Say goodbye to boring, ordinary cookies and hello to these Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies! From the addition of brown butter, candied pecans, and maple syrup, there isn’t a single detail that’s been left out of these delicious cookies!

The Coziest Cookie You’ll Ever Taste

From top to bottom, this cookie is filled with sweet warmth and cozy flavors! Starting with a brown butter cookie dough to add a deep, slightly nutty flavor, to the pecans that are candied with maple syrup, with a grand finale of brushing the baked cookies with vanilla simple syrup, every flavor is accounted for.

The perfect Fall and cold-weather cookie has now arrived with these Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies. Each soft and chewy bite is an explosion of sweet maple, crunchy candied pecans, with hints of cozy brown sugar and maple flavor.

Though these cookies are on another level, it doesn’t take a kitchen genius to make them! Anyone can bake up a batch of these delicious cookies by simply following the easy step-by-step recipe instructions!

Ingredients For Maple Pecan Cookies

All-Purpose Flour
Malted Milk Powder
Baking Soda
Unsalted Butter
Granulated Sugar
Light Brown Sugar
Vanilla Bean Paste
Salt
Maple Extract
Large Egg
Large Egg Yolk
Vanilla Simple Syrup
Flaky Sea Salt
Chopped Pecans/Pecan Pieces
100% Pure Maple Syrup

The Magic Of Brown Butter

Brown butter is a simple way to take your cookies from ordinary to over-the-top delicious! Brown butter is just melted butter on the stovetop that, once cooked, takes on a toasty, slightly caramelized flavor that gives cookies (and all recipes!) a deep, rich flavor.

If you’ve never made brown butter before, it’s super easy! It requires just one ingredient, a whisk, a skillet, and less than 10 minutes. For all of my tips and tricks, check out my full guide on How To Make Brown Butter!

How To Make Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper then set it aside.
Candy the pecans by adding chopped pecans and/or pecan pieces to a large skillet with 100% pure maple syrup, light brown sugar, and sea salt. Cook this mixture until the sugar and maple syrup have coated the nuts and are no longer super sticky.
Transfer the candied pecans to a parchment-lined pan or plate to allow them to cool.
Whisk all-purpose flour, malted milk powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Then set this aside.
Remove the unsalted butter from the fridge and allow it to set at room temperature.
Add a portion of the unsalted butter to a skillet and cook until melted. Then continue cooking and stirring frequently until the brown bits begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Afterwards, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter until melted. Then transfer the butter to a heat-safe bowl or stand mixer bowl that’s fitted with a whisk attachment.
Add light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, salt, and maple extract to the butter and mix to combine.
Mix in the large egg and additional large egg yolk. Then let the dough rest and whisk again, repeat this process for two more rounds.
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or paddle attachment.
Fold most of the cooled candied pecans into the cookie dough, reseving some out for topping.
Portion out the maple pecan cookie dough and drop them on pan with ample space between each mound. Top the dough with some of the reserved candied pecans.
Bake the Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies in the preheated oven, rotating the baking pan half way through.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.
Brush the hot cookies with vanilla simple syrup and then sprinkle them with flaky sea salt. Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Cookies Substitutions & Variations

Unsalted Butter – Using unsalted butter in this recipe gives you more flavor control over the cookies. However, if you already have salted butter on hand, you can use that instead and then omit the additional salt the recipe calls for.
Vanilla Bean Paste – I prefer paste over extract for a richer flavor. If needed, you can use an equal amount of vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean paste.
100% Pure Maple Syrup – This really gives the pecans a true, authentic maple flavor that we’re looking for in this recipe! Feel free to use your choice of maple syrup in place of it if you’d prefer.
Malted Milk Powder – Malted milk powder isn’t necessary for the structure of the cookie; however, I find it adds a delicious depth of flavor. You can either omit this ingredient altogether or swap it out for powdered coffee creamer.
Vanilla Simple Syrup – For a cozier flavor variation, you can brush the cookies with Brown Sugar Simple Syrup instead of vanilla simple syrup.
Pecans – Feel free to use walnuts instead of pecans if you prefer.

How To Store Maple Pecan Cookies

Once cooled, transfer the Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies into an airtight container and store them at room temperature. The cookies can then be enjoyed for up to 1 week.