Description
Rich chocolate chunk pecan pudding cookies blend Southern comfort with irresistible sweetness, delivering a delightful dessert experience. Warm, gooey centers and crisp edges promise pure indulgence that will draw you back for another delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (3.4 ounces / 96 g) package instant vanilla pudding mix
Sugar and Fat Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Mix-in and Flavor Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (175 g) chocolate chunks (dark, milk, or semi-sweet)
- ¾ cup (90 g) chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- Prepare baking environment by heating the oven to 350F (175C) and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, whisking thoroughly to ensure even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter with brown and granulated sugars until the mixture becomes airy and pale, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Incorporate instant pudding mix into the butter mixture, blending until fully integrated. Introduce eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then fold in vanilla extract.
- Gradually introduce dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined to prevent overmixing.
- Gently fold chocolate chunks and chopped pecans into the cookie dough, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture.
- Portion dough using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, creating rounded balls placed approximately 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, watching for lightly golden edges while maintaining soft centers, which ensures a delectable chewy texture.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, enabling them to set properly.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for smoother blending and better cookie texture.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading and create thicker cookies.
- Swap pecans with other nuts like walnuts or almonds for variety, or omit for nut-free option.
- For gluten-sensitive diets, replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend to maintain similar consistency.
- Toast pecans before adding to enhance their nutty flavor and add extra depth to the cookies.
- Experiment with different chocolate types like dark, milk, or white chocolate chunks for unique flavor profiles.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for convenient future baking, storing up to 3 months in sealed freezer bags.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 125 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg