Description
These crumbl pecan pie cookies bring back childhood memories with every chewy bite. My copycat recipe captures that nostalgic flavor and texture you crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cookie Base Essentials:
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pecan Pie Filling Stars:
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/4 cup (60ml) light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons (25g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
- Flavor & Finishing Touches:
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cream the Butter & Sugars:: First up, get that softened butter and both sugars into your stand mixer or a big bowl if you’re using a hand mixer. Cream them together on medium speed until they’re light, fluffy, and look almost pale. This can take a good 2-3 minutes, so be patient! You’re building the foundation for incredibly tender crumbl pecan pie cookies here, don’t rush it. I always think of it as whipping air into the mixture, creating tiny pockets that’ll make the cookies so soft.
- Add Egg & Vanilla:: Next, crack in that room-temperature egg and pour in the vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until everything is just combined. You don’t want to overmix here; just make sure the egg is fully incorporated. I always give the bowl a good scrape down with a spatula at this point, just to make sure no butter or sugar is hiding at the bottom, because honestly, that happens to me all the time!
- Whisk Dry Ingredients:: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is evenly distributed. This step is important, or you might end up with a pocket of salt or baking soda in one of your crumbl pecan pie cookies. Trust me, I’ve had that happen, and it’s not a fun surprise!
- Combine Wet & Dry:: Now, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you see no more streaks of dry flour. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, and we want tender crumbl pecan pie cookies, not tough ones! Sometimes I just finish it by hand with a spatula to be extra careful.
- Prepare Pecan Filling & Assemble:: In a small bowl, mix together your chopped toasted pecans, light corn syrup, packed brown sugar, and melted butter for the gooey center. Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space. Make a little well in the center of each dough ball with your thumb or the back of a spoon. Spoon about a tablespoon of the pecan mixture into each well. Don’t overfill, or it might ooze out too much during baking, which I’ve done, and it makes a slight mess!
- Bake & Cool:: Bake your crumbl pecan pie cookies in a preheated oven (I use 350°F or 175°C) for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set but still look a little soft. They’ll continue to set as they cool. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This helps them firm up and prevents them from breaking. The smell during this step? Oh my goodness, it fills the whole house with the most incredible aroma!