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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cookies » Pecan Sandies

    Pecan Sandies

    Published: October 10, 2020 · Modified: Nov 5, 2020 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    These easy pecan sandies are a crisp and buttery treat chock full of crunchy delicious pecans that only takes a few minutes to make. Perfect for your next cookie platter or dunking into a glass of milk!

    A stack of pecan sandies on a plate next to a glass of milk.
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    pecan sandies stacked on a blue and white plate
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    pecan sandies stacked on a christmas themed plate
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    pecan sandies stacked on a plate
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    pecan sandies stacked on a floral plate with a glass of milk
    pecan sandies stacked on a blue and white plate
    pecan sandies stacked on a blue and white plate
    pecan sandies stacked on a white plate
    pecan sandies stacked on a white plate
    pecan sandies stacked on a floral plate
    A group of pecan sandies on a platter.

    If you didn’t know, pecan sandies are crisp shortbread cookies full of toasted pecans that melt in your mouth with the most satisfying crunch. It’s a very easy recipe with dough you can freeze months ahead for on demand cookies later!

    What You’ll Need for This Recipe

    Ingredients to make pecan sandies on a marble counter.

    Pecans: You can use pre-chopped pecans which tend to be a bit less expensive and save you a step as well.

    Unsalted butter: If you’d like to use salted butter then eliminate the added salt.

    How to Make Pecan Sandies

    Butter and sugar getting creamed in a stand mixer before flour and pecans are added.

    1. Cut your cold butter into small pieces and add them to the bowl of your mixer along with the salt and both sugars. Beat on medium speed until worked into a paste. Scrape the bowl down once before beating in the vanilla.

    2. Add the flour and mix on low until almost combined then add the toasted pecans and mix on low until distributed. Finish the dough off by hand with a spatula, making sure to fold in any pockets of unmixed flour or butter.

    Pecan sandies dough getting rolled into a log then cut into coins after chilling.

    3. Roll the dough into a log then wrap in plastic or parchment paper and chill for at least an hour. You can roll two thin logs for smaller cookies or one larger log if desired.

    4. Preheat oven to 350F then cut the dough into coins anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, thinner cookies will bake faster and be more crisp. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet.

    Four pecan sandies next to a glass of milk.

    Pro Tips for this Recipe

    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • Save your paper towel cores! An easy way to get nice round cookies is to cut a cardboard roll down the middle lengthwise and place your cookie dough log inside while it chills.
    • From my recipe development I have to say parchment paper works better than silicone mats for lining the baking sheet when baking this particular cookie.
    • If your cookies get a little droopy in the oven then use a round cookie cutter to corral them back into shape with small circular motions just after coming out of the oven.

    A porcelain serving dish with pecan sandies on top.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are they called Pecan Sandies?

    They’re called sandies because of their crumbly shortbread texture and of course because they are full of pecans.

    Can I make them with all powdered sugar?

    You can definitely use one full cup of powdered sugar to make these cookies and omit the granulated sugar if desired

    What flavors can I add?

    Any of your favorite spices will go well in this cookie. Try, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, or cloves. You can also sub the vanilla out for bourbon or rum for an extra kick.

    How long do they keep for?

    Your sandies will last for a week if kept in an airtight container. You can freeze the dough or baked cookies for up to 3 months.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

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    If you’ve tried this Pecan Sandies recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! 

    Pecan sandies arranged on a porcelain platter.
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    5 from 81 votes

    Pecan Sandies

    These melt in your mouth pecan sandies are chock full of crunchy toasted pecans.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 12 minutes minutes
    Chill Time 1 hour hour
    Total Time 1 hour hour 27 minutes minutes
    Servings 24 cookies
    Calories 165kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Equipment

    • Mixer
    • Baking Sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup butter unsalted, cold, 226g
    • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 70g, plus more for dusting
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract 5mL
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 3 tbsp, 267g
    • 1 cup chopped pecans
    • 1 tbsp water optional

    Instructions

    • Chop pecans and place on a baking sheet. Then bake at 350F for about 6 minutes or until fragrant. Move them around after 3 minutes to ensure an even toasting. Set aside to cool.
    • Cut the cool butter into small pieces and transfer to your stand mixer then add the salt, powdered and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until creamed into a paste, scraping the bowl down as needed.
    • Mix in the vanilla then add the flour and beat on low until almost combined then add the nuts and mix on low until incorporated. Use your spatula to scrape the bowl down and finish mixing any stray bits of flour and butter. If your dough looks very crumby you can drizzle in a tablespoon of water at this point to help it come together.
    • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a log. Depending on the cookie size you want you can roll two narrow logs or one larger log. Wrap in parchment paper or plastic and chill for at least an hour.
    • Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper then slice coins between 1/2 and 1/4 inch thick. Place on coins on baking sheet about two inches apart and bake for 12 minutes or until slightly golden on the edge, rotating pan halfway through bake. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet then enjoy!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!
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    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

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