Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies stacked on linen

Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Toasty brown butter and crunchy toasted pecans take classic slice-and-bake shortbread to holiday-cookie-tin status. Tender, sandy, and beautifully speckled.

Prep: ~25 mins (plus chill) Bake: 10–13 mins Makes: ~36 cookies Category: Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, browned & cooled (see tip)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (110–120 g) toasted pecans, chopped
Why brown the butter? Browning develops nutty, toffee-like flavors as the milk solids toast. It’s a fast, chef-level upgrade for shortbread.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Brown the butter. In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring until golden with browned specks and nutty aroma, 5–7 minutes. Immediately scrape into a bowl; cool until opaque and room-temp (no longer warm).
  2. Mix. Whisk in sugar and vanilla until glossy. Sprinkle flour and salt over the bowl and mix with a spatula just until a soft, sandy dough forms with no dry patches. Fold in pecans.
  3. Shape & chill. Divide dough in half; roll each portion into a 1¾-inch-thick log. Wrap tightly in parchment or plastic. Chill until very firm, 1–2 hours (or freeze 30 minutes).
  4. Slice & bake. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two sheet pans. Slice logs 1/4-inch thick with a sharp or serrated knife, rotating the log as you cut for round edges. Arrange 2 inches apart and bake 10–13 minutes, until set and the bottoms are just turning golden.
  5. Cool. Let cookies rest 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Pro Tips, Variations & Storage

  • Compensate for water loss in browned butter: Browned butter loses moisture as it cooks. If your dough seems dry, mix in 1–2 teaspoons cool water to help it come together (common guidance is ~1 Tbsp per stick when baking with browned butter). :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
  • Toast the pecans: Bake at 350°F on a sheet pan for 6–8 minutes until fragrant; cool before chopping. Toasting deepens flavor and keeps nuts crisp. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
  • Don’t overmix shortbread: Mix only until the flour disappears—overmixing can toughen the crumb. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
  • Clean slices: Chill logs very firm and use a serrated knife with gentle sawing. Rotate the log a quarter-turn after each slice for round cookies. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
  • Finishes: Roll logs in coarse sugar before slicing, dip cooled cookies in melted dark chocolate, or add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the dough.
  • Make-ahead: Wrapped logs keep 3 days chilled or 2 months frozen. Baked cookies keep 1 week airtight.

All ovens run a little differently—look for set edges and pale gold bottoms rather than a specific minute mark.