No-Butter Toasted Pecan Brown Sugar Cookies
Back at it with the no-butter cookies.
And this time, it's butterless toasted pecan brown sugar cookies. With the need to specify that they're brown sugar cookies, because even though most of my cookie recipes have brown sugar in them, this cookie recipe has ONLY brown sugar in it. Making these cookies extra moist and flavorful and rich. Cuz that's the magic of brown sugar.
*insert sarcasm* I mean, how nauseating does that pile of cookies up there in my hand look? Thick and dense. Soft and chewy. Flavorful and dairy-free. Grosssssssssssssss.
And can we discuss the toasted pecans please? Because they're the star ingredient in our cookies here. There aren't even any chocolate chips in these coconut oil cookies. These aren't chocolate chip pecan cookies. They're pecan cookies. Das it.
And trust me when I tell you the toasted pecans are enough. There's simply no need for chocolate chunks in these cookies. Promise. You don't need them. Not when you get nutty, crunchy, rich, toasted pecans in every bite.
But just make sure you toast your pecans. Don't keep them raw. This step is critical. Otherwise, you'll be missing out on a whole world of flavor. A world of flavor that results from simply spreading your pecans onto a baking sheet and baking them in the oven for ten minutes until golden brown. WORTH IT.
So random fact, but these are the type of cookies that stay soft for a long time. Meaning, if you make them on a Sunday, they'll still be fresh and soft and delicious on Thursday. And probably Friday. And Saturday. And the following Sunday. After that, I'd say you're pushing it.
Which makes these cookies the ultimate travel companion. Which is convenient, especially now in the summertime, in case you were planning some sort of mini vacation or weekend getaway and wanted to take along some homemade cookies for the trip that would stay fresh for a solid few days.
What I'm saying is, these here are your mini vacation/weekend getaway cookies. You're looking right at 'em.
But en0ugh about vacation. Let's get back to describing these toasted pecan cookies.
I mentioned that they're soft (and stay soft for dayyyyyyys). But just make sure you don't over-bake your cookies, or else I can't guarantee their softness and freshness powers.
And they're also thick and rich and puffy and dense. Not caky or light or anything like that. Coconut oil tends to do that - make cookies super rich and thick and tasty.
And they're also packed with deep, nutty, caramely flavor because of all the brown sugar and toasted pecans. With awesome crunch from the freshly toasted pecans.
And they're also a quick, easy, one-bowl recipe. You can probably have these cookies in your oven in under ten minutes from now if you print out this recipe, run to the printer, and start melting your coconut oil stat.
So just click print.
No-Butter Toasted Pecan Brown Sugar Cookies
Yield: about 28 cookies
1/2 cup melted coconut oil*
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups packed flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spread chopped pecans onto first baking sheet and toast in oven until pecans begin turning brown and emitting a nutty aroma, about 9 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, mix melted coconut oil with the brown sugar. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Pour flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt over wet ingredients and mix everything together until just combined. Stir in toasted pecans last.
Round medium/large pieces of dough between palms and space out onto baking sheets. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until bottoms are golden. Let cookies sit and firm on sheets for a few minutes before moving them.
*Note: use refined coconut oil if you don't want any coconut flavor in your cookies.
