These Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies are such an easy way to get your pecan pie fix without having to bake a whole pie. Tender, flaky, buttery shortbread cookies are filled with a sweet, gooey, caramelized pecan pie filling for a cookie eating experience that’s just too tasty to be true!
Just Like Mini Pecan Pies
Pecan pie lovers rejoice! I bring you all the deliciousness of grandma’s pecan pie in easy-to-make and easy-to-eat cookie form. You still get that buttery, flaky, tender “crust” with the shortbread cookie and that sweet, gooey, caramelized pecan pie filling in the center, but these cookies are so much easier to make and bake than a whole pie.
Cookies to be Obsessed About
The texture of the cookies is very much a shortbread cookie with a slight chew and nice crumb texture to it. Tastes very similar to a slightly sweetened pie crust. The filling is where the sweetness of the cookies really comes through so the very slight sweetness of the shortbread cookies complement each other so well.
I’m so obsessed with these cookies! I could hardly wait to share the recipe with you. Just in time for the holidays! They make for a great grab-and-enjoy treat to set out during your Thanksgiving gathering. Or, take a batch to a Christmas cookie exchange, or package and gift to your neighbors and friends this holiday season.
Ingredients and Supplies
(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details)
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Light corn syrup
- All-purpose flour
- Vanilla extract
- Chopped pecans
Supplies:
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
- Medium mixing bowl
Watch Me Make Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies
Join me in the kitchen as I make these delicious thumbprint cookies for Thanksgiving!
How to Make Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cookie Dough: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and beat on low until just combined and then on high until well combined and a thick, soft dough is formed. Make sure the butter is completely softened so it will mix well with the other cookie dough ingredients to create a thick soft dough.
NOTE: It is important to use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to combine the ingredients into a soft dough.
- Pinch off small portions of the dough and form into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. A 1-inch cookie dough ball is about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the pecans until well combined.
- Lightly press your thumb into the center of each ball.
- Then fill the indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of the pecan pie filling.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the filling starts to caramelize on top and the cookies start to turn a light golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- It’s okay if some of the filling melts out of the cracks in the sides of the cookies. If you want to salvage any filling that has seeped out, you can use a spoon to scoop it off the sheet pan and put it back into the center of the cookie once they’re out of the oven, but while they’re still warm.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
And that’s all there is to them. Such a great cookie to bake for the holidays that’s sure to excite and satisfy all the pecan pie lovers in your life!
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
To freeze, store cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag with parchment paper between each layer for up to 3 months. Defrost, loosely covered at room temperature.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
Let’s get you ready for the big feast with these festive, delicious and easy Thanksgiving recipes everyone is sure to be thankful for!
More Fall Baking
No need to wait for the leaves to start dropping to enjoy My Favorite Recipes for Fall Baking! From perfectly-spiced pumpkin bread to pecan pie bites and savory corn bread, you’re sure to fall for these autumn treats!
If you make these Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 
I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
- Total Time: 33 mins
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
Description
These Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies are such an easy way to get your pecan pie fix without having to bake a whole pie. Tender, flaky, buttery shortbread cookies are filled with a sweet, gooey, caramelized pecan pie filling for a cookie eating experience that’s just too tasty to be true!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Pecan Pie Filling:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cookie Dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.
- Add the flour and beat on low until just combined and then on high until well combined and a thick, soft dough is formed. (It is important to use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to combine the ingredients into a soft dough.)
- Pinch off small portions of the dough and form into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Pecan Pie Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the pecans until well combined.
- Lightly press your thumb into the center of each ball and fill the well with 1/2 teaspoon of the pecan pie filling.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the filling starts to caramelize on top and the cookies start to turn a light golden brown. (It’s okay if some of the filling melts out of the cracks in the sides of the cookies. If you want to salvage any filling that has seeped out, you can use a spoon to scoop it off the sheet pan and put it back into the center of the cookie once they’re out of the oven, but while they’re still warm.)
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
The flavor is great but they are a bit tough and dry. I added a little more butter to the second batch and it helped some. The center got hard and very chewy. In Denver so maybe it’s an altitude issue.
These were crispy which is not what I expected. To me , they were rather tasteless. If you I like crispy cookies , you might like these. Be sure to make the wells deep otherwise the filling will spill over and become pecan brittle. Disappointed.
Can you use a miniature pan that holds 24 cookies?
Hi Barb! Yes, that should work great! I need to get one of those pans. 🙂 Enjoy!
Can you substitute maple syrup or honey for corn syrup?
Hi L.B.! Yes, you can use honey as a one-to-one replacement for light corn syrup. It has the same thickness. If you use maple syrup, I would just use 3 tablespoons since it is thinner than corn syrup. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
I made these they flattened out & the pecan filling leaked out. Disappointed!
Hi! Did you follow the ingredients and instructions exactly? Are you baking in a high altitude location? It sounds like your dough didn’t have enough flour or that your butter was too soft when you mixed it. You could have also over-mixed the dough which would result in them not holding their shape as they bake. It also sounds like you might have overfilled the center with the pecan filling or you didn’t make the indention big enough or you didn’t make your dough balls big enough to hold the filling. Hope this helps in determining what went wrong. Hopefully, you’ll be able to bake them again soon with success.
Can I use sugar cookie dough from the tube? To replace the cookie ingredients?
Hi Leigh! Absolutely, it should work great and be even easier. Enjoy!
I have a hand held mixer, what attachment would i use since i dont have a paddle attachment?
Hi Chelsea! You could mix the dough by hand or use the beater attachments for your hand held mixer. Enjoy!
I’m not sure what happened. Followed exactly and they melted like pancakes. They still taste good so I’m sure they’ll get eaten. They behaved like there wasn’t enough flour. Have to try again and see what happens.
Mine melted like pancakes as well. It turned out like a brittle ha
Help! My dough is like sand. This doesn’t call for an egg?
Hi Ashley! No, no egg. Between the softened butter and granulated sugar, the dough should be thick and soft enough to roll into balls than hold their shape as they bake. I’m wondering if you didn’t add enough sugar or if your sugar was dried out? You could try adding some more butter until the dough comes together, but I’m afraid with too much butter, they won’t hold their thumbprint shape as they bake.
My dough turned out like sand also. I measured everything exact. The only thing I can think of is I don’t have the paddle attachment. I’m using a hand mixer. Any suggestions how to make the sand into dough? =)
Hi Rose! I would suggest mixing it with a wooden spoon next time as it sounds like your hand mixer beat the dough too much to where it wouldn’t come together. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
After making, what is storage time and refrigerate or at room temperature?
Hi Yvonne! They store great in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, if they last that long. 😉 Enjoy!