 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Until Golden Edges: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–13 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges while remaining tender in the centers. Transfer the baked cookies to wire cooling racks and allow them to cool completely before icing.
- Prepare Brown Butter Icing: Place the 6 tablespoons (85 g) of unsalted butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and stir constantly for 5–8 minutes as it foams and develops lightly browned specks at the bottom with a rich, nutty aroma. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the browned butter to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
- Mix and Frost Cookies: Whisk the sifted confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and an optional pinch of salt into the warm browned butter until the icing becomes smooth and creamy. Dip the tops of the completely cooled pecan sugar cookies into the warm brown butter icing, then immediately sprinkle with the remaining finely chopped toasted pecans before the icing sets.
Notes
- Proper Butter Temperature: Make sure the butter for the cookie dough is truly at room temperature and still cool to the touch rather than overly soft or melted. Butter that is too warm can make the cookie dough excessively sticky and difficult to roll out properly.
- Adjust Dough Consistency: If the cookie dough seems too soft to roll out after mixing, simply knead in one additional tablespoon of all-purpose flour before chilling to make it easier to handle.
- Use a Light-Colored Skillet: When browning the butter for the icing, choose a light-colored stainless steel skillet so you can easily monitor the amber foam and golden-brown milk solids as they develop. This helps prevent accidentally burning the butter and preserves its deliciously nutty flavor.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 35mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg