A gooey pecan pie brimming with buttery pecans is always a hit, but it’s also quite a labor-intensive dessert—what with the blending, rolling, and making a pretty edge required to make pie crust. That’s why Pecan Pie Cookies are such a delicious alternative. You get all the reward, with no hassle! Want to see how they're made? Watch this quick video to make the perfect pecan pie sugar cookie cups.
Here's a breakdown of the ingredients in these easy-to-make Pecan Pie Cookies.
Sugar Cookie Mix: Provides the base for the cookie crust. It contains flour, sugar, and other ingredients necessary for a quick and easy sugar cookie.
All Purpose Flour: Adds structure and helps to bind the cookie dough together.
Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and moisture to the cookie dough. The fat in butter contributes to the tender texture of the cookies. Softened butter ensures it incorporates evenly into the dough.
Eggs: Acts as a binder, holding the cookie dough together. It also acts as a binder and thickener for the filling. It helps to create a custard-like texture and holds the pecans together.
Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and a molasses-like flavor that complements the pecans. Brown sugar also contributes to the chewy texture of the filling. The "packed" instruction ensures consistent measurement.
Corn Syrup: Adds sweetness and a smooth, glossy texture to the filling. Corn syrup also helps to prevent crystallization and keeps the filling soft and gooey.
Vanilla: Enhances the flavor profile of the filling. Vanilla adds a classic, aromatic sweetness that complements the pecans and other ingredients.
Pecans: The star of the filling! Pecans provide a nutty flavor, crunchy texture, and visual appeal. They are the defining ingredient of pecan pie.
These cookies come together in a few simple steps. See the recipe below for all the details and helpful photos.
It’s crucial to grease and flour your pan to prevent the cookies from sticking. Use shortening for greasing, as it works ‘better than butter in this case. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies of the muffin cups.
Mix sugar cookie mix, flour, butter, and egg. The dough should be soft and easy to work with when ready.
Shape dough into balls and place in greased and floured muffin cups. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center.
Bake until light brown. Don’t overbake, they will bake again with the filling.
Mix egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and pecans. Stir the filling well.
Reshape indentations in cookie cups, fill with pecan mixture, and bake until edges are golden brown.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes before loosening edges with a paring knife. Allow cookie cups to cool for an additional 30 minutes before removing from pan.
If you have leftover Pecan Pie Cookies, here’s how to store them to maintain their quality.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in a cool location. If stacking the cookies, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together. Store up to 2 days,.
Follow room temperature instructions. Store up to 5 days.
We’ve got a lot of ideas about how to turn a bag of pecans into a dessert. From Butter-Pecan Pudding Cookies to extra-easy Pecan Pie Dump Cobbler to the absolutely irresistible Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake, there are plenty of pecan pie and pecan cookie desserts for you to explore here on BettyCrocker.com!
Or if you are looking for other pie cup cookie desserts try our Apple Pie Cookie Cups, Pumpkin Pecan Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, or if you need a gluten-free option, these Cookie Brownie Cups are delish!
In a large bowl, mix dry cookie mix, flour, butter, and 1 egg with spoon until soft dough forms.
Using rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, shape dough into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch balls; place in muffin cups. With thumb, make indentation in center of each. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix 1 egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and pecans until well blended.
With end of wooden spoon, reshape indentations in center of each cookie to create 1 1/2-inch opening in partially baked cookie cups. Clean off end of wooden spoon with paper towel as needed.
Stir filling to redistribute nuts; spoon 1 tablespoon filling into each cookie cup, stirring before filling each.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Run knife around edge of each cookie cup to loosen. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Remove cookie cups from muffin cups.
If using 21-oz pouch of Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix, make dough as directed on pouch for drop cookies, and add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to dough; shape into 28 balls. To make filling, use 2 eggs, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped pecan halves. Makes 28 cookies.
If you don’t have enough muffin pans to bake all the cookie cups at once, shape all the cookie dough balls and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the unused dough balls and filling until you can place them in the muffin pan. You will want to use these right after you make your first cookies.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 10g | 16% |
| Saturated Fat | 3&½g | 17% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1&½g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 25mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 100mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 24g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 14g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 2g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Potassium | 50mg | 1% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 15% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
