These Flourless Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies are gluten free, dairy free, and absolutely amazing. I replaced the flour and butter of a traditional cookie with creamy pecan butter, and you won’t believe the results!
Once I discovered the rich flavor and perfect texture of gluten free nut butter based flourless cookies, I’ve never looked back. These flourless pecan chocolate chip cookies beat regular cookies on so many levels ~ not only is the flavor richer, thanks to the nut butter, but they are moist and chewy, and stay that way for days. They’re full of protein, and take no time at all to make and bake. I only wish I had these recipes when my girls were little, I would have felt a whole lot better about giving them cookies!
cookies with benefits!
If you’re going to have a cookie, it just makes sense to have one that’s going to give you an energy boost and some nutrients while you’re at it. Pecans are the most anti-oxidant rich of all the nuts and The American Heart Association certifies them as heart healthy. While you can find all kinds of nut butters in stores these days, it’s super simple to make your own, as long as you have a food processor or high speed blender. Even the mini processors will do the job.
to roast your nuts, or not?
Nuts that are organic and raw are the healthiest, and if you make your own pecan butter you can control the ingredients. There’s some evidence that roasting reduces the nutrients in nuts, but the flavor payoff is huge, so I roast.
what do flourless pecan chocolate chip cookies taste like?
The pecan flavor is so subtle that unless you’re told, you might not notice it’s there. The nuts just give the cookies an extra richness.
As for the texture, I bake these cookies just enough to set them, but no more ~ they’ll look slightly under-done as they come out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool down. I used a dark brown sugar in this recipe which gives them an extra soft and chewy texture, and combines with the richness of the nut butter and the dark chocolate really nicely.
Check out my collection of nut butter based flourless cookie recipes for more inspiration. I’m working my way through all the nut varieties and I’ll eventually have a complete set of recipes that covers the whole nut kingdom…Bwahahahah!
Flourless Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan butter, or about 3 cups raw pecans
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, use light or dark, I used dark
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- If you are making your own pecan butter, you have the option of using raw pecans, or toasting them to deepen their flavor first. To toast, spread out on a dry cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, giving the pan a shake once halfway through.
- Put the pecans in a food processor or high power blender and blend until you get a smooth butter. This will require scraping down the sides of the processor to make sure all the nuts get processed. The mixture will go through a dry grainy stage, then will gradually become finer and moister as the nuts release their oils, and finally will transform into a smooth butter. Note: If you make your own pecan butter and the nuts seem very dry as you are processing, you can add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to help it come together.
- Measure out 1 cup of pecan butter into a mixing bowl with the egg, sugar, and baking soda. Mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop out tablespoon sized balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. I use my 1 3/4 inch cookie scoop for this. I like to add a few extra chocolate chips to the surface of the cookie dough before baking. Push them into the dough gently.
- Bake for 8 minutes or just until set. The cookies will look under done, but will firm up as they cool. Be sure your oven is at the correct temperature before you bake. I keep an oven thermometer in my oven at all times so I can be sure.
- Cool the cookies on a rack.
Can you freeze nut based dough?
I think these cookies can be frozen baked or not Peggy.
Help!!! I’ve made the pecan butter twice and both times it was so dry I had to add 2 tsp of oil and then it was too much!!! What do you do when it is too runny? Add more pecans? I had to
use other peanut butter. The cookies are fantastic I love them…but I would like to use my own
nut butter. Guess I’ll have to buy it…..
I am a super great fan of all your recipes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Debbie! I suppose you could add more pecans if you accidentally add too much oil. Nuts vary and some are pretty dry, especially pecans. I would suggest adding just a bit of oil and continuing to process to see if it will come together before adding more oil. It’s super hard to find pecan butter, so hopefully it will work next time for you!
After reading all the reviews here I wonder if the folks who wound up with dry nut butter didn’t process them enough…not sure but when I make nut butter, especially pecan, it is very loose and oily and delicious. Also, refrigerate the dough for a while to stiffen up the dough. I never bake any cookie (flourless or regular) without refrigerating my dough first. Just my 2 cents!
Thanks Susan. Another thing is that you really need to toast pecans before processing, otherwise they won’t break down into butter very well.
These cookies look very addictive
The cookies look perfect, I would not have guessed that there is no flour inside.
Wow we haven’t made flourless cookies in a long time. Pecan butter sounds wonderful and bet they taste amazing. Thanks for the reminder.
How perfectly delicious are these, Sue?! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such mouth-watering photos of cookies!! Love the ingredients and I’m imaging the resulting flavors. You are so creative!
It’s very funny that I was looking for a quiche recipe when I came across your website and got totally sidetracked by the picture and recipe of your Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies! They look so delicious and the recipe is so easy- especially if using ready made nut butters! Would doubling the recipe cause any changes? Wouldn’t think so, but wanted to check- may as well make 3 dozen instead of 1 1/2! Your quiche recipe looks amazing also!
Hi Phyllis, go ahead and double the recipe, I’m so glad you found me!
I woke up craving a freshly baked cookie (or 2!) and these look just perfect!
Hi Sue. This is one of the best cookies I’ve had!!! I made the pecan butter, didn’t have to add any oil. They are so good!!! Thank you!!
Wow, thanks Gabriela ~ you’ll have to try my other nut butter cookies since this one turned out so well for you!
I will definitely try more of your recipes! I turned this into a toffee chocolate chip blonde style bar and my husband is obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
🙂 I’m so glad, Garbriela! I never thought of trying these nut butter cookies as blondies, you’ve got me curious…
I recently tried pecan butter and I LOVE it! I’ll have to say, it’s even better than my beloved peanut butter! I’m sure these cookies taste outrageously delicious!
It’s funny, isn’t it, how peanut butter is the only nut butter that anybody ever thinks about, but I agree, the other nuts have so much more flavor. Come to think of it, peanuts aren’t even real nuts, maybe that’s why!
What a great cookie! Love the idea of using pecan butter. The flavour must be absolutely fabulous 🙂