Pecan Sugar Cookies

No butter, no oil. These spiced pecan cookies get their moisture from brown sugar, honey, and water, which makes the texture chewy and almost candy-like at the edges. Ground pecans folded into the flour add richness and a nutty crunch that does the job butter would normally handle.

The spice load here is bold. Between the cinnamon and allspice, these taste closer to a spice cookie than a traditional sugar cookie. That’s a good thing. They have real personality.

This is a drop cookie, so the batter will be stickier than a roll-and-cut dough. Use a small spoon and keep the portions tight. They spread as they bake, and oversized drops will run into each other on the sheet.

Pro Tips

• Coarsely ground pecans work better than finely ground here. You want pieces you can feel, not pecan flour that disappears into the batter.
• Let these cool completely on the sheet before moving them. They’re fragile when warm and firm up as they cool.
• The honey makes these brown fast. Check at 10 minutes if your oven runs hot.
• Store in an airtight container once fully cooled. The honey keeps them chewy for several days.

Variations

• Roll cooled cookies in powdered sugar for a Mexican wedding cookie vibe.
• Swap allspice for ground ginger and add a pinch of cloves for a gingersnap-style flavor.
• Use walnuts instead of pecans for a milder, less sweet nut flavor.