Sticky Pecan Pie Cookies

Here is the recipe for Sticky Pecan Pie Cookies. These are an incredible twist on the mini pecan pie cookies we looked at earlier, featuring a soft, buttery brown sugar cookie base topped with a wonderfully sticky, gooey, caramel-like pecan topping!

Ingredients

• The Soft Brown Sugar Cookie Base:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg (at room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
• The Sticky Pecan Topping:
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or whole milk)
  • 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup or maple syrup
  • 1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Prep and Bake the Cookie Bases

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully combined.
• Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until a soft dough forms.
• Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Use the back of a spoon or your thumb to gently press a small indentation into the center of each cookie ball.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Note: They won’t be fully baked yet; take them out and use the back of a spoon to re-press the indentations while they are still warm and soft.

2. Make the Sticky Pecan Sauce

• While the cookies are baking, melt the ⅓ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in the brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup (or maple syrup). Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, and let it bubble for about 1 to 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped pecans until they are completely coated in the sticky glaze.

3. Top and Finish Baking

• Spoon a generous amount of the sticky pecan mixture directly into the center indentation of each warm cookie.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cookie edges are golden brown and the pecan topping is bubbling deliciously.

4. Cool and Set

• Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. (The sticky pecan topping needs time to cool and set up into that classic, chewy pecan pie texture!)
• Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage