These Eggless Butter Pecan Cookies are toasty, nutty, soft in the center, and totally delicious! Super easy to make, and NO chilling is needed. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
These Eggless Butter Pecan Cookies are crunch, soft, chewy, and buttery! They are bursting with the butter and roasted pecans flavor.
Like all my recipes, these insanely delicious cookies do not have eggs. It requires only simple ingredients and is very easy to make. Also, they can be frozen for later use.
These cookies taste like holidays, and I guarantee they’ll disappear in a flash! They are perfect for an office party, cookie swap, or family get-together.
Let’s get baking!
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Pecans: Can’t prepare these butter pecan cookies without pecans! I use and recommend pecan halves with no added salt.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients, in my opinion.
- Cornstarch: You can substitute for potato starch 1:1.
- Baking powder: Make sure it’s not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, use baking powder that is labeled aluminum free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Ground cinnamon: For extra flavor!
- Sugars: For this recipe, you will need regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar, and brown sugar. Combining both sugars will help the cookies have the perfect texture with a deeper caramelized flavor.
- Cream cheese: Use the full-fat version that comes in blocks.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
Roast Your Pecans!
Roasting nuts is a step that will transform your dish from good to amazing! Roasted nuts have a deep flavor, which makes them even more nutty and complex. It also gives them a crisper texture, which is one of the reasons we add nuts to our food. So don’t skip this step!
To roast your pecan for this recipe, melt two tablespoons of butter. Mix the chopped pecans and melted butter in a small mixing bowl. Place the pecan on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180° C) for 8-10 minutes, or until the pecans are slightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the baking sheet and set aside to cool.
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Roast The Pecans
You’re going to start roasting the pecans for a few minutes in the oven.
- Mix Dry Ingredients
Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
- Cream Butter and Sugar
Cream your butter and sugars until pale in color. Make sure the butter is softened. That’s the key to making your cookies fluffy. Then add cream cheese (to substitute the eggs) and vanilla.
- Add Dry Ingredients
Add the flour mixture Mix until just combined.
- Stir in Pecans
Stir in pecans. Do not over-mix.
- Form The Cookies
Scoop out rounds of dough onto the prepared sheet.
- Bake
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until very lightly colored on top and around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
This eggless butter pecan cookies recipe is very straightforward. However, here are a few tips I would like to share!
Soften butter. If you are planning on making these, take the butter out of the fridge ahead of time so it’s ready to go when you need it!
Measure the flour correctly. The best way to measure flour is to use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then I use a knife (straight-edged) to level the flour across the measuring cup. Do not dip a measuring cup directly into the flour bin, or you can compact it and get up to 25% more flour. It’s always best to use a scale to measure your ingredients.
Add a little or as many pecans as you like, I tested the recipe with different amounts, and 1 cup is the right quantity, in my opinion. Also, you can substitute pecans for pistachios, almonds, and hazelnuts, and add some dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.
Don’t care too much about the baking time! The reason for this is that every oven is different, so the cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly browned. These cookies will not look totally done when you pull them out of the oven, and that is GOOD.
Variations You Can Apply To This Recipe
You can substitute pecans for pistachios, almonds, and hazelnuts and also add some dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store Baked Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Freeze Cookie Dough
You can freeze this cookie dough for up to 3 months. Just roll them into balls, and freeze. When you want a freshly baked cookie, remove the dough balls from the freezer and bake. You don’t have to defrost them; just add a few minutes to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coat your nuts with one or two teaspoons of neutral-tasting oil, or melted butter if you prefer. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180° C) for 8-10 minutes, or until they are slightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the baking sheet and set aside to cool.
Yes, absolutely! This is totally optional.
I haven’t tested this recipe with a cream cheese substitute, so I can’t say for sure. If you try a substitute, please share with us how it goes. Keep in mind that when you substitute or swap ingredients, results will vary and won’t be the same as mine. For best results, I recommend following the recipe exactly.
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Recipe Card 📖
Eggless Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (130 g) chopped pecans (+ 30 whole pecans to put in the top, this is optional)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoos (202 g) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (67 g) brown sugar
- 3 oz (85 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180° C), then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and set aside. The number of batches will depend on how large/small you want your cookies.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix the chopped pecans and melted butter in a small mixing bowl. Place the pecan on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the pecans are slightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the remaining butter ( 3/4 cup – 174 g) and sugars together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together and is combined. Stir in roasted pecans; mix to distribute. Do not over-mix.
- Drop by rounded tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet. For evenly sized cookies, use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough. Firmly press a pecan half on top of each ball of cookie dough, if desired
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until very lightly colored on top and around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Soften butter. If you plan to make making these, take the butter out of the fridge ahead of time so it’s ready to go when you need it!
- Measure the flour correctly. The best way to measure flour is to use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then I use a knife (straight-edged) to level the flour across the measuring cup. Do not dip a measuring cup directly into the flour bin, or you can compact it and get up to 25% more flour. It’s always best to use a scale to measure your ingredients.
- Add as little or as many pecans as you like, I tested the recipe with different amounts, and 1 cup is the right quantity, in my opinion.
- Don’t care too much about the baking time! This is because every oven is different, so the cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly browned. These cookies will not look totally done when you pull them out of the oven, and that is GOOD.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
This recipe was originally published in December 2019. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in December 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
Super yummy….light and crispy
Thanks, Rashmi!