Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

These scrumptious Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth this fall or holiday season!

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Ginnie's Take

It's cookie season (AKA the BEST time of the year), and do I have some delicious recipes for you this week!

Every holiday season, I love making all my favorite cookie recipes, and I always test out a few new ones, too. These Maple Pecan Cookies are actually one I've made many times before, because they're the cookie crumble in my Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt recipe. 

Each bite of these Pecan Shortbread Cookies is such a delight, that I finally decided to give this recipe the stand alone treatment. These tasty bites are definitely going into my annual cookie rotation from now on ... and I think you should add them to yours, too! You're going to love the buttery maple pecan flavor, and the simple maple glaze is irresistible!

Ready to bake a batch of these Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies for yourself? Just keep reading for all the mouthwatering details!

Ingredients

Like most shortbread cookies, this recipe uses pretty basic ingredients. Here's what you'll need:

• Pecans - Walnuts also work great.
• Maple Syrup Make sure to use real maple syrup for the best results (not pancake syrup).
• Unsalted Butter
• All-Purpose Flour
• Brown Sugar - I used dark brown sugar, but light will work, too.
• Salt - I recommend using kosher salt, not table salt. It will really improve the flavor of everything you cook (not just cookies).
• Maple Glaze - Maple Syrup + Powdered Sugar

You'll Also Need

To make this recipe, you'll also need a couple baking sheets, as well as a stand mixer to prepare the dough, and a baking rack to cool the cookies once baked. When adding the glaze, line a tray with parchment paper (makes cleanup a snap), and grab a a decorating bulb, a pastry bag, or a zip top bag. I can't recommend those ingenious decorating bulbs enough. They're so much easier to handle than pastry bags for any sort of cookie / pastry decoration!

How to Make Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Okay, let's get started! This recipe is simple to make, and the dough requires no chilling. Who doesn't love that? You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's quick overview of the steps:

1. Toast the nuts. Start by toasting the pecans. Once their toasted, let them cool slightly, then chop them into small pieces. 
2. Make dough. Cream together the butter and browned sugar. Then, mix in the maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour to the butter mixture in two batches, then blend in the chopped nuts. Tip: Avoid overworking the dough, which will make the cookies tough.
3. Shaping the cookies. Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball, then place on a baking sheet. Flatten the balls into a circles about ½-inch thick.
4. Bake. Transfer the cookies to your oven and bake until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool completely on a baking rack before glazing the cookies. Tip: Check the cookies using a thin spatula or lift it gently with a fork.
5. Decorate cookies. The maple glaze is optional, but delicious! To make it, simply mix the maple syrup and powdered sugar together until smooth. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or foil), and top with the baking rack. Then drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Work quick so you don't get shaky lines, and drizzle the glaze right over the cookie's edges (you'll get nicer lines, and the parchment paper will catch the excess). Tip: If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add a few extra drops of maple syrup (stirring well after each). Too thin? Add more powdered sugar.

Don't these finished Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies look delicious? And trust me, they taste even better!

Storage

Once you've added the glaze, let it harden. Then, you can store cookies in an airtight container. I have one of these pie containers, and it works perfectly for cookies, cupcakes, pies, etc.

I like to store these cookies in my refrigerator, which keeps the glaze from melting. After the glaze has chilled, you can even stack these Maple Shortbread Cookies to create more room in your storage container. For more cookies, obviously!

Related Recipes

Looking for more Christmas cookie ideas? Try my yummy Pecan Snowball Cookies, unique Curry Shortbread Cookies, or my all-time favorite Pecan Finger Cookies next! And you'll love these other cookies, too:

• Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies
• Honey Cookies
• Black Bottom Cupcakes (Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes!)
• Poppyseed Kiss Cookies
• Chewy Ginger Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
• Stamped Cookies
• Classic Gingerbread Cookies
• Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies
• Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

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5 from 3 votes

Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Treat yourself to these scrumptious Maple Pecan Cookies ... they're so delicious and couldn't be easier to make!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 27 cookies

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Ginnie Leeming

Ingredients

For Cookies:

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For Glaze (Optional):

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar

Equipment

• Stand Mixer
• Baking Sheet
• Baking Rack
• Decorating Bulb
• Parchment Paper

Instructions

Prepare Cookies:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray.
• Place pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Watching closely, cook until lightly toasted, stirring frequently.
• Transfer pecans to a cutting board and let cool, then chop into small pieces.
• Meanwhile, cream together butter and brown sugar using a stand mixer. Mix in maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.
• Add flour to butter mixture in two batches. Then, add chopped nuts, mixing just until combined.
• Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Place on baking sheet, then flatten (using your fingers) to about ½-inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies about 1-inch apart on pan.
• Bake cookies just until lightly browned on bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies rest baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

Prepare Glaze:

• Once cookies have cooled, mix together maple syrup and powdered sugar until smooth.
• Transfer glaze to a decorating bulb, pastry bag, or a zip top bag (snip the corner off when ready to decorate).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place baking rack (with cookies on it) on top. Drizzle glaze over cookies.
• Let glaze set, then transfer cookies to an airtight container to store. Enjoy!

Notes

Measuring the Flour - To measure flour, lightly spoon it into a dry measuring cup, then use a knife (or something else with a straight edge) to level off the top. Do not scoop the measuring cup into the flour ... you'll end up packing the flour, and the cookies will turn out dry.

Mixing the Cookies - As you mix the cookies, make sure to stop occasionally to scrape down the mixer's bowl and paddle with a spatula.

Baking the Cookies - Unless you have a very large baking sheet, use two pans to bake the cookies, and bake each pan separately to ensure they cook evenly. You'll know the cookies are done when the bottoms are lightly browned (the tops and sides should not be browned). Use a thin spatula or fork to gently lift one cookie to check (cookies are fragile when hot). 

More - Check out info before this recipe card for step by step photos, helpful tips, other cookie recipes, and more!

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal

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