Candied Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies with a secret ingredient…. Maple syrup! And the addition of candied maple pecans. These cookies salty, sweet, have a nice maple undertone and of course, packed full of chocolate chips!
You guys…. It’s officially the first day of Spring (or fall if you are in the Northern Hemisphere) and it’s freezing! As I write this I am sitting by the fire wondering if Spring is coming at all. Nevertheless, these candied pecan chocolate chip cookies are on standby ready to cheer me up as soon as I hit the publish button on this blog post.
As I was brainstorming for this recipe, I came across a recipe for candied pecans and I knew I just had to try it! I had heard of ‘candied’ nuts but I have never tried or experienced them for myself. So I got to experimenting….
Seriously guys and gals….
If you haven’t tried candied pecans, you NEED to! Stat! I candied mine with coconut oil, salt, a touch of vanilla essence and maple syrup so these are maple candied pecans and oh my! OH MY! You get the sweet maple flavour mixed with a slight saltiness and the crunch of the pecan. Maple candied pecans, YOU are amazing.
If you’re thinking “why ruin a perfectly good chocolate chip cookie with the addition of nuts”, let me put your mind at ease. Believe me, I’m the most reluctant person to add nuts to cookies or brownies as I feel they often ‘ruin’ or detract from the perfectly good chocolate chip cookie or brownie. However, I know some people like the addition of nuts to their baked goods so I thought why not appeal to those who love nuts but also to those who – like me – feel they detract from said baked good. Enter the candied maple pecans. They are unique and trust me nut and non nut fans alike, you will love these cookies!
Since these are maple candied pecans in this recipe, I decided I wanted to add maple syrup to the chocolate chip cookies to really enhance the maple flavour and add a little je ne sais quoi to the overall cookie experience. I decided to use Samantha Merritt’s WORST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe over at Sugar Spun Run as a base start for these cookies as they use the addition of maple syrup. I have adapted the recipe to use more maple syrup and have made a few other adjustments to the recipe to create these Candied Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
The cookies are chewy, soft and thick. They’re bursting with chocolate chips and candied maple pecans. These are sweet with a touch of saltiness (you could add extra sea salt on top for more of a salty sweet flavour) and really I can’t get enough of these cookies!
The beauty of these cookies is they sound fancy and hard to make (I mean, candid pecans?!) but they really aren’t. To candy pecans all you have to do is add all the ingredients to a fry pan and fry for five to ten minutes and then allow them to cool completely. That’s it! Really so simple.
The cookie dough is a one bowl recipe and the key to really thick and chewy cookies is to let these chill for at LEAST 30 minutes. That way they don’t spread too much and become flat and hard.
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- 1/2 Cup Pecans, Chopped
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 110 g Butter, Melted (1/2 Cup)
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp. Cornflour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 and 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup Candied Pecans
- First candy the pecans.
- Chop the pecans into small pieces.
Place a fry pan on a medium to high heat and place the coconut oil, salt, maple syrup, vanilla extract and pecans into the fry pan and fry for five minutes. Stir constantly so the pecans don't burn.
- Pour onto non stick paper and spread out to allow them to cool completely.
- Now make the chocolate chip cookies.
- Melt the butter and in a bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar together.
Add in the maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract and mix together.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cornflour.
- Finally mix in the chocolate chips and candied pecans and place the mixture in teh fridge for at least 30 minutes. I waited around 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Roll the chilled dough into balls and place on the tray.
- Bake for around 10-12 minutes. The cookies will have spread slightly, the top will have a very slightly golden look to it and they will be soft to the touch.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before devouring!
Dayna Bain says
These look great! I found Samantha Merritt’s recipe about a month ago and loved the addition of maple syrup. No one could tell what exactly was different and everyone loved them. I make caramelized pecans all the time and love them in chocolate chip cookies) especially with 1 cup of toffee bits!!) but, I have never used them with the maple syrup addition. Can’t wait to try these! Thanks ????
Emma says
Thanks so much! I agree, maple syrup makes such a different and works perfectly with the candied pecans. I hope you enjoy them!