Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies combine a classic sugar cookie base with a brown sugar frosting and crunchy toasted pecans for a warm, festive treat.
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The holidays always inspire me to bake, revisiting childhood memories of mixing and rolling dough with my mom before Thanksgiving and Christmas. The smell of warm cookies straight from the oven feels like the season in a single moment, and these Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies capture those comforting holiday flavors—brown sugar, warm spices, and toasted nuts.
For this recipe I joined the Crisco® Bake It Better Challenge, testing the classic sugar cookie recipe using Crisco® shortening in place of butter. The results were eye-opening: the Crisco cookies stayed thicker, held stamped designs better, and baked up with a light, airy texture compared to the slightly denser butter version.
Shortening is a helpful tool in baking because it’s shelf-stable, convenient, and often produces a tender, well-shaped cookie. I like Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks because each stick equals one cup, which makes measuring quick and simple.
Once the sugar cookies were perfected, I finished them with a brown sugar frosting spiced with cinnamon and a scattering of toasted pecans. The contrast between the soft frosting and crunchy pecans makes these cookies a memorable holiday treat—easy to share, and well-received by everyone who tried them.
These Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday trays, or a cozy afternoon with coffee. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did—happy baking!
Try the Crisco® Bake It Better Challenge yourself by recreating your favorite holiday treats with shortening instead of butter and share your results using #BakeItBetter.
Brown Sugar Pecan Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
Crisco® Classic Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs:
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon, & level)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (226 g) Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Frosting:
- 1 cup (226 g) Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening (one baking stick)
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- 2-4 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup (112 g) pecans
Instructions
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FOR THE COOKIES: Heat oven to 350°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
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With an electric mixer, cream the shortening and sugar in a large bowl on high speed until light and fluffy.
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Add the egg, milk, and vanilla; mix to combine. Gradually blend in the flour mixture.
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Divide dough in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface 1/4-inch thick for crisp cookies or 3/8-inch thick for softer cookies. Cut with 2–3 inch cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet.
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Bake 8–9 minutes, until edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet 1–2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
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FOR THE FROSTING: With an electric mixer, cream the shortening, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar while mixing. Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
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TOAST PECANS in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until fragrant, 2–5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool and chop half of the pecans.
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Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cookies. Place one whole pecan in the center, then sprinkle with chopped pecans. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
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