Toffee Pecan Christmas Cookies:
These shortbread inspired Toffee Pecan Christmas Cookies are a tender, buttery cookies, loaded with chunks of chocolate, toffee, and pecans, then dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with more toffee, pecans, and salt!
When it comes to Christmas Cookies, these are my absolute favorite. They are soft and chewy, but have great texture with the various mix-ins like toffee, salt, pecans, and chocolate. This isn’t the fanciest Christmas cookie recipe, but the flavors can’t be beat.
I have been searching for years for the perfect cookie exchange recipe. There is a lot of pressure for me, as a food blogger, to show up to a cookie exchange with the best cookies. Best tasting at least. I will leave the fancy cookie decorating to someone else. This is the eazy peazy version of the perfect Christmas cookie recipe.
I know that a classic sugar cookie, or thumbprint or Peppermint Glazed Butter Cookies will always be a hit, but I wanted to do something a little different. And I wanted flavors I would want to make and eat even if it is not Christmas time.
I can honestly say I believe this cookie recipe is it. It offers something for everyone:
- Sweetness of the chocolate
- Crunch of the toffee and salt.
- Nutty richness of the pecans.
All combined with a soft and chewy texture, these are a real winner.
These were inspired by shortbread cookies. I love the buttery flavor, and heft of a shortbread, but I wanted something that was softer and chewier then shortbread. I achieved this with this recipe.
How to Make Easy Christmas Cookies
If you want easy Christmas cookies you need a recipe that does not require any kind of chilling or shaping. This is the perfect easy holiday cookie recipe because it is essentially a dump and scoop recipe. Then you add some fun at the end. However, you can get the whole family involved in the fun.
The basics of Easy Christmas Cookies are as follows:
- Cream the fat and sugar together. In this case, I used the Country Crock Baking Sticks, and it is super easy to cream them together because they are always soft and ready for baking. But if you use butter, make sure it is softened by pulling it out of the fridge early.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Add in the flour and mix. But don’t over-mix.
- Fold or stir in the extras
- Scoop and bake
- Cool and Dip!
Fun Cookie recipes:
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Traeger Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once the cookies are out of the oven, and have cooled, the fun begins. This is where you really make them special and something everyone will want at their holiday cookie exchange.
You dip it in chocolate, then sprinkle extra of the yummy mix-ins over the top to add extra flavor and crunch.
Christmas Cookies Tips
A few tips:
- When melting the chocolate, melt it in 20-30 second increments, stirring between. Don’t over heat or it will get lumpy.
- Sprinkle your extras on while the chocolate is still hot, this will help them stick better.
- Cool in a fridge or cold place so the chocolate set sup.
- Package for your cookie exchange after the chocolate sets up.
Helpful Tips and Tricks for A Cookie Exchange:
When it comes to a cookie exchange, there are three main things to consider, in my opinion:
- The packaging.
- The recipes.
- The atmosphere.
The Packaging:
You have two choices when it comes to cookie exchange packaging: Have everyone bring them already divided out and ready to go, or have everyone bring a large platter, and let all the guests assemble their own to take home.
I am a fan of having everyone bring the cookies on a platter, and assembling the exchanged cookies into cute packaging on site. This helps to avoid things like not having enough if extra people attend, or having too many if not enough people attend.
When going this route, everyone who brings cookies should keep the display simple, like a white platter. But the fun should come in on how you package the ones you are going to take home. If you are hosting, provide cardboard boxes, or tins for each person to assemble their cookies in.
Also include extras like ribbons, trimmings, and bows to make the packaging fun. You want to walk away feeling like you have a gift! And not just the time you save by swapping cookies instead of baking a bunch of varieties yourself.
The Recipes:
One of the worst things ever is getting home, biting into a delicious cookie, and having no idea who it came from, or how to make it again yourself. Thus, a critical part of the cookie exchange should be the exchange and explanation of recipes.
Each person should have a chance to present their cookie to the group, tell the origin story if there is one. Is it passed down for generations?
Additionally, each person should bring a copy of the recipe for everyone else. You can arrange this however you would like, have each person send the recipes to the host ahead of time, and have him or her print them for everyone. Include the recipes printed on cute gift cards attached to each platter. Or simply have each individual print and bring copies. Or start a FB group where the cookie recipes can be posted. The greener option.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to share those recipes!
The Atmosphere:
A cookie exchange should be a fun and festive time. Have drink options from cocoas and milks to water. And provide each person with a plate and napkin so they can taste a few cookies! Also consider adding other elements of fun like decorations, festive holiday music, etc.
Make it more than a stop and drop, but rather an event that is super fun and gets everyone in the holiday and baking mood!
If you ant a great recipe to eat with this as your desert check out these recipes:
- Greek Chicken Couscous Bowl
- Greek Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan Meal
- Honey Baked Ham
- Honey Dijon Chicken Cobb Salad
- Butter Chicken (Low Carb, Keto)
Toffee Pecan Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup Country Crock Unsalted Baking Sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups Flour (White, all-purpose)
- 1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 1 cup Toffee Bits
Topping
- 1 cup chocolate for melting
- 1 Tbs large crystal salt
- 2 tbs toffee bits
- 2 tbs pecan pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugars, baking sticks, salt, vanilla, vinegar, and baking soda until smooth, using a hand mixer.
- Mix in the egg.
- Mix in the flour, chocolate chips, pecan pieces, and toffee bits.
- Scoop one tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a non-greased baking sheet, one dozen balls on the tray, 2 inches in between each.
- Repeat until all dough is used (should be 24 cookies)
- Bake each tray for 9-10 minutes. Until still soft and tender, but edges are turning a golden brown.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl, by heating in 20 second intervals, stirring between each.
- Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate, allow excess to fall off, place on a parchment lined or silicone lined tray.
- Sprinkle with additional toffee bits, large crystal salt, and pecan pieces while chocolate is still wet.
- Allow chocolate to dry, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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