Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies are what you get when you mix sweet and salty in a cookie.
However, this delicious version is made without adding a bunch of sugar to it!
Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
If you have seen my 3 Ingredient Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies then you know I am a fan of nut inspired cookie recipes.
Especially when those cookies do not have sugar added to them.
What really makes this recipe so good, besides the pecans of course, is the brown butter.
Brown butter goes ever so well with pecans in baked goodies. The pairing also tastes pretty good in ice cream too!!
If you have ever wondered what does butter pecan taste like, it is pretty delicious.
I must say that browning the butter makes butter pecan taste even better. This is because of the nearly nutty flavor of brown butter and how it harmonizes with pecans (totally my opinion).
You could easily make this cookie recipe using regular, unbrowned, butter.
The result of using butter that has not been browned would taste like most other butter cookies that contain the same ingredients. However, browning the butter really does take this cookie up a notch in the case of richness of flavor.
You may be wondering what causes the butter to brown.
Butter browns when it is heated to a point that breaks down the milk or dairy that is in it. The fat in the butter will not burn as fast as the dairy when heated.
The result of browning butter is both a change in color and change in taste.
The color of the butter will turn to brown a the dairy solids 'toast'.
Because the dairy is toasting, the color of the melted butter turns brown. The taste of brown butter is like a cross between nut like and caramel in flavor.
Here are some tips for browning butter.
Browning butter is not the hardest kitchen task if you take the time to do it right.
The process of melting the butter will take you from that foamy butter to that toasted brown butter.
You can make a great browned butter when you use these tips.
- It is best to use unsalted butter as the salt in the butter can have an effect on the results.
- I like to cut the butter up into cubes before I place it into the pan as this will allow the butter to brown more evenly.
- Melt your butter on medium heat and use a light colored pan so that you can keep an eye on your results.
- Swirl the pan as it heats the butter to keep the butter melting and not burning.
- Brown butter can be made a head of time and stored in the refrigerator to use within a few days or in the freezer for a longer period.
To make this sugar free cookie recipe you will also need pecans.
I suggest using pecan halves in this recipe. This will allow you to chop what you need for the cookie batter and still have halves to stink on to the top of the cookie.
Here are some similar recipes that you may also like.
- Sugar Free Ginger Snap Cookies.
- Also, Sugar Free Snickerdoodle Cookies.
- Lastly, No Bake Sugar Free Chocolate Cookies.
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I have some great tips on which alternatives may work in a recipe such as this one.
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The recipe for Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
As mentioned, I suggest purchasing pecan halves in this recipe. This will allow you to chop what you need for the cookie batter and still have halves to stink on to the top of the cookie.
You will need to brown your butter for this recipe.
To brown your butter, use a light colored pan on medium heat. Swirl the pan as the butter progresses from a foam to a brown and emit a nutty aroma. There are more great tips for browning butter above.
What you will need to make this Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
- Baking Soda- 1 teaspoon.
- Salt- ½ teaspoon.
- All Purpose Flour- 3 cups. I have not tried this but, if you are wanting to use a flour alternative, use a low carb all purpose flour.
Also, to make this keto use a keto all purpose flour.Lastly, to make this recipe gluten free, use an all purpose gluten free flour.
Also, if you are using Almond flour, please add an additional egg to the batter to aid in the binding process. I suggest anyone using any of the all purpose flour alternatives check the packaging to see if an additional egg or other binder for gluten free baking is needed as well. - Butter (unsalted)- 1 ⅔ cup, browned using the instructions above. That is about 22 tablespoons or 2 sticks plus six tablespoons.
- Brown Sugar Alternative- 2 cups. Please use a granular brown sugar alternative that measures like regular brown sugar. You can find granular brown sugar alternatives here.
- Eggs- 2.
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon.
- Pecan Extract- 1 teaspoon.
- Pecan Halves ½ cup chopped plus a halved pecan for each cookie.
How to make Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 and lining two cookie sheets with parchment paper .
- In a medium bowl whisk together the baking soda, salt and flour.
- Next, use the instructions above to brown your butter if it has not already been browned. Allow the browned butter to cool for a couple of minutes while you place your brown sugar alternative in a large mixing bowl.Then beat in the browned butter.
- For the next step, we will add the dry ingredients from the first bowl to the mixing bowl. Do this by adding half of the dry ingredients at a time, stirring between additions. Then beat in your eggs and vanilla. Lastly, fold in the chopped pecans.
- Use a tablespoon or similar utensil to drop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets. Then press a pecan on top of each cookie. Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they begin to brown around the edges.
The Recipe Card for Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour -see post for alternatives
- 1 ⅔ cup Butter - unsalted, browned.
- 2 cups Surkin Gold
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Pecan Extract
- ½ cup Pecans Halves Halves chopped, plus additional not chopped.
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 and lining two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the baking soda, salt and flour. Then brown your butter if it has not already been browned. Allow the browned butter to cool for a couple of minutes while you place your brown sugar alternative in a large mixing bowl. Then beat in the browned butter.
- For the next step, we will add the dry ingredients from the first bowl to the mixing bowl. Do this by adding half of the dry ingredients at a time, stirring between additions. Then beat in your eggs and vanilla. Lastly, fold in the chopped pecans
- Use a tablespoon or similar utensil to drop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets. Then press a pecan on top of each cookie. Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they begin to brown around the edges.
Recipe Notes
To brown your butter, use a light colored pan on medium heat. Swirl the pan as the butter progresses from a foam to a brown and emit a nutty aroma. There are more great tips for browning butter in the post. *Please check the nutritional labels to assure that you are sticking to your diet restrictions for any substitutions used. - see post for alternatives
Please see recipe post for further details on this recipe.
Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used.
*About Sugar Alternatives
Specific sugar alternatives are not given in the recipes presented on this site. Only suggestions are given as to the 'kind' of alternative to use. It is up to you to select the alternative to use that suits your needs best. If the recipe is heated or cooked, it is best to use an alternative that can be heated or cooked with for best results. This site does not endorse any specific ingredients,
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that the links on this website, and specifically on this post, that lead to other sites may be affiliate links.
Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used.
This delicious recipe for Sugar Free Brown Butter Pecan Cookies has options for low carb, keto, and gluten free cookies as well.
Please see recipe post for further details on this recipe.
You can see items that have been featured on my Sugar Free Sunday Spotlight here.