These chewy, crispy Air Fryer Brown Butter Pecan Cookies With Chocolate Chunks are bursting with flavors. The ideal recipe for holiday cookies. And for fans of bourbon (Which I have of course added), a must-try! These cookies could be the tastiest ones I’ve ever got ready or enjoyed! Adding crunchy browned pecans and frying the butter until it was golden and incredibly aromatic to my go-to recipe worked better than I could have ever dreamed. They are highly addicting and bursting with flavor and texture. Get your cookie scoop ready—it’s air-frying time!
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About Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
Browned butter is something I’ve used in baking or air frying previously, but this time I cooked it a little longer than I had before until it reached a dark but not burnt stage. I appreciate how Wood and Spoon describe the various shades of browned butter and how the flavor varies with each. The flavor starts to come through in the dough and even in the finished cooked cookie when you get to the third stage, where the milk solids darken significantly. It gives these chocolate chip pecan cookies a depth I can’t exactly describe, but I hope you try it to find out this amazing flavor yourself! It tastes nutty and caramel-like.
Each bite is tasty, chewy, crispy, and gently bourbon-spiked. And don’t worry—these gorgeous things won’t give you an edge. However, the bourbon does bring out a distinct flavor that truly stands out! Everybody will be interested in the “mysterious ingredient”!
I used the browned butter in its liquefied condition, but you may also let it cool to room temperature before letting it harden in the refrigerator. Then, just like before, cream the browned butter with the sugars. I’ve done it both ways, and I rarely see a difference in how things turn out. These chocolate pecan cookies air fry up with crispy rims and soft, gooey centers, but if you prefer firmer, all-around crispy cookies, you can certainly air fry them longer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup – Pecans roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp – Unsalted butter (For brown butter)
- 200 gms – Unsalted butter
- 2 & 1/2 cups – All purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp – Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp – Baking soda
- 1 tsp – Baking powder
- 1 tsp – Salt
- 1 cup – Dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup – Granulated sugar
- 2 tsp – Vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp – Bourbon whisky
- 2 cups – Dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 2 – Eggs
- 10 – Pecans for decoration
- Flaky sea salt for decoration
Check out the Air Fryer chocolate chip pecan cookies:
How To Make Brown Butter Pecan Cookies Step By Step With Photo:
For the Buttered Pecans:
- Melt butter in a big skillet over medium heat for the buttered pecans.
- Stirring regularly, add the chopped pecans, and heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until gently browned.
- Place aside till required.
For the Brown Butter:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Keep on cooking the butter. occasionally moving the pan around. Here, pay close attention. The butter should start to bubble on top. Additionally, you should hear little popping noises.
- The butter will eventually take on a deep amber hue with small brown flecks at the bottom. Additionally, it will smell slightly nutty. When the butter reaches this point.
- Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a sizable mixing bowl.
For the Air Fryer Brown Butter Bourbon: Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients together until they are well combined. Set the bowl aside.
- Combine melted browned butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugars in a large bowl.
- Now with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for approximately a minute, or until thoroughly blended.
- Continue beating after adding the vanilla and bourbon.
- Continue pounding for 15 seconds after each addition of the eggs, one at a time. OFF the mixer.
- Gently fold in the flour using a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula, stirring only until the flour begins to disappear.
- Use the fold-and-cut method to mix everything nicely.
- Stir in the butter-coated pecans and chocolate bite.
- For four hours, cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
To Air Fry The Cookies:
- Set the air fryer’s temperature to 380°F. Using parchment paper, line two sizable baking sheets. Separate the dough into 3 tablespoon-sized balls using a big cookie scoop.
- Then set the balls on the buttered baking sheets, spacing them apart by about 3 inches to allow for spreading. Slightly press each ball of cookie dough with a buttered pecan.
- In an air fryer that has been prepared, air fry one tray at a time for 20 to 25 minutes Note: (mine is a 32 qt huge air fryer oven; if using a round one, it may take less time maybe 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it) or until golden brown.
- Use a spatula to gently push any edges that may have spread out while air frying. Now take them out carefully after 20 minutes while they are soft Sprinkle additional chocolate and pecan chunks on top of the warm cookies.
- Add sea salt after that. After 20 minutes, carefully move the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling. You can now have some crispy edge and soft moist chewy tasty brown butter pecan cookies.
And let me tell you, every single bite is simply divine. While it’s certainly tough to surpass a classic chocolate chip cookie, these ones certainly give them a run for their money. They would make a fantastic addition to any Derby celebration, as well as any other day of the year. What makes them so irresistible are their crinkly edges, rich notes of bourbon and vanilla, and the pockets of melted chocolate scattered throughout.
Important Suggestion To Keep In Mind
- Note: Note: (mine is a 32 qt huge air fryer oven; if using a round one, it may take less time maybe 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it) or until golden brown
To begin, let me ask if you’re familiar with the process of browning butter. If you are, feel free to skip ahead. If not, I’ll guide you through the steps! Browning butter is actually quite simple. All you’ll need is a skillet or sauté pan, some butter, and a bit of patience. Start by melting the butter over medium heat as you normally would. Then, continue to cook the butter while stirring occasionally until it turns a lovely golden brown color. Keep a close eye on the butter while it browns, as it can quickly burn. Once the butter has reached the desired color, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heatproof bowl, being sure to scrape up any golden bits from the bottom of the pan. And that’s all there is to it! Pretty easy, right?Feel free to use any brand of bourbon you prefer. In our case, we typically use Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey.
Just be sure to finely chop your pecans before toasting them. This will ensure that they are evenly toasted and add the perfect crunch to your recipe.
To give your cookies an extra touch of visual appeal, try pressing a pecan onto the top of each cookie dough before air frying or baking. Additionally, for a delightfully sweet and salty flavor combination, sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the cookies immediately after removing them from the oven.
Lastly, be sure to keep a close eye on your cookies while they air fry and avoid over-air frying them. The ideal air frying time is around 15 to 20 minutes depending on your air fryer type. And they will continue to firm up as they cool. Over-air frying them will result in dry and crumbly cookies, which is not what we’re after. We want these cookies to be perfectly chewy!
Some other air fryer recipes you will like on my blog are – Corn Broccoli Cheese Balls Air Fryer Recipe, Cheesy hash browns recipe- Air Fryer Hash Browns, Stuffed Air fryer onion rings recipe, Salmon Healthy Recipes – Air Fryer Salmon & Veggies.Note: A rough estimate of nutrition is provided.
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Have you tried this “Recipe”? Please feed us with your ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star ratings and comments below.Recipe Card
PrintAir Fryer Brown Butter Pecan Cookies With Chocolate Chunks
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 14 cookies 1x
Description
These chewy, crispy Air Fryer Brown Butter Pecan Cookies With Chocolate Chunks are bursting with flavors. The ideal recipe for holiday cookies. And for fans of bourbon (Which I have of course added), a must-try!
Ingredients
Scale- 1 cup – Pecans roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp – Unsalted butter (For brown butter)
- 200 gms – Unsalted butter
- 2 & 1/2 cups – All purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp – Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp – Baking soda
- 1 tsp – Baking powder
- 1 tsp – Salt
- 1 cup – Dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup – Granulated sugar
- 2 tsp – Vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp – Bourbon whisky
- 2 cups – Dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 2 – Eggs
- 10 – Pecans for decoration
- Flaky sea salt for decoration
Instructions
For the Buttered Pecans:
- Melt butter in a big skillet over medium heat for the buttered pecans.
- Stirring regularly, add the chopped pecans, and heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until gently browned.
- Place aside till required.
For the Brown Butter:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Keep on cooking the butter. occasionally moving the pan around. Here, pay close attention. The butter should start to bubble on top. Additionally, you should hear little popping noises.
- The butter will eventually take on a deep amber hue with small brown flecks at the bottom. Additionally, it will smell slightly nutty. When the butter reaches this point.
- Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a sizable mixing bowl.
For the Air Fryer Brown Butter Bourbon: Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients together until they are well combined. Set the bowl aside.
- Combine melted browned butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugars in a large bowl.
- Now with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for approximately a minute, or until thoroughly blended.
- Continue beating after adding the vanilla and bourbon.
- Continue pounding for 15 seconds after each addition of the eggs, one at a time. Turn OFF the mixer.
- Gently fold in the flour using a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula, stirring only until the flour begins to disappear.
- Use the fold-and-cut method to mix everything nicely.
- Stir in the butter-coated pecans and chocolate bite.
- For four hours, cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
To Air Fry The Cookies:
- Set the air fryer’s temperature to 350°F. Using parchment paper, line two sizable baking sheets. Separate the dough into 3 tablespoon-sized balls using a big cookie scoop.
- Then set the balls on the buttered baking sheets, spacing them apart by about 3 inches to allow for spreading. Slightly press each ball of cookie dough with a buttered pecan.
- In an air fryer that has been prepared, air fry one tray at a time for 20 to 25 minutes Note: (mine is a 32 qt huge air fryer oven; if using a round one, it may take less time maybe 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it) or until golden brown.
- Use a spatula to gently push any edges that may have spread out while air frying. Now take them out carefully after 20 minutes while they are soft Sprinkle additional chocolate and pecan chunks on top of the warm cookies.
- Add sea salt after that. After 20 minutes, carefully move the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling. You can now have some crispy edge and soft moist chewy tasty brown butter pecan cookies.
Notes
- Note: Note: (mine is a 32 qt huge air fryer oven; if using a round one, it may take less time maybe 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it) or until golden brown
- To begin, let me ask if you’re familiar with the process of browning butter. If you are, feel free to skip ahead. If not, I’ll guide you through the steps! Browning butter is actually quite simple. All you’ll need is a skillet or sauté pan, some butter, and a bit of patience. Start by melting the butter over medium heat as you normally would. Then, continue to cook the butter while stirring occasionally until it turns a lovely golden brown color. Keep a close eye on the butter while it browns, as it can quickly burn. Once the butter has reached the desired color, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heatproof bowl, being sure to scrape up any golden bits from the bottom of the pan. And that’s all there is to it! Pretty easy, right?
- Feel free to use any brand of bourbon you prefer. In our case, we typically use Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey.
- Just be sure to finely chop your pecans before toasting them. This will ensure that they are evenly toasted and add the perfect crunch to your recipe.
- To give your cookies an extra touch of visual appeal, try pressing a pecan onto the top of each cookie dough before air frying or baking. Additionally, for a delightfully sweet and salty flavor combination, sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the cookies immediately after removing them from the air fryer oven.
- Lastly, be sure to keep a close eye on your cookies while they air fry and avoid over-air frying them. The ideal air frying time is around 15 to 20 minutes depending on your air fryer type. And they will continue to firm up as they cool. Over-air frying them will result in dry and crumbly cookies, which is not what we’re after. We want these cookies to be perfectly chewy!
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- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Resting Time - 3 hours:
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Air-fry
- Cuisine: Cookies
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12 cookies
Note: A rough estimate of nutrition is provided.
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