Delicious Pecan Sandies with a buttery shortbread cookie taste everyone loves and chopped pecans throughout. They are quick to make and you can roll them in powdered sugar to make Mexican Wedding Cookies or Snowball Cookies.
Why I love these cookies:
- Unique – They’re fun and different from the chocolate chip or sugar cookies people often bring to gatherings. They’re called Pecan Sandies because of their fine, sand-like texture that’s similar to a sweet and buttery shortbread cookie, with bits of chopped pecan throughout.
- Pantry Ingredients – You likely already have everything on hand to make these homemade pecan sandies cookies.
- Freezer Friendly – These are the perfect cookies to make ahead or freeze the dough, to ensure a fresh cookie is just moments away at all times.
Ingredients Needed:
How to make Pecan Sandies:
- Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour, salt, and pecans and stir to combine. Chill for 20 minutes
- Roll into 1 ½ inch balls. Get a glass cup and wet the bottom of it slightly. Gently press the cookies using the bottom of the glass.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Press a whole pecan on top while cookies are warm, if desired.
Recipe Variations:
- Nuts: Feel free to swap out the pecans for walnuts, hazelnuts, or your favorite type of nut.
- Snowball Cookies or Mexican Wedding Cookies: Roll cookie into dough balls (don’t flatten). Bake, then once cool enough to handle, roll each in powdered sugar.
- Flat Cookies: If you like your Pecan Sandies flatter, skip the chilling step!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make the dough and chill in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: These homemade pecan sandies may be frozen baked, but my favorite way to freeze Pecan Sandies is to scoop the dough balls and place onto a baking sheet as close together as you can but make sure they don’t touch. Freeze for about 30 minutes and transfer to freezer bags. Let thaw and bake as directed.
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Recipe
Pecan Sandies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2-2 cup pecans , corsely chopped
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Add vanilla and mix. Add flour, salt, and pecans and stir to combine.
- Chill for 20 minutes. Roll into 1 ½ inch balls. Get a glass cup and wet the bottom of it slightly. Gently press the cookies using the bottom of the glass.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can you toast the pecans (4 minutes in 350 degree preheated oven), let cool, and then use them in this recipe ? I toast pecans when I use them for Linzer Cookies or Tarts. Toasting makes the dough sweeter with a much nuttier intensity !
OMG – these taste so good and take so little time or skill to make. I used whole pecans and chopped right before mixing and I think that really helps the final product. Love it.
These cookies are wonderful. For those commenters with crumbling issues my suggestion is: after creaming & adding vanilla, add flour & salt, then use mixer to blend them until well incorporated; eg clumping. Then mix in nuts & chill. Works every time.
these are great and so easy to make
these are great
I’ve made these now 4 times they are amazing! I’m making them again today. They are dangerously delicious and soo easy! People who are saying they fall apart probability aren’t used to crumble cookies? You just have to hold them in your hands a bit and wait for the butter to soften until they just stay together. If they are melting all over you’re using too much butter or something. I am usually the worst at baking and these are so simple and easy!
Followed recipe exactly, chilled it, and during baking it turned into a good, melted mess. Will not try this recipe again.
I made these with gluten free flour and they were delicious!! My husband couldn’t stop eating them.
I agree with Michelle! Sandies turned out perfectly. This will be a “go to” cookie recipe for me from now on.
These turned out perfectly. Delicious! Thank you
Too much butter not enough flour.
I will never use this recipe again
It would not hold together. Very frustrating to work with
Flavor was mild.
I too had a difficult time keeping them from totally crumbling apart while smashing. I decided to try making the dough balls in a sheet of plastic wrap, twisting it tight, and flattening them while tightly wrapped. It worked like magic, now I’m eating my beautiful and delicious Pecan Sandies!