These Butter Pecan Cookies are a Swedish classic: a rich, brown-sugar shortbread-style dough topped with a pecan half. They’re ideal for holiday cookie plates or a simple snack with coffee or milk. Only six ingredients and very easy to make. Originally published December 8, 2017.
Table of Contents
- Butter Pecan Cookies (Traditional Swedish Recipe)
- Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Easy Butter Pecan Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cookie Variations
- Storing this Recipe for Butter Pecan Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe FAQ
- Easy Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe
It’s cookie season—especially at the holidays. These Butter Pecans are the very first Christmas cookies I bake every year. They’re a family favorite and dangerously easy to eat more than one of. One batch yields about 50–60 small cookies, making them perfect for cookie swaps or gifting.
I first shared this recipe back in 2011, so it’s been part of our annual rotation for a long time.
These cookies come from Eric’s Swedish family traditions. Alongside other holiday staples, Grandma Prudy passed down recipes that we still make each year. While some family favorites are an acquired taste, the Butter Pecan cookies are universally adored in our household.
I love preserving these family recipes. They remind me of holiday gatherings, and Butter Pecans are one that will keep appearing on our cookie plates for years to come.
The dough is simple and forgiving, and the tiny cookies are easy to snack on—one bite-sized treat often turns into several. These are addictive in the best way.
Butter Pecan Cookies (Traditional Swedish Recipe)
Eric’s great-grandmother, Grandma Prudy, brought several Swedish cookie traditions to the family and this Butter Pecan recipe is one of the best. It’s essentially a brown-sugar–forward shortbread enriched with butter and finished with a pecan half on top.
Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Quick shopping list—full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg yolk
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Pecan halves
How to Make Easy Butter Pecan Cookies
This recipe comes together quickly—about 18 minutes total. Summary of the steps (see recipe card for full details):
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and combined. Add the egg yolk and mix well.
- Add flour and salt, mixing until the dough forms a ball.
- Cover and chill for about 1 hour (longer if you double the batch).
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork.
- Top each cookie with a pecan half.
- Bake briefly until the tops lose their shine—6–8 minutes for soft cookies, longer if you prefer them crispy.
Butter Pecan Cookie Variations
- Swap the nut: Use sliced almonds or walnut halves, or omit nuts for a nut-free version.
- Add extract: A small splash of vanilla or almond extract enhances flavor.
- Toast the pecans: Lightly toasting pecans brings out more nutty depth.
- Sprinkle salt: A pinch of coarse sea salt before baking creates a nice sweet-salty contrast.
- Spice them: Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough for warmth.
- Swap toppings: Press candy (M&Ms, chopped toffee, or chocolate chunks) instead of nuts for a different look and flavor.
- Sugar coat: Roll dough balls in granulated sugar before baking for extra crunch and sparkle.
Storing this Recipe for Butter Pecan Cookies
These cookies store well. Keep them stacked in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving or warm briefly in the microwave.
Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe FAQ
The butter flavor comes from real butter, balanced by the nutty flavor of the pecans. Brown sugar in the dough adds caramel notes that complement the butter and nuts.
Butter pecan combines rich, creamy butter with the roasted, sweet nuttiness of pecans. The brown sugar adds depth and a caramel-like sweetness.
Not exactly. Butterscotch is a cooked combination of butter and brown sugar resembling a soft caramel. Butter pecan highlights butter and pecans together; in this cookie the brown sugar contributes extra caramel notes but the defining characteristic is the butter-and-pecan pairing.
More Christmas cookies to love!
- Ultra Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Dipped Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Soft Cinnamon Cookies with Maple Pecan Frosting
- Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies
- Spritz (a classic Swedish cookie)
- Swedish Sour Cream Twists
- Crispy Swedish Cardamom Cookies
- Italian Christmas Cookies
- Chocolate Orange Roundies
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Easy Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 50–60 pecan halves
Instructions
- Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer until smooth and well combined, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg yolk and beat until incorporated.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix just until the dough forms a ball, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Cover and chill for about 1 hour. If doubling the recipe, chill longer (2–3 hours) so the cookies don’t spread.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets.
- Flatten each ball lightly with a fork (dip the fork in flour if it sticks).
- Press a pecan half into the top of each cookie perpendicular to the fork marks.
- Bake at 350°F for 6–8 minutes, until the tops are no longer shiny. For crisper cookies, bake a bit longer until lightly browned at the edges.
Notes
This recipe comes from Grandma Prudie. Cook time is flexible: 6–8 minutes yields soft cookies; bake longer for crispier cookies. The dough can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage. You can even shape cookies and refrigerate or freeze them unbaked, then bake within a few days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 73 kcal | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 5 g