These buttery maple pecan shortbread cookies are easy slice & bake cookies. They are studded with toasted pecans and crunchy toffee bits in every bite!
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🍪Easy Slice & Bake Cookies
Maple and pecan pair so well together (check this recipe out!). But add toffee bits to the mix, put them in a shortbread cookie, and, what can I say!?! Soooo good!!!
I love these maple pecan shortbread cookies because they are easy slice and bake cookies. You can have this cookie dough all made up and store in the refrigerator. You can even freeze this cookie dough!
This cookie is so perfect for fall and winter. They are studded with bits of toffee and pieces of pecans, so they look amazing on a cookie tray. Try these for your next hosting event!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter - Salted butter can be substituted. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Toffee bits - I used Skor toffee bits that I found in the baking aisle in my grocery store.
- Pecans - I used pecan pieces to save time chopping full pecans up.
🔪Instructions
To make these cookies, add flour and salt to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Add butter and brown sugar to a large bowl. Mix until well combined, about 3 minutes of mixing. Add maple syrup and vanilla and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add dry ingredients and mix until partially combined. Add in pecans and toffee bits, and mix until the dry ingredients are combined.
Lay out two large pieces of plastic wrap. Divide the dough into two, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Form each piece of dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours or overnight. You can also place it in the freezer for 45 minutes if you want to bake them sooner.
Remove cookie dough logs from the refrigerator or freezer. Let set at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly, then cut into ½ inch slices.
Arrange slices on parchment lined baking sheets, 1 inch apart from each other. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10-13 minutes, or until you see the sides of the cookie start to brown.
✔️Expert Tips
- To toast pecans, air fry them at 350°F (180°C) for 2-3 minutes, or bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5 minutes.
- You can substitute salted butter for unsalted. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Use pre-chopped pecans to save time chopping them.
- I found Skor toffee bits in the baking aisle in the grocery store.
- Instead of slice and bake cookies, you can roll out this dough and cut shapes from it! It would be difficult to use cookie cutters with the pecans in the dough, so leave the pecans out, and gently press them into the cookie shapes before baking them.
💭FAQs
You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the baked cookies. Flash freeze them on a parchment paper lined baking tray for 1 hour, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Yes, the cookie dough can be made, formed into logs, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice and bake the day you want to serve them.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Maple Pecan Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter room temperture
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup pecans chopped, toasted
- ¼ cup toffee bits
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add flour and salt to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add butter and brown sugar to a large bowl. Mix until well combined, about 3 minutes of mixing.
- Add maple syrup and vanilla and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until partially combined. Add in pecans and toffee, and mix until the dry ingredients are combined.
- Lay out two large pieces of plastic wrap. Divide the dough into two, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Form each piece of dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours or overnight. You can also place it in the freezer for 45 minutes if you want to bake them sooner.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove cookie dough logs from the refrigerator or freezer. Let set at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly, then cut into ½ inch slices.
- Arrange slices on cookie sheets, 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until you see the sides of the cookie start to brown.
- Let cool at room temperature, then store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Notes
- To toast pecans, air fry them at 350°F (180°C) for 2-3 minutes, or bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5 minutes.
- You can substitute salted butter for unsalted. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Use pre-chopped pecans to save time chopping them.
- I found Skor toffee bits in the baking aisle in the grocery store.
- Instead of slice and bake cookies, you can roll out this dough and cut shapes from it! It would be difficult to use cookie cutters with the pecans in the dough, so leave the pecans out, and gently press them into the cookie shapes before baking them.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️