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posted by Amy Johnsonon December 8, 2018 (updated Nov 10, 2023) 74 comments »
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These Pecan Sandies cookiescombine crispy, buttery, and nutty goodness to make this cookie an all-time favorite.
No cookie platter is complete without these nutty and buttery Pecan Sandies. These may seem unassuming next to chocolatey cookies, or those fabulous decorated cookies, but these are sneaky good. These crispy cookies are not overly sweet and they make an excellent compliment to tea or coffee. I remember this cookie always being one of my mother’s favorites. And of course, mom always knows best.
Think shortbread plus crunchy pecans. That’s this cookie in a nutshell. (No pun intended.) These Pecan Sandies pack well and are a good cookie for sharing during the holidays as edible gifts, or for a cookie exchange.
Preparation for these cookies is pretty basic. Begin by beating together (with an electric mixer) the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in a bit of ice water, salt, cinnamon, flour, finely chopped pecans (or walnuts) and a vanilla extract. Mix the dough to combine well, then cover tightly in plastic wrap or a zip top plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, firmly form 1-inch dough balls. The dough tends to be a bit crumbly, so take time to press it together well to hold the shape.
Place dough balls on ungreased parchment lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Use a flat-bottomed glass to gently flatten balls to about 1/2-inch thick. Or if you’d like roll into crescent shapes. All that’s left to do is bake. It takes about 20 minutes at 325-degrees F.
The dough for these Pecan Sandies works best when chilled for a while before divvying them up for baking. The dough can also be formed into a roll, chilled for a few days and then sliced for baking as needed.
Check out these other cookie recipes that will make good cookie tray partners for these Pecan Sandies:
- Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies Recipe
- Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal No Bake Cookies Recipe
- Apple Cinnamon Cookies Recipe from Dine and Dish
Pecan Sandies Recipe
Pecan Sandies Recipe
Yield: About 4 dozen.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
These nutty, buttery and crunchy cookies are similar to shortbread.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, slightly softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ice water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (walnuts are a good substitute)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325-degrees F. Line baking sheets with baking parchment.
Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar until smooth.
Add all other ingredients and mix to combine.
Chill dough covered for at least 30 minutes.
By hand, firmly form dough into 1-inch balls. Dough will be crumbly so take time to press it together well to hold shape. Place dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Using a flat bottom glass, gently flatten balls to about 1/2-inch thick, or roll into crescent shapes.
Bake at 325-degrees F for 20 minutes.
Notes
Optional: If a bit more sweetness is desired, dust or gently toss cookies with powdered sugar.
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook
Originally published December 16, 2014.
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Cookies Desserts Recipes
originally published on December 8, 2018 (last updated Nov 10, 2023)
74 commentsLeave a comment »
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74 comments on “Pecan Sandies Recipe”
Charla —Reply
These cookies are the Best!! They are my husbands favorite cookie. So easy and they come out perfect every time.
Utona Hamby —
These are so good! Once we had these, we couldn’t go back to store bought!
Julia —Reply
Made these recently, they were freaking amazing. I followed the recipe and everything went perfectly. Dough was crumbly but was still able to crush the dough balls with a glass. They came out with a sort of rustic cracked cookie look. I only wound up with 12 cookies though. I’m about to make them again but this time use almonds and brown sugar. Definitely saved this recipe!
Teresa Grodi —Reply
Definitely take the time to brown the butter (and chill to room temperature consistency in the fridge) before making this recipe. That gives it the rich taste of Pecan Sandies.
Scarlett —
how do you brown the butter?
Mary Chapman —Reply
These turned out beautifully – rich and tasty. I increased the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon, and added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. I like the comments about toasting the nuts, and might try that when I make them again.
I did not find the dough to be too crumbly. Maybe that extra 1/2 teaspoon of extract helped.
I’m offering these along with fresh apples as dessert following a Sunday luncheon. I think they’d also be good with a cheese tray or after-dinner whiskey.Amy Johnson —
I will try your additions next time, Mary. Thank you for sharing!
Heather —Reply
Question.
Does this recipe use salted or unsalted butter?Amy Johnson —
Salted
Debbie —Reply
I don’t think I did anything wrong but, I only got 9 cookies out of this recipe. I made them in 2 inch balls then flattened them to 1/2 inch. Hopefully they’ll taste great. These are my hubby’s favorites. He went to the store to buy some but they were out. He was disappointed he was only getting 9 cookies.
Debbie —Reply
I apologize, it was totally mee who messed up. I made the dang cookies in 2” balls and not one inch balls. It was one of those days. Well, my husband is going to have 9 large cookies.
Carolyn —Reply
Made the pecan sandies they were great
Valerie —Reply
These turned out nicely. I used ground walnuts because that’s what I had.
I did a little cheat: I formed the dough into a 2 1/4 inch diameter log , chilled it , and then sliced 1/2 inch thick rounds. 20 mins was a bit too long in the oven.
Jean Palmerton —Reply
I tried this recipe with gluten-free all purpose flour, which usually works for cookies for me. Not on this recipe! After the dough was well chilled (24 hours in a roll for slicing) it was a crumbly mess. I couldn’t shape it into balls either. Put the dough back in my stand mixing bowl and added 1 egg and 1/4 cup of milk wisked together. I was then about to form into balls and flatten. After baking 20 minutes, I turned up the oven to 350. The end result was OK, but chalky tasting. Not recommending using gluten free flour on this recipe.
Jessica —
should try half in half or 3.75 to .25 flour
Gail —Reply
Is the plain flour same as all purpose? Why no baking soda?
Amy Johnson —
Thank you for the question, Gail. Yes, plain flour is the same as all purpose flour, but I’m going to edit the recipe right now to make that clear. This is not a puffy cookie but more cripsy so no baking soda is what my mom always did for these.
Adelina —Reply
These were great! I have been craving chocolate chip pecan sandies so I made these and added 1/2 cup of chocolate. Amazing!
My only question is how do you get 4 doz? Mine made 24 fairly small ones lol!Deborah Parks —Reply
I made these cookies and they were absolutely delicious!
Verlene —Reply
I followed exactly and they are SO good! I rolled my dough while soft into a log and then refrigerated (wrapped in freezer plastic wrap). I only eat a few per day so can slice and bake as needed. It works perfectly. I will definitely keep and use this recipe often.
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