Brown Butter Caramel Pecan Praline Cookies
Soft, chewy brown butter caramel pecan cookies with toasted nuts and thick caramel praline ribbons. Chill the scoops and gently reshape the edges halfway through baking to help control spreading.
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 186kcal
Equipment
- Light-colored saucepan for browning butter
- small heavy saucepan for caramel
- Heatproof mixing bowls
- Whisk
- flexible spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or 1/4-cup scoop
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- flat spatula for reshaping
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Brown Butter Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter measured before browning
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1–2 tablespoons additional all-purpose flour optional, only if dough seems unusually soft
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups toasted pecans chopped and cooled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
Praline Swirl
- ½ cup soft, chewy caramel candies or soft baking caramel chopped
- ½ cup caramel bits
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 pinch salt
Optional Finish
- Caramel sauce for a light drizzle to taste
- Chopped pecans for sprinkling to taste
- Flaky salt to taste
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Melt 1 cup unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom. Once the specks turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty, immediately scrape it into a heatproof bowl. Cool for 10–15 minutes, or longer until barely warm.
Make the Praline Swirl
- Melt 1/2 cup chopped soft caramel gently in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1 pinch salt. Remove from the heat, then stir in 1/2 cup caramel bits until softened and partly melted. Cool until barely warm, thick, and still foldable.
Mix the Dough
- Whisk 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into the cooled browned butter. Whisk in 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the optional 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir into the butter mixture just until combined. If the cooled dough seems unusually soft, add the optional extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 2 tablespoons.
- Fold in 1 1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans. Gently fold in the entire cooled praline mixture, leaving visible caramel ribbons.
Chill and Bake
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions for regular cookies or 1/4-cup portions for jumbo cookies. Cover and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F and line cool baking sheets with parchment. Arrange the chilled scoops at least 3 inches apart. Bake one test cookie first to check spreading.
- Bake one sheet at a time at 350°F for 10–13 minutes for regular cookies or 14–17 minutes for jumbo cookies. About halfway through baking, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a spatula, gently push the outer edges of each cookie inward by about ½ inch all the way around to create a thicker, rounder shape and help prevent excessive spreading. Return the cookies to the oven promptly and continue baking until the tops look set with no wet dough visible. The caramel may still appear glossy.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack. If desired, add a light drizzle of extra caramel sauce, a sprinkling of chopped pecans, and a few flakes of salt to taste. Let hot caramel cool before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg