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These pecan shortbread cookies are made with just butter, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and toasted pecans. It's a great recipe for Christmas and the holiday season.
The pecan shortbread cookies are so buttery, light, crumbly, and full of pecan flavor. You will have a hard time restraining yourself from eating the whole batch (or two) too fast. If these cookies do disappear quickly from your kitchen, you can always make other delicious Christmas cookies, such as almond shortbread cookies with Amaretto or hazelnut shortbread cookies.
Using toasted pecans is very important in this recipe! Toasting pecans in the oven really brings out their flavor and makes the pecan shortbread cookies the way they are meant to be: nutty, melt-in-your-mouth, delicate.
If you love cookies rich with the flavor of toasted nuts and the butter - this is the recipe for you.
Pecan shortbread cookies have been my faithful companions over the last several days. They are the reason I look forward to coming home from work every day. They are the reason my husband almost finished a gallon of milk in a matter of 3 days.
You see, cookies (such as almond crescent cookies or cranberry noels) and milk - those go well together. As well as cookies and hot tea. Or, cookies and coffee. Or, cookies and movies, on the couch. These shortbread pecan cookies are perfect. For everything! Especially for Christmas and for the holiday season.
The pecans are first lightly toasted in the oven, then they are finely ground in the food processor, and then they are added to the cookie dough. The cookie dough is shaped into logs, chilled, thinly sliced, and then baked! Super easy!
I can't believe I've never made pecan shortbread cookies before! What has stopped me until now? Maybe, it was the price of pecans: why would I use expensive nuts for some basic shortbread cookies instead of saving the pecans for something more sophisticated, such as a pecan pie. That could've been my train of thought. And now, back to the recipe.
Important tips and tricks
- Use toasted pecans. Toasted pecans add a rich nutty flavor to the cookies. If you don't toast the nuts, the cookie won't taste the same. It's way better with toasted nuts!
- Place the cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking. Placing the cookie dough for a short time (30 minutes) in the freezer allows the cookie dough to thicken and to chill. It ensured the cookies keep their perfect round shape when baking. If you intend to bake the cookies right away, don't freeze the cookie dough longer than 30 minutes. You don't want the cookie dough to be actually frozen, just chilled and thickened. You can, however, freeze the cookie dough (shaped in logs and wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 3 days before baking. If you freeze the cookie dough for that long (3 days), allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before slicing the cooking dough log into slices.
How to toast pecans
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pecans on the baking sheet.
- Toast the pecans in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 minutes.
- Note: pecans burn easily so watch them carefully to make sure they don't burn.
How to store pecan shortbread cookies
- Store cookies, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freeze cookies, covered in an air-tight container, for up to 2 months.
Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes
Pecan shortbread cookie is such a classic holiday cookie! It's a great addition to your Christmas cookie box. Here are my other favorite Christmas cookie recipes:
- Almond Crescent Cookies
- Almond Shortbread Cookies with Amaretto
- Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Noels
- Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate-Covered Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
- Browned Butter Pecan Sandies
Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ½ cup pecans toasted, finely ground
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
How to make finely ground toasted pecans:
- Toast pecans at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn – they burn easily. Cool them off completely.
- To make finely ground nuts, place toasted pecans into the food processor and process until finely ground.
How to make pecan shortbread cookie dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and continue beating.
- Add ½ cup finely ground pecans and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt, then add mixed flour and salt to the creamy butter-sugar mixture. Do not overmix, just enough to combine all ingredients and form a cookie dough.
How to shape cookie dough:
- Shape dough into 4 logs of different thickness (to make cookies of different radius – large and small).
- Wrap each log in plastic wrap and put wrapped cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes, then in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
How to bake pecan shortbread cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit.
- After cookie dough has been in the freezer and in the refrigerator, unwrap the plastic wrap and slice each log into thin cookie slices.
- Place cookie slices on a parchment-lined ungreased baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, don’t let the cookies get brown.
- After about 15 minutes of baking, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can I substitute shortening for butter in the pecan cookie recipe
Messed up butter amount. I was thinking 4 tbs not 4 oz. my bad.
Had real problem trying to roll dough into logs, as it was real dry and crumbly. Don't think I will even be able to slice them once they chill. Dough seems way to dry. Went by instruction to the T.
I just made these and they turned out beautiful and delicious. My picky kids love them and so does my husband. Will definitely be making again
I am very happy to hear that! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your comment!
Beautiful Christmas cookies! Pecans are just the best and I know they are expensive in my local market but so worth it 😉
Simply amazing Julia! I'd finish a gallon of milk in 3 days too if I had these cookies. YUM! 🙂 Pinned!
I'm SO happy you posted these today!! I've been craving Christmas cookies all week but couldn't settle on just WHAT I was craving. Now I know. It's these little beauties. 🙂
Pecan Shortbread is my favorite kind of shortbread cookie! But, I do love them all. Thanks for sharing, my friend. Pinning!
These remind me of a childhood favorite...pecan sandies! I must make a batch of your pecan shortbread!
It's stunning, both the flavors and the presentation! I love pecan cookies:) Never made em before, ~ I am more a cake person.
God Bless you abundantly, Julia!!!
Grinding the pecans sounds like a genius idea that I need to try! Your cookies look delicious and I'm sure they're delish as well ; )
I would love to try these. I've been using almonds a lot, but pecans...is a different species. I miss that American flavor 🙂 ela
They look delicious, I love pecan shortbread cookies and have been working on a low-carb version. Hopefully they will be ready in time for Christmas this year.
YUM!! These look so delicious!! Perfect for this time of year! Thanks so much for sharing!
My husband would be exactly the same as yours! These are one of his favorite cookies. These look so perfect! Pinned. It's hard to go wrong with shortbread and pecans. 🙂