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Pecan Pie Cookies (without corn syrup)

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  • Author: Emily
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 15 1x
  • Category: dessert, baking, cookies
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian

Description

Pecan pie cookies are everything good about pecan pie in a cookie form. Soft, buttery cookie with a gooey, maple sweetened pecan pie center.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cookie dough

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon coconut flour
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, room temp

Pecan Pie Filling

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 of a stick)
  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

Optional topping

  • flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter for the cookie dough: Add the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter in to a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, or until the butter is melted, making sure it doesn’t come to a simmer – remove from the heat and add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl that you will use a hand mixer in. Do not wash the sauce pan, we will use it later to make the filling.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients for the cookie dough: While the butter is cooling slightly, add the almond flour, coconut flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt to a small bowl – gently mix so the dry ingredients are somewhat combined (no need to completely combine it).
  3. Cream the sugar and butter: To the melted butter add the sugar and whisk on high for 1 minute. Add the egg and the vanilla, whisk on high for 2 minutes, or until everything is well combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet: Add the dry to the wet ingredients in batches of thirds, mixing on low in between. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides as needed. Once all the dry ingredients have been added and a dough has formed use a spatula to mix it one or two more times to ensure everything is well mixed.
  5. Chill the dough: If the dough is too sticky to handle chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven: At this time pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Prepare a cookie sheet: Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat, set aside. Note: if you are using a flat cookie sheet, like I did you can use a little cooking spray under the parchment paper to keep the parchment paper from slipping.
  8. Roll dough into balls: Use a small cookie scoop (or measure out 1.5 tablespoon size dough), roll them into balls, place on the parchment lined baking sheet in even lines. you should have about 15 cookies.
  9. Freeze dough balls: Freeze dough balls for 10 minutes (I know this is a lot of freezer time, but trust me, the dough is way too sticky to work with otherwise).
  10. Toast the pecans:  Spread the chopped pecans out on a small baking dish. Toast in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes – tossing half way, or until they begin to brown slightly and smell fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  11. Make indents in cookies: Pull the chilled dough balls from the freezer. Use your thumb to make an indent in each ball, only pushing halfway down – be careful not to push all the way down. If you have small thumbs, like I do, use your thumb to gently pull at the side again to make the indent just a little bigger. The indent of each cookie should measure about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (I found it helpful to measure for uniformity). See the photos in the post for a guide. If the indents are too big the cookies will spread too much and the filling will ooze out.
  12. Freeze dough (one last time): Freeze the cookie dough for 20 minutes. It’s especially important to freeze the dough at this step because we will be adding hot filling to the cookies and going in a hot oven, the freezing really helps them to hold their shape while baking.
  13. Make the pecan pie filling: While the dough chills make the filling. Measure out all your ingredients into small bowls and have them ready to go. To the already used sauce pot add the 1/4 cup butter, turn the heat on to low, and stir until fully melted. To the melted butter add the maple syrup and vanilla. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the liquid into the bowl with the corn starch. Use a small fork to whisk the corn starch until no more lumps remain. Slowly whisk the corn starch slurry into the sauce pot. Whisk in the cinnamon and salt. Turn the heat up to high and once it comes to a boil turn the heat down to low and allow the mixture to simmer for exactly 3 minutes, whisking frequently – don’t let the mixture boil. The mixture should thicken enough to cling to the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat after the 3 minutes and stir in the pecans.
  14. Fill the cookies: After the dough has chilled spoon in 1/2 teaspoon of the pecan pie filling into each cookie, making sure to get an equal amount of the liquid and the pecans.
  15. Bake: Bake the cookies on the rack furthest away from the heat source. Bake for 10 minuets. Remove the cookies from the oven, quickly and carefully add 1/4 teaspoon filling to any cookies that need it, being careful not to overfill. Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cookies have started to brown on the edges and the filling is bubbly. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
  16. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
  17. Enjoy/store: Once the cookies are cooled you can dig into them immediately. Or to store them, transfer the cooled cookies into an air tight container and store at room temperature for 5 to 6 days.

Notes

Sugar: Since this recipe is a holiday treat I used organic white sugar (or white granulated sugar), even though I normally opt for coconut sugar. This recipe does work great with coconut sugar, if you want it to be refined sugar free. Just know that the cookie won’t be white, it will be light brown but it will taste just as delicious and work just as well.

Maple syrup: Make sure to use a real maple syrup in this recipe, not the fake pancake syrup, grade B maple syrup works great. Since there aren’t many ingredients in the filling you really want that true maple flavor to stand out.

Pecan pie filling: You will have some pecan pie filling leftover. Store at room temp and re-heat gently in the microwave to loosen. The extra filling would be delicious on top of muffins, pancakes, waffles, in oatmeal etc. Enjoy!

Pecan pie filling recipe is heavily adapted from Sally’s Baking addiction.

Find it online: https://robustrecipes.com/pecan-pie-cookies/

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