Salted Caramel Pecan Cookies with Flaky Sea Salt

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 24 cookies
• Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling)
• Cook Time: 10–12 minutes per batch
• Total Time: About 1 hour 5 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (140 g) toasted pecans, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups (225 g) soft caramel bits or chopped soft caramels
• Flaky sea salt, for topping
• Optional drizzle: 15 soft caramels + 2 tbsp heavy cream

Do This

• 1) Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Toast pecans 6–8 minutes until fragrant, then cool and chop. Line baking sheets with parchment.
• 2) Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt in a bowl.
• 3) Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
• 4) Mix dry ingredients into wet just until combined. Fold in pecans and caramel bits. Chill dough 30 minutes.
• 5) Scoop 2-tbsp mounds (about 1 1/2 inch balls) onto sheets, spacing well.
• 6) Bake 10–12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers still soft. Immediately sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt; cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
• 7) For optional drizzle, melt caramels with cream until smooth; drizzle over cooled cookies and let set.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Buttery, soft-centered cookies with crisp, golden edges and pools of gooey caramel.
• Toasted pecans add a deep, nutty crunch that balances the rich sweetness.
• A pinch of flaky sea salt on top makes every bite taste like fancy bakery salted caramel.
• Dough chills well and bakes straight from the fridge or freezer, perfect for make-ahead treats.

Grocery List

• Produce: None
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, eggs, heavy cream (for optional drizzle)
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine sea salt, flaky sea salt, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, pecans, soft caramel bits or soft caramels

Full Ingredients

For the cookies

• 2 1/4 cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (140 g) pecan halves or pieces, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1 1/4 cups (225 g) soft caramel baking bits or soft caramels, chopped into small pieces (about pea-sized)

To finish

• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling on top

Optional caramel drizzle

• 15 soft caramels, unwrapped
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the pans

Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Parchment helps prevent the caramel from sticking and burning on the pan, and makes cleanup much easier.

If your butter and eggs are not yet at room temperature, set them out now so they can gently warm while you prepare the other ingredients. Room-temperature butter and eggs help the dough mix smoothly and give you a better cookie texture.

Step 2: Toast and chop the pecans

Spread the pecans in a single layer on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Toast in the preheated oven for 6–8 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they smell nutty and are a shade darker. Keep a close eye on them; nuts can go from toasted to burnt quickly.

Remove the pecans from the oven and let them cool completely. Once cool, roughly chop them into small pieces. You want a mix of smaller bits for even distribution and a few larger chunks for those satisfying crunchy bites.

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until everything is evenly combined. This step helps distribute the leavening and salt so there are no pockets of either in the finished cookies.

Set the bowl aside; you will add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in a moment.

Step 4: Cream the butter and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, add the softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture looks light, creamy, and slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract. The mixture should look smooth and slightly thick; if it appears curdled, keep mixing on medium until it comes back together.

Step 5: Combine the dough, then fold in pecans and caramel

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix; stop as soon as there are no dry streaks left. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.

Sprinkle the chopped toasted pecans and caramel bits (or chopped soft caramels) over the dough. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold them in by hand, ensuring they are evenly distributed. If the caramel pieces are sticky, you can lightly dust them with a teaspoon of flour before adding, to help keep them from clumping.

Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps control spreading in the oven and gives you thicker, chewier cookies with gooey centers.

Step 6: Scoop and bake the cookies

After chilling, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart to allow for spreading. If any caramel pieces are sitting directly on the bottom edge of the dough ball, nudge them up to the top or sides to reduce burning.

Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes, or until the cookies have set edges and are golden brown around the outside, but still slightly soft and pale in the centers. The centers may look just a bit underdone; they will continue to cook and set as they cool on the hot pan.

Step 7: Add flaky salt, cool, and optionally drizzle with caramel

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle each one lightly with flaky sea salt. A pinch per cookie is plenty; you want the salt to brighten the flavors, not overpower them.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The caramel will be very hot at first, so give it time to firm up slightly before moving the cookies.

For the optional caramel drizzle, combine the soft caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt them together in a microwave-safe bowl in 20–30 second bursts, stirring in between. Let the mixture cool for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened, then use a spoon to drizzle over the cooled cookies. Allow the drizzle to set before serving or storing.

Pro Tips

• Measure flour carefully. For the best texture, spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Too much flour makes the cookies dry and cakey.
• Do not skip the chill. Even a 30-minute chill makes a big difference. Chilling firms up the butter so the cookies spread less and stay thick and chewy.
• Protect the caramel. Try to keep caramel pieces away from the very edges and bottom of the dough balls. Exposed caramel on the pan can burn; tucked inside, it melts into delicious gooey pockets.
• Rotate the pan. For the most even baking, rotate your baking sheet front-to-back halfway through the baking time, especially if your oven has hot spots.
• Salt thoughtfully. Use a light hand with the flaky sea salt. Taste one cookie, then adjust how much you sprinkle on the rest to match your preference.

Variations

• Chocolate chunk salted caramel pecan cookies: Fold in 1/2–3/4 cup (85–130 g) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chunks along with the pecans and caramel. The bittersweet chocolate pairs beautifully with the caramel and sea salt.
• Brown butter version: Brown the butter in a saucepan until golden and nutty, then cool until just slightly warm before creaming with the sugars. This adds a deep, toasty flavor that echoes the pecans.
• Mini cookies: Scoop 1-tablespoon portions for bite-sized treats. Bake 8–9 minutes, watching closely, for small but still chewy cookies—perfect for parties or cookie trays.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For the best texture, place a small piece of parchment between layers to keep the caramel from sticking. You can briefly warm cookies in a low oven (300°F / 150°C for 3–5 minutes) to bring back their fresh-baked softness and reactivate the gooey caramel.

To make ahead, scoop the dough into balls after chilling, place them on a parchment-lined tray, and freeze until firm. Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C), adding 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt right after baking, as directed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values per cookie (1 of 24, without optional caramel drizzle): about 220 calories, 13 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 16 g sugars, 3 g protein, and 150 mg sodium. These numbers are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredient brands and portion sizes.