These Maple Pecan Cookies are simple 3-ingredient gluten-free cookies ready in less than 25 minutes. They are egg-free, dairy-free, and grain-free.
I love making super-simple, surprising, and yet healthy cookies, like my 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies, 3-Ingredient Banana Cookies, or Christmas Wreath Cookies, but today I decided to experiment with pecan nuts.
Pecan nuts are fantastic in brownies, so I thought, why not make cookies with them? These cookies turned out to be absolutely delicious! Here’s how you can make them with only 3 ingredients. In fact, you could also easily make this with just 2 ingredients if you omit the almond extract!
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need 3 ingredients to make the recipe.
- Pecan – Grinding your own pecans ensures the freshest flavor and ideal texture. Use a food processor with an S-blade, blending until you achieve a fine, crumbly texture. Be careful not to over-process, as pecans are high in fat and can quickly turn into nut butter. If you use store-bought pecan flour, reduce the amount to 1 1/4 cups for the right consistency. Keep some pecans whole for decoration.
- Maple Syrup – Provides natural sweetness and a lovely maple flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute it with other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup, coconut nectar, or date syrup.
- Almond Extract – Adds a subtle almond flavor to the cookies. Vanilla extract is a great alternative if preferred.
How to Make Maple Pecan Cookies
This is a really easy recipe to make, here’s how in pictures.
Grind the pecans with a high-speed blender until it’s a coarse meal.
Transfer the pecan meal to a mixing bowl.
Pour the maple syrup and almond extract into the ground pecans.
Combine the batter with a silicone spatula until it’s smooth and sticky.
Form 12 cookie dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Press a pecan on top of each of the cookies and bake them for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Expert Tips
- Measure the Pecans Lightly – When measuring the ground pecans, avoid packing them down to prevent making the dough too dry. Lightly spoon the ground pecans into your measuring cup and level off the top.
- Handling the Sticky Dough – Oil your hands before rolling the dough to help prevent sticking, making it easier to shape each cookie ball.
- Top Each Cookie with a Pecan Half – Pressing a pecan half into the top of each cookie adds a decorative, rustic touch and a bit of extra crunch.
- Bake Until Just Golden – These cookies are ready when the edges turn golden brown, and the pecan on top is lightly roasted. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender and chewy.
- Cooling for Perfect Texture – Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. This allows them to firm up without crumbling.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these cookies as a light dessert or holiday snack, and pair with a warm mug of coffee or tea. They also make a great addition to cookie platters.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. They can also be frozen for longer storage, allowing you to make a big batch in advance and enjoy them over time.
More 3-Ingredient Cookie Recipes
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Maple Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Pecan Ground - I make my own from about 2 cups of pecan halves
- 5 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract - or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 12 Pecan Halves - unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper lightly oiled with cooking oil. Set aside.
- Add the pecans to a food processor (not a blender!), and using the S-blade attachment, blend on medium-high speed until the pecan halves turn into fine ground with no more large pieces of pecans. It takes under 30 seconds to make it.
- Use a spoon to fill your measuring cups with the ground. Don't overpack the ground; it's a fatty meal of nuts, and if you pack it too much, you will easily fit 1/4 cup of extra ground pecan meal, making the dough dry.
- If you have extra ground pecans, set it aside for up to 3 months in an airtight box in the pantry. Add it to smoothies or cookies.
- Pour the ground pecans into a mixing bowl with maple syrup and almond extract.
- Stir with a silicone spatula until it forms a sticky cookie dough that you can easily roll into balls. If it is too wet and loose, add more grounded pecans, or if you run out, almond meal also works.
- Oil your hands generously because the dough is sticky. Grab a tablespoon of cookie dough, roll it into a ball, and release it on the baking sheet. Press a pecan half on top of each cookie dough ball.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, placing the cookies a thumb apart from each other on the baking sheet as they slightly expand.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until just golden brown on the sides and pecan is roasted in the middle.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet at room temperature for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies firm up as they cool.
Any substitute for maple syrup? 5 tbs of maple syrup is 60 gms of sugar and I am diabetic ! Don’t want to use artificial sweetener! Any healthier options?
You can use agave syrup, coconut nectar, etc. But all of them have sugar. It might work with sugar-free maple syrup, but they are generally made with sugar alcohol which some consider artificial (even though it naturally occurs in fruits).