Salted Caramel Pecan Cookies
Soft, chewy cookies loaded with buttery pecans and gooey caramel bits — the perfect warm-and-cozy treat for January or anytime you’re craving salted caramel goodness.
Servings 3.5 Dozen
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Butter Vanilla Emulsion
- 2 Eggs
- 2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 bag Kraft Caramel Bits (11 oz)
- 1 1/2 cup Toasted Pecans (Chopped)
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
Toast the Pecans
- Place whole or chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring often.
- As soon as you smell them turn fragrant, remove from the heat immediately. Pecans can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in seconds.
- Let them cool while you prepare the dough.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for 2–3 minutes, or until creamy and well combined. It will turn lighter in color and fluffy when it's fully creamed.
- Mix in the butter-vanilla emulsion and eggs until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour. Don't overmix.
- Stir in the caramel bits and toasted pecans
- Cover and chill the dough for 15–20 minutes for slightly thicker cookies. This step is optional if you prefer a thicker texture.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart.
- Bake for around 15 minutes at 325°F, or until the edges look set but the centers still appear soft. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Lightly sprinkle each one with flaky sea salt.
- Remove the parchment from the baking sheet and allow the cookies to cool on the parchment. When they are cool enough to touch, lift them slightly or twist them around so the caramel doesn't stick to the parchment while it's cooling.
- Enjoy!