Coconut Pecan Cookies With Brown Butter

I'd like to introduce you to my new favorite cookie: brown butter coconut pecan cookies! These cookies are perfectly chewy with slightly crisp edges and a balanced combination of coconut and pecan. I've baked them chilled and unchilled and they're perfect either way — we love a stable cookie.

If you love German chocolate cake or its coconut pecan filling, you're in for a treat: these cookies taste exactly like that filling. They'd pair perfectly with my sourdough malted chai chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin banana bread muffins. And if you want a variety of yummy cookies, I'd also recommend my chocolate-stuffed double-chocolate cookies — one of my all-time favorites.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Tastes like German chocolate cake filling: All that toasty coconut-pecan flavor in a chewy cookie.
• Deep brown butter flavor: Browning the butter makes these taste far more complex than the short ingredient list suggests, just like my brown butter sugar cookies and brown butter chocolate chipless cookies.
• Chewy with crisp edges: The perfect texture, whether you chill the dough or not.
• Better after a day or two: They deepen in flavor, so they're ideal to make ahead for holiday parties, like my brown butter snickerdoodle cookies.
• Simple pantry ingredients: Just a handful of common ingredients dressed up by brown butter, coconut, and pecans.

Ingredients You'll Need

• unsalted butter: Browned for a deep, nutty flavor (salted is fine too).
• brown sugar + cane sugar: Brown sugar brings chew and molasses depth; cane keeps them balanced.
• egg + egg yolk: The extra yolk adds richness and chew.
• vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor.
• all-purpose flour: The structure of the cookies.
• baking soda + salt: For the right spread and flavor.
• sweetened shredded coconut: Chewy, toasty coconut flavor.
• chopped pecans: Buttery crunch throughout.
• cinnamon + cardamom (optional): A warm, cozy spice note.

See recipe card for quantities.

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• Dairy-free: Use a plant-based butter or coconut oil. Plant butter may not brown the same — if so, just use 140g of melted butter in its place. It's often salted, so cut the added salt in half if you're sensitive.
• Chocolate dough: Add ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the dry ingredients (add 1–2 tablespoons of milk if the dough is too dry).
• Chocolate chips: Use ½ cup chocolate chips, ½ cup coconut, and ½ cup chopped pecans (1 ½ cups of mix-ins total), like my chocolate chunk pecan cookies.
• More cookies to bake: Round out the plate with my brown butter oatmeal cookies or snickerdoodle cookie bars.

How to Make Brown Butter Coconut Pecan Cookies

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Step 1: Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and develops a foamy film on top. You'll start with 170g and end with about 140g — if you have less, add milk to reach 140g. Let it cool.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients: Mix the cooled brown butter with the brown sugar, cane sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients: Mix the dry ingredients separately, then stir them into the wet until fully combined.

Step 4: Add mix-ins and chill: Stir in the coconut and pecans. Chill the dough for 30 minutes to an hour before baking for the best flavor and texture (you can skip it, but chilling deepens the flavor).

Step 5: Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake 11–12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Expert Tips

1. Watch the brown butter like a hawk. Stir almost constantly (30-second breaks are fine) until it's golden with a foamy film and smells nutty — it goes from browned to burnt fast.
2. Weigh the butter after browning. You want 140g; top up with a splash of milk if you're short.
3. Cool the butter before mixing. Hot butter can scramble the eggs and melt the sugar.
4. Chill for deeper flavor. They bake fine unchilled, but 30–60 minutes in the fridge gives a richer flavor and better texture.
5. Pull them looking underdone. Take them out when the edges are just browning and the center is matte and domed (not shiny). They collapse slightly and stay chewy as they cool.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

The brown butter is the whole game here. Cooking the butter until it's golden and nutty gives these cookies a rich, caramelized, almost butterscotch depth that plain butter can't touch — and it's what makes them taste like German chocolate cake filling. Paired with chewy sweetened coconut and buttery pecans, every bite is toasty and cozy.

They also get better with time, which makes them a dream for holiday baking. I love making a batch a day or two ahead for a party, right alongside my chewy pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cream cheese cookies for a full cookie plate.

Looking for something lighter and brighter for summer? Try my lemon raspberry cookies too!

Brown Butter Coconut Pecan Cookies FAQs

Brown Butter Coconut Pecan Cookies Troubleshooting Guide

Storage

• Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 3–5 days (they're best after 1–2 days).
• Freeze baked cookies or scooped dough balls for up to 6 months.

Other Brown Butter Dessert Recipes to Consider

Brown Butter Coconut Pecan Cookies

Audrey Grubb

I'd like to introduce you to my new favorite cookie: brown butter coconut pecan cookies! These cookies are perfectly chewy with slightly crisp edges and a balanced combination of coconut and pecan.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 11 minutes mins

Chill Time 11 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 24 Cookies

Calories 172 kcal

Equipment

• Kitchen Scale
• Stand Mixer
• Baking sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Two-tablespoon cookie scoop
• Butter warmer saucepan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 170 grams unsalted butter ¾ cup; browns down to 140g
• 200 grams brown sugar packed (1 cup)
• 50 grams granulated sugar ¼ cup
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 220 grams all-purpose flour 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 100 grams chopped pecans ¾ cup
• 60 grams sweetened shredded coconut ¾ cup
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom optional

Instructions

 

• Brown the butter: melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly to prevent burning. It's done when it smells nutty and develops a foamy film on top. You'll start with 170g and end with about 140g.
  170 grams unsalted butter
• If you have less than 140g at the end, add milk to the butter until you reach 140g.
• Let the butter cool, then mix it with the brown sugar, cane sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk.
  200 grams brown sugar, 50 grams granulated sugar, 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Mix the dry ingredients separately, then stir them into the wet until fully combined.
  220 grams all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
• Stir in the coconut and pecans.
  100 grams chopped pecans, 60 grams sweetened shredded coconut
• Chill for 30 minutes to an hour before baking, for best results.
• Bake at 350°F for 11–12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

I've skipped chilling, and they baked fine, but chilling or resting the dough creates deeper flavor and even better texture.

Take them out of the oven when the edges are slightly browned, and the center is matte and domed (not shiny or raw). They collapse a bit while cooling — pulling them before they overbake is key to a perfectly chewy cookie!

Store at room temperature for 3–5 days. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 115mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 179IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg

Keyword cookies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!