Pecan Shortbread Cookies
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By Alyssa Rivers
on Jun 16, 2022, Updated Oct 24, 2024 |
These pecan shortbread cookies are insanely delicious! They melt in your mouth with their fall-apart texture and sweet taste. The added texture of crunchy pecans makes these practically perfect!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Beautiful: These pecan shortbread cookies are definitely going to be a showstopper at any gathering or party. Not only are they beautiful but they taste amazing as well.
- Great Gift: Pack them up with some of my turtle pretzels and hot chocolate spoons for a fun neighbor gift during the holidays.
- Flavor: The simple ingredients make these rich buttery cookies so flavorful and delicious! You’ll want to make a double batch!
Ingredients in Pecan Shortbread Cookies
I love the texture of a shortbread cookie. It’s soft, yet the delicious flavors crumble in my mouth. These turn out perfect every time! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter softened to room temperature for this recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: The sugar will sweeten the dough but not too much.
- Extract: Adding vanilla extract and almond extract brings the most delightful flavor to these cookies.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour, which gives the cookies the right texture.
- Cornstarch: This is mixed with the flour to create the right texture.
- Pecans: Chop up your pecans. You will use these nuts in the dough.
- Coarse Sugar: To go on the outside of the cookies. This is my favorite part of the recipe, and I think it really takes these cookies up a notch.
How to Make Pecan Shortbread Cookies
These pecan shortbread cookies are very simple to make! Like I said before, double the batch if you want any for yourself because they will fly off the table!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Beat: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the extracts and beat until combined.
- Combine and form into cylinder: Add the flour and cornstarch and mix until combined. The mixture will be very crumbly. Add the chopped pecans to the bowl and stir to distribute. Use your hands to press the dough together and form a cylinder of dough about 8 inches long.
- Chill: Cover and chill the dough for about 10 minutes.
- Press into sugar: Once the 10 minutes is up, remove the dough from the fridge. Add the coarse sugar to a shallow plate or pie pan and roll the cylinder of dough in the sugar until the outside is fully coated. Use your hands to gently press the sugar into the dough, and then brush off any loose sugar.
- Slice: Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into circles that are slightly thicker than ¼ inch. Place the cut dough on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between the cookies.
- Bake: Bake these pecan shortbread cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
- Cool: Let cool for 4 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Crumbly Shortbread Dough?
As you make your pecan shortbread cookies, you may look at the cookie dough, see that it is all crumbly, and ask if that’s normal. Yes, it is! It will start crumbly, but as you combine it and form a cylinder with your hands, it will come together nicely!
Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time?
Since the dough for these pecan shortbread cookies needs to be chilled, it’s a great dough to make ahead of time. No one will complain about warm cookies straight out of the oven!
- Roll, cover, and chill: Roll the dough up in plastic wrap (before you roll it in the sugar) and store it in your fridge for 2-3 days. When you are ready to make the cookies, begin following the instructions where you roll the cylinders in sugar.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the extracts and beat until combined.
Add the flour and cornstarch and mix until combined. The mixture will be very crumbly. Add the chopped pecans to the bowl and stir to distribute. Use your hands to press the dough together and form a cylinder of dough about 8 inches long.
Cover and chill the dough for about 10 minutes.
Once the 10 minutes is up, remove the dough from the fridge. Add the coarse sugar to a shallow plate or pie pan and roll the cylinder of dough in the sugar until the outside is fully coated. Use your hands to gently press the sugar into the dough then brush off any loose sugar.
Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into circles that are slightly thicker than ¼ inch. Place the sliced dough on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between the cookies.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
Let cool for 4 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 239IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.