Easy Chocolate & Pecan Cookies

A no-fuss cookie that loads up on two good things: melty chocolate chips and crunchy pecans. You mix the dough, drop it by the spoonful, and bake, no chilling or rolling required.

There’s a smart trick in the fat. Using both butter and shortening gives you the best of both: butter brings rich flavor, while shortening keeps the cookies soft and a little puffy, so they stay tender instead of spreading thin and crisp.

Brown sugar does its usual magic, its molasses lending chew and a deeper, caramel-toned sweetness that plain white sugar can’t match.

Toasting the pecans before folding them in is the one optional step worth taking; it wakes up their flavor and adds a buttery crunch against the chocolate.

The dough makes a big batch, ideal for a cookie jar, a bake sale, or stashing some in the freezer for warm cookies whenever the mood strikes.

Pro Tips

• The butter-and-shortening combo is the secret to soft cookies with full flavor, so don’t swap to all one or the other.
• Toast the pecans first for a deeper, nuttier crunch.
• Don’t overbake; pull them when the edges are set but the centers still look soft, since they firm up while cooling.
• Drop the dough in even spoonfuls and space them out so they bake evenly.

Variations

• Use a mix of milk and dark chocolate chips.
• Swap the pecans for walnuts or macadamias.
• Add a sprinkle of flaky salt on top before baking.