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Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread

Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread

Published November 1, 2026

Crisp, sandy slice-and-bake shortbread made with chilled browned butter and toasted pecans, finished with flaky sea salt.

Walnuts work in place of pecans. The wrapped logs keep 5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen; slice and bake straight from the freezer, adding 2 minutes.

Cook time
2 hrs 54 min
Rating
…

Ingredients

Scale
Measurement units
  • 16 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

Brown the butter
Melt unsalted butter (16 tbsp) in the saucepan over medium heat and cook for 6 minutes, swirling, until deep golden and nutty.
Equipment: small saucepan
Chill the brown butter
Pour the butter and all its browned bits into a bowl and refrigerate for 45 minutes, until opaque and soft-solid like softened butter.
Toast the pecans
While the butter chills, toast pecan halves (1 cup) in the dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
Cool for 10 minutes, then chop finely.
Equipment: skillet
Make the dough
Beat the chilled brown butter with powdered sugar (½ cup), light brown sugar (¼ cup) and vanilla extract (1 tsp) for 2 minutes, until creamy.
Add all-purpose flour (2 cups) and kosher salt (½ tsp) and mix on low just until the dough clumps, then fold in the chopped pecans.
Equipment: stand or hand mixer
Shape and chill
Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a tight log on plastic wrap.
Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, until firm.
Slice and bake
Heat the oven to 325°F and line the baking sheets with parchment, about 2 minutes.
Slice the logs into thin rounds, set them on the sheets and sprinkle with flaky sea salt (½ tsp).
Bake for 16 minutes, until the edges are golden.
Cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then move to a rack.
Equipment: 2 baking sheets

Tomorrow's Meal

Skillet Pears with Pecan Shortbread Crumble

A few cookies get crushed into a buttery crumble over pears caramelized in a skillet for a fast warm dessert.

Quick overview:

  1. 1.Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. 2.Add sliced pears and a spoonful of brown sugar and cook until tender and caramelized.
  3. 3.Crush a few shortbread cookies into coarse crumbs.
  4. 4.Spoon the pears into bowls and scatter the crumbs over the top.

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