Pecan Praline Cookies ~ these irresistible chewy brown sugar cookies are topped with a layer of caramel pecan praline ~ you won’t be able to keep your hands off them!
Praline is a confection made with caramelized sugar, nuts, and cream. The French invented it, but the American South took it and ran with it ~ you can make it into a candy, a glaze, or a soft, fudgy frosting, and it’s heavenly.
The hot caramel praline topping spreads like lava over the surface of this cookie…it may slide off the side a bit, but will firm up as it cools. It’s delicious. You may or may not want to take a big spoon to the pan after you’ve finished frosting your cookies. I use a similar method to frost my PUMPKIN PRALINE CAKE ~ I pour the praline hot from the pan right onto the cake and firms up to a luscious caramel topping as it cools…it’s irresistible. In the summer I make a BROWN SUGAR PEACH CAKE frosted the same way.
This recipe is easy and straightforward, there’s no chilling of the dough, all you do is scoop and bake. The brown sugar insures that they spread nicely.
My 3 secrets to perfect cookies~
- I use a cookie scoop (1 1/2 inch for this recipe) to insure that the cookies are the same size.
- I also use a heavy duty USA baking sheet for all my cookie recipes, the pan bakes evenly and never warps.
- I keep an inexpensive oven thermometer in my oven at all times so I know exactly what the temperature is.
These three tools go a long way toward eliminating baking fails during the busy holiday season.
If you’ve never made praline before, don’t be intimidated. This frosting is very forgiving, you can make it thicker or thinner, as you like. If it starts to harden up before you’re finished with it, just heat it up again. Eventually it will dry so you can stack the cookies for easy gifting or storing.
TIP: These pecan praline cookies are really good all on their own, even without the frosting. The brown sugar gives them great flavor and keeps them nice and chewy. They might just become my go-to sugar cookie.
Pecan praline cookies provide a delicious change from oatmeal or chocolate chip recipes, and the rich caramel flavor is distinctive. They are sturdy enough to pack and ship, and stay nice and chewy for days. Add them to your holiday assortment this year!
*recipe adapted from Paula Deen’s Fall Baking
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar (you can use light brown)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Line a heavy duty baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Toss the flour, soda, and salt together to blend well, and then add to the butter mixture, beating just until the dough comes together and everything is well incorporated.
- Use a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop to scoop out the dough onto the baking sheet. Space the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes (mine took exactly 11 minutes.) Cool the cookies for a few minutes on the pan so they can set, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- To make the frosting put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Break up any lumps in the brown sugar while you stir. Once it comes to a boil, boil for 2 minutes (set the timer.)
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioner's sugar until smooth.
- Let the praline cool a little bit so it thickens up, and then spread onto the cookies. Note: if your praline is very thin, beat in more sifted confectioner's sugar.
- Top right away with the chopped nuts. The praline will harden as it cools.
Make it your own ~
- Use the hot praline mixture as a topping for ice cream.
Don’t forget to pin these pecan praline cookies!
24 Comments
Melanthia
August 8, 2019 at 5:25 pmHoly God on high these were phenomenal!! Thank you!! I only had light brown sugar so they were a bit lighter and am anxious to use the dark sugar next time! And there will be MANY NEXT TIMES! I also toasted the pecans on the stove in a dry pan.
Sue
August 9, 2019 at 9:32 amYay! These will be perfect for the holidays, too.
M B C
December 22, 2017 at 3:20 pmThese cookies almost started a (funny) family WW3! My cousin made them for Thanksgiving: they were a HIT. My aunt G wrapped up the last one to take home, & later that night blamed my uncle K for eating it because she couldn’t find it. He swore he didn’t!!! He called the family to see if they left it, nobody saw it left behind! My Aunt G REALLY didn’t believe him at that point and she was MAD. Come to find out, Aunt G had accidentally dropped it in the driveway when leaving. Aunt D found it, didn’t tell anybody, took it home & shared it with Uncle D. Uncle K said he was driving over there to get that cookie, they laughed & said TOO LATE!! Needless to say, everybody got MORE at Christmas! ? They will now b a family tradition I’m sure!!!
Sue
December 22, 2017 at 4:13 pmThanks for the laugh, MBC ~ I can’t stop chuckling! It sounds like you’ve got a fun family ~ Merry Christmas :)
Rhonda
August 26, 2018 at 10:46 amGreat story!
Kristeen
November 17, 2017 at 8:12 pmSue, thanks for the recipe! I had concerns when the didn’t come together as most other cookie dough, but when I scooped them they held together like a charm. They didn’t spread as thin as in your photos (which are mouthwatering, btw) but they were beautiful. They tasted amazing every step along the way! Going into a sugar coma now, but these will definitely see the annual cookie exchange!
Lisa
November 9, 2017 at 4:18 pmNot sure what I did wrong, but my dough never came together after adding the flour. I’m going to smoosh it together and bake them anyway and see what happens!
Anne jo
November 7, 2017 at 6:16 amHello nice recipe . Can the dough be rolled and then cut into small pieces ?
Laura | Tutti Dolci
November 4, 2017 at 11:23 pmIt doesn’t get much better than pecan praline – love these cookies!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
November 4, 2017 at 11:30 amI love pralines and your cookies sounds decadently delicious. I’m pinning!
Sue
November 4, 2017 at 12:19 pmThanks Karen <3
Alene
November 3, 2017 at 6:40 pmThese look divine! I need to make it gluten free, however, and will mess around with other flours to see if I can. Anything with pecans says my name! If I’m desperate, I can always make that yummy caramel sauce and make believe I have the cookie underneath. Thank you for all your delicious looking recipes!
Sue
November 4, 2017 at 9:24 amYou’re so welcome Alene. I think you should be able to use a good gluten free baking mix with this recipe, and remember that you can put the praline topping on any cookie, even a gluten free store bought one!
Robyn Gleason
November 3, 2017 at 1:16 pmI’m such a big fan of caramel and now you have created the perfect cookie, Sue! Oh my gosh, I need this yumminess in my life!
Sue
November 3, 2017 at 3:04 pmWish I could send you a dozen Robyn, but I ate them all ;)
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
November 3, 2017 at 11:01 amPerfect fall goodness!
Abbe@This is How I Cook
November 3, 2017 at 9:45 amThese look divine! And with a husband whose mother was born outside of New Orleans, these are a must make!
Sue
November 3, 2017 at 10:48 amI hope these meet with their expert approval :)
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
November 3, 2017 at 8:02 amGoodness these look fantastic. That caramel – oh yes please! I love the cracks in the cookies too :)
Sue
November 3, 2017 at 9:26 amI really can’t resist caramel in any form, Tricia ;)
Angie@Angie's Recipes
November 3, 2017 at 4:53 amThe cookie alone is already heavenly, and then that praline topping with extra pecans…my my my … absolutely irresistible, Sue.
Sue
November 3, 2017 at 7:29 amThanks Angie, I’m glad I tasted one before I added the frosting, otherwise I never would never have guessed they were so good all by themselves. Have a nice weekend :)
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
November 3, 2017 at 4:38 amThese are just cookie perfection! Loving that puddle of caramel :)
Sue
November 3, 2017 at 7:30 amThanks Jennifer! I can feel the cookie madness starting here at tvfgi, and it’s only November 3rd!!