Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies

Name: Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 24 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 150 grams / 1 & ¼ cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour; 33 grams / ¼ cup Cake Flour; 1 TSP Baking Soda; ¼ TSP Fine Sea Salt; 100 grams / ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened; 100 grams / ½ cup Light Brown Sugar; 70 grams / 1/3 cup granulated White Sugar; 1 Extra Jumbo Egg (70-74 grams), at room temperature (See notes within recipe if using a large egg – 56-60 grams)*; 1.5 TSP Vanilla Extract; ½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (reserve a few pieces for studding the cookies); ½ cup Butterscotch Chips (reserve a few pieces for studding the cookies); 50 grams / ½ cup Pecans – chopped

by Lavina // posted July 13, 2020

Jump to Recipe· 5 from 2 reviews

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These Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies have soft and chewy centers and crispy outer edges. They are easy to make, full of chocolate and butterscotch chips and crunchy pecans, and downright delicious!

Top view of six chocolate butterscotch chip pecan cookies on crinkled parchment paper surrounded by chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Everyone loves a good cookie. And if you think that you don’t, you’re about to be converted into an untamable cookie-loving-and-chomping-machine because of these soft and chewy Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies!

These cookies are simply the BEST cookies I’ve ever made! They’re ultra soft and chewy on the inside, and have lovely crisp edges. They’re also full of melty chocolate and butterscotch chips, and crunchy pecans. 💛 Pair one (or two!) with a tall glass of cold milk and I can think of no other better, easy, and delicious treat to have…anytime or on any day!

I’m currently my sister’s and cousin’s favorite person in the world because they accompanied me on the (very tasty) testing journey of these cookies over the last few weeks. We can all vouch that these Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies are truly some of the yummiest cookies EVER, and I truly, truly, want everyone to be able to enjoy them too! 🤗

Close up of a chocolate and butterscotch chip pecan cookie surrounded by other cookies on crinkled parchment paper.

Why This Recipe Works

Using cake flour in addition to all-purpose flour makes the cookies extra chewy and soft.
Chocolate and butterscotch chips are a winner flavor combo. Having said that, 👇
These cookies can be customized with your choice of chocolate or other flavored baking chips and nuts.
They’re easy to make with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), and the dough comes together within a mere few minutes. The hardest part of making them is waiting for the dough to chill!
They’re big cookies, and satisfying enough when you eat just one. (Although, no one is judging if you scarf down two or three. 😉)
You can make the cookie dough ahead and/or freeze it for a later date.

Who wants a nice and soft, delicate and chewy cookie that’ll hit the right spot in your tummy like, NOW?

Let’s make a batch! 💃

Ingredients

Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
Cake Flour: This is the secret ingredient that makes these cookies soft and chewy! Since cake flour has less protein than AP flour, it helps to make the cookies more delicate than cookies made completely with AP flour.
Baking Soda
Fine Sea Salt
Unsalted Butter
Light Brown Sugar
Granulated White Sugar
Egg
Vanilla Extract
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Butterscotch Chips
Chopped Pecans

Photo collage of steps to make Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies.

How to Make Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies

Combine dry ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Whisk until evenly incorporated, then set aside.
Cream butter and sugars: In a large mixing bowl, combine the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated white sugar. Cream with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium-high speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed until the mixture is light and fluffy, and pale yellow in color – about 2-3 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla extract: Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating on medium speed until evenly combined – about 30-45 seconds.
Mix in dry ingredients: Then sift the dry ingredients mixture into the bowl using a fine mesh strainer. Mix on low speed until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything gets incorporated.
Fold in mix-ins and chill: Fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips and chopped pecans using the rubber spatula. Then cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Prep for baking: Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or nonstick cooking paper.
Scoop and shape cookie dough balls: Scoop the dough using a trigger release scooper (or a large spoon) to get even portions (about 3 tablespoons per scoop) and gently roll into balls. Place the dough balls on the lined baking tray, leaving about 2 inches of space from the sides of the tray and 3 inches between the dough balls. Stud with the reserved chocolate and butterscotch chips. (Note: If using an extra jumbo egg, the cookies will spread more and it’s best to fit only 4 on each baking tray in order to avoid sticking. Mine fit onto 3 trays and made 9 large cookies. If using a large egg, the cookies will spread less and you can fit 6 on one tray, and 4 on another and get a total of 10 cookies.)
Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 12-15 minutes (13 minutes works best for me with an extra jumbo egg, and 12 minutes works best with a large egg), until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden and become crispy, and the centers appear pale and underbaked. They will continue to brown and “set” as they cool.
Cool and enjoy! Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to rest and cool for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy while the cookies are still warm, or transfer to sealed airtight containers and store in a cool dry area for up to three days.

Photo collage of unbaked cookie dough balls studded with chocolate and butterscotch chips and baked cookies. — Before and just after baking.

Top view of chocolate butterscotch chip pecan cookies on a cooling rack.

Full ingredient amounts/instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cook’s Tips

Measure the flours correctly. Fluff with a spoon to eliminate any large lumps. Then spoon into a measuring cup and level the top. Do not scoop out the flour by dipping the measuring cup into the bag or container. This will result in excess flour in the cup since it will be compacted. I highly recommend using a food weighing scale to ensure that you measure out the right amount of AP and cake flour.
Sift the dry ingredients. It makes a world of difference. You don’t want lumps of baking soda or salt hanging around in random parts of the cookies. Sifting will make sure that the dry ingredients are well distributed and you get evenly baked cookies.
Don’t overbake. As soon as the edges start to brown, you’ll want to get the cookies out of the oven. The center of the cookies will look pale and undercooked, but they will continue to brown and “set” once out of the oven. Twelve to thirteen minutes is usually the best time for me.
Chill the dough. The batter will be easier to roll into balls if the dough has hardened slightly through the process of chilling. Also, chilling the dough gives the fat (the butter) in the dough a chance to solidify again. This in turn ensures that the cookies will spread less and also be nice and chewy.
Make sure your baking soda is not expired and still active. Your cookies will be very flat if the leavening agent isn’t active. You can test the baking soda by adding a teaspoon to a small bowl with two or three tablespoons of vinegar. If it fizzes, it still works and you’re good to go. If nothing happens, replace your baking soda.

Front view of six chocolate butterscotch chip pecan cookies on crinkled parchment paper surrounded by chocolate and butterscotch chips.

FAQs

Can I use different baking chips and nuts?

Semi-sweet, milk, white, dark chocolate, or peanut butter, mint chips, etc. will all work in this recipe. If you want to switch out the pecans for other nuts, chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, almonds, and pistachios are excellent options. Below are our top three favorite combos for this cookie dough:

Milk and white chocolate chips with chopped pecans
Semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter chips
Dark chocolate and mint chips with chopped almonds

What if I don’t have cake flour on hand?

No problem. You can make your own by using corn starch and all-purpose flour. Measure out 1 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour. Then remove ½ tablespoon of the flour and replace with ½ tablespoon of cornstarch. Use this mixture for the AP and cake flour listed in the recipe.

What size egg is best for this recipe?

I make this recipe with either an extra jumbo egg (70-74 grams) or large egg (56-60 grams) depending on what I have on hand. They both work great, and you’ll get soft and chewy cookies with crisp edges with either egg size.

However, the egg size does make a difference in baking time and the size of the cookies.

If using an extra jumbo egg (70-74 grams): You’ll likely need to bake for an extra minute (about 13 minutes total). Place the cookie dough balls two inches apart from the sides of the baking tray and three inches apart from each other (refer to pictures). Bake 4 cookies on each tray at the most to prevent them from sticking to one another. I usually get 9 large cookies when using an extra jumbo egg.
If using a large egg (56-60 grams): The baking time will be around 12 minutes and the cookies will spread less. You’ll be able to fit 6 on each tray if you keep the cookie dough balls two inches apart from each other and the sides of the tray. I usually get 10 big cookies with the large egg.

The photographs in this post are of the cookies made with an extra jumbo egg because that’s what I had on hand on that day.

Top view of cookies on parchment paper surrounded by chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Is chilling the dough absolutely necessary?

I personally feel the cookies taste and hold their shape better after the dough has chilled for at least 30 minutes.

But if you must, you can bake the cookies without chilling. However, just note that they will spread a lot more and be flatter. They also may need to be baked for 1 or 2 minutes less than the chilled cookie dough balls.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes! This recipe makes 9-10 cookies and can be easily doubled or even tripled if you like. Click on ‘2x’ or ‘3x’ in the recipe card below to generate the ingredient amounts for a double or triple batch for these Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies.

Can I make these cookies nut-free?

Yes. Simply leave out the pecans.

How long do these cookies keep?

They’ll stay nice and fresh for three days if stored in a sealed airtight container in a cool dry area.

Close up hand holding up a soft and gooey cookie with a few bites taken out of it.

Can I make the cookie dough ahead?

Yes. Make the cookie dough as instructed in steps 1-5. Then transfer the cookie dough to a sealed airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. When ready to bake, follow steps 6-9 in the recipe.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

To freeze the cookie dough: Scoop and shape cookie dough balls and place them on a parchment paper (or nonstick cooking paper) lined baking tray. Place the baking tray in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours or until fully solid. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a large Ziploc or freezer-friendly bags and freeze for up to three months.
To bake: Transfer the cookie dough balls to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and thaw in the fridge for three hours or overnight. Then bake according to the recipe instructions (steps 7-9). Alternatively, you can bake from frozen but add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Can I freeze already baked cookies?

To freeze baked cookies: Allow the cookies to cool fully on a cooling rack. Then transfer them to a parchment paper lined baking tray and freeze for 2-4 hours until solid. Transfer the cookies a freezer-friendly bag, making sure to squeeze out any excess air before you zip the top (this saves space in your freezer!). Then freeze for up to three months.
To thaw: Thaw cookies on a paper-towel lined plate on the counter for a couple of hours or until no longer solid, then enjoy. You can warm the cookies in a microwave for 30 seconds to speed the thawing process.

Can I make these cookies dairy-free or vegan?

I have not tested the recipe with dairy-free or vegan alternatives for the ingredients required to make these cookies. Unfortunately, I cannot advise without further testing.

Can I make them gluten-free?

I haven’t tried making these cookies gluten-free yet. But I recommend using a GF all-purpose flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. Measure out 1 and ½ cups of the gluten-free flour, then remove ½ tablespoon of the flour and replace with ½ tablespoon of cornstarch. Use this mixture in place of the regular AP flour and cake flour.

Close up of hand holding up a cookie with a few bites taken out of it, and cookies on a cooling rack. Text overlay "Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies".

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If you make this Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies recipe, leave a comment and review it below with a star rating! I always appreciate your feedback. Take a photo and be sure to tag it with @thatspicychick on Instagram and hashtag it #thatspicychick so I can see! 😉

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