Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

These Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies showcase rich, buttery cookies infused with chocolate chips and pecans. You’ll love each chewy bite, one cookie after the next!

Chocolate chip pecan cookies are laid out on a white table.

Whenever I feel the slightest bit of boredom, I like to head into the kitchen. Maybe I’ll start on dinner; or do the dishes (but why would I want to do that?). But if I had my way, which I often do, I prefer to bake pies (like this egg free pecan pie), bake a cake, or make cookies.

I love the aroma that baking creates as it makes its way throughout the house. And I love the grins on the faces of my favorite peeps as they eat them.

This recipe is based on my all-time favorite vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe. Adding pecans is such a special treat!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

If you’re wondering how to make your own chocolate pecan cookies, you came to the right place! Begin by heating your oven to 350°F/175°C.

  1. Beat vegan butter until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the sugars and beat again until light and fluffy.
    Looking down on a stand mixer full of creamed butter and sugar.
  3. Finally, add the flax, cornstarch, water, and vanilla and beat again to combine. 
  4. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat to combine.
    Flour is poured into a mixing bowl with cookie dough.
  6. Roughly chop the pecans, leaving a few mostly intact. Reserve some pecans and chocolate chips to press into the tops of cookie dough balls. 
  7. Stir in the chocolate chips and some of the chopped pecans into the batter.
    Looking down on a mixing bowl with cookie dough, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.
  8. Drop rounded spoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet. Press reserved chocolate chips and pecans on top. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
    A hand presses a pecan on top of cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet.
  9. Let cookies cool on the pan for a minute, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack for cooling.

Key Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Butter — You’ll want to use vegan butter for this recipe and not a tub of margarine. For storebought, I prefer Earth Balance buttery sticks. You can substitute refined coconut oil.
  • Sugar — We’ll be using both brown sugar and granulated sugar for these cookies.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Flax — I’m recommending adding ground flax seeds to the batter. Combined with water, this creates a flax egg. We’re just not doing that as a separate step.
  • Cornstarch — We’ll be adding cornstarch for binding and creating tender cookies.
  • Flour — I use all-purpose flour for these cookies.
  • Baking soda + baking powder — What’s a cookie dough without baking soda and baking powder! Wait a minute. Is baking soda vegan? Learn more about it and whether it’s appropriate for your plant-based kitchen!
  • Salt
  • Chocolate Chips — Let’s add a good amount of dairy-free chocolate chips to remind people they’re eating a chocolate chip cookie!
  • Pecans — You’ll need a cup of chopped pecans, but I like to start with pecan halves, so I have bigger pieces to put on top of the cookies.

Storage Tips

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.

A stack of chocolate chip pecan cookies sits in front of a bowl of pecans and more cookies in the background.

What Makes This Recipe Shine?

  • INDULGENT — These are buttery cookies perfect for those times when you want a truly indulgent cookie.
  • PARTY-FRIENDLY — These cookies will be a hit at your next party. You can even make them ahead and freeze them. Just be sure to set them out a few hours before the party so they can thaw.
  • VERSATILE — Change up the add-ins (coconut flakes, chopped dark chocolate bar, vegan M&Ms) to make these cookies your own.

More Vegan Cookies

Want a gooey cookie in minutes? Make this vegan microwave cookie in a mug. It’s ready in minutes and so good!

If you love these chocolate chip pecan cookies, here are even more vegan cookies for you to check out:

Looking down on chocolate chip pecan cookies on a table with pecans between them.
A chocolate chip pecan cookie sits on a white table. There are other cookies in the background.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Delicious morsels of chocolate chips and pecans are nestled in soft and chewy chocolate chip pecan cookies. Make a double batch and freeze some for later!
5 from 4 votes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time:: 5 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 32 cookies
Calories: 180kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Use either a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light and fluffy. Finally, add the flax, cornstarch, water, and vanilla and beat again to combine.
  • In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
  • Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir to combine.
  • Roughly chop the pecans, leaving a few mostly intact. Reserve some pecans and chocolate chips to press into the tops of cookie dough balls.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips and some of the chopped pecans to the batter.
  • Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, approximately 1 to 2" apart from the others. Press reserved chocolate chips and pecans on top. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
  • Remove the baked cookies from the oven and use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack for cooling.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Recommended Equipment

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Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2014 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2022.

12 Responses to Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyBrenda Reply

    I made these yesterday and they are truly scrumptious! They were easy to make and my husband and rest of family loved them. I will have to try them with peanut butter! Thank you for another great cookie recipe!!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Brenda. I’m so glad you and your family loved these cookies!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMaureen Reply

    5 stars
    I love pecans combined with chocolate chip cookies!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I’m with you, Maureen!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlySarah Reply

    These look sound and look so delicious!!! You mention peanut butter in the description but I don’t see it in the recipe card. Is there any in the batter or is it all just butter? I will definitely be making a batch of these soon!!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Sarah. Thanks for your note! The original recipe used 1/2 peanut butter and 1/2 vegan butter. I decided to simplify the recipe by only using vegan butter. It works deliciously both ways! But thanks to your note, I’ll make sure the description gets fixed.

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyLynne Reply

    Is it supposed to be 1/2 cup of peanut butter? These look amazing.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Great catch. The recipe has been corrected to say 1/2 cup. Thanks Lynne!

  5. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyShikha @ Shikha la mode Reply

    5 stars
    Sudoku, milk, and cookies -sounds pretty good to me!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I think we may be kindred spirits!!

  6. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJoel A. Reply

    I also love the aroma of cookies. It makes everyone happy. 🙂 These cookies are lovely. I would love to try this recipe.

  7. Avatar thumbnail image for Marlysarah@thesweetlife Reply

    I’d take Sudoku and cookies any day over jeans that fit…especially these cookies!

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