Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (2024)

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by Haley//October 13, 2021 (updated September 14, 2023)

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Homemade pecan sandies are brown sugar shortbread cookies packed with chopped pecans. The slice-and-bake cookie dough is easy to make ahead of time for holiday prep. They have the perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture with a bit of crunch!

Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (1)

Have you ever had pecan sandies? They are old-fashioned cookies with a shortbread-like texture and finely chopped pecans throughout. Growing up I was a fan of the Keebler variety, but I wanted to try my hand at baking them from scratch! It turns out they are super easy to make at home. This recipe yields cookies that are buttery, slightly crumbly, and filled with nutty flavor (just like snowball cookies).

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Only 8 ingredients. They are easy to find if you don’t already have them in your kitchen!
  • Slice-and-bake! This method makes these cookies great for holiday prep. Simply roll the dough into a log and, when you’re ready to bake, cut it into discs.
  • Melt-in-your-mouth effect. Similar to shortbread cookies, they have a soft, buttery texture.
  • Perfect pairing. I think these are one of the best cookies for pairing with hot tea or coffee, especially on a cold winter day!
  • Add it to your Christmas cookie plate. They’re a nice contrast to the gingerbread and sugar cookies you’ll frequently find.

Ingredient Notes

Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (2)
  • Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter that is cut into cubes. Every brand of butter has varying amounts of salt so it’s best to add it separately.
  • Brown sugar: For a little moisture, brown sugar is called for. The subtle molasses flavor also complements the pecans. Dark brown sugar may also be used.
  • Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, confectioner’s sugar provides sweetness and a super soft texture.
  • Egg yolk: One yolk adds richness while helping bind the ingredients.
  • Pecans: This star ingredient adds a little crunch in every bite! You will need some finely chopped nuts for the dough and some halves for garnish.

Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.

Recipe Variations

Toast the pecans. Scatter them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Cool completely before using in the recipe.

Add chocolate chips. Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips when adding the nuts. Toffee bits are also a good addition that complements the pecan flavor.

Make them maple flavored I love maple desserts and I think a simple maple glaze would be a nice touch to these cookies. Alternatively, you can add 1 teaspoon maple extract when mixing in the egg yolk.

How to Make Pecan Sandies

Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (3)
  1. Make the dough. Use an electric mixer to beat cold butter, brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and salt together until combined.
  2. Add egg yolk and mix. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary/
  3. Mix in flour just until combined.
  4. Add the chopped pecans and mix until incorporated. It’s okay if the dough a little crumbly.
Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (4)
  1. Chill dough. Roll dough into a 12-inch log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill for an hour.
  2. Slice and bake. Remove dough log from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into discs. Place discs on the prepared baking sheet and garnish with a pecan half. Bake cookies at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Expert Tips

Weigh your ingredients. It’s more accurate than using measuring cups. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife (don’t pack it down). Do the same with the confectioners’ sugar. This dough is a little on the more crumbly side so it’s important the dry ingredients are measured properly.

Make sure the butter is cold. This is crucial to get that melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture. It also prevents the cookies from spreading.

Rotate the dough log when it’s in the refrigerator. If it rests on one side the whole time, the bottom will get a little flat and the cookies won’t be perfectly round.

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough and wipe the knife clean between slices. This will make a clean finish for each cookie!

Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (5)

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Store the cookies after they have cooled completely. Place in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Freeze the log of dough for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before slicing and baking. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap to keep them fresh.

Make ahead the dough and roll it into a log. Store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Recipe FAQ

Why is my dough crumbly?

The dough will be a little crumbly, but it will come together when it’s rolled into a log. If it doesn’t, then there was probably too much flour added. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk to help it bind.

Are pecan sandies shortbread?

Yes, pecan sandies are a type of shortbread. Instead of using regular sugar, this recipe uses a combination of brown sugar and confectioners’ sugar.

Can I make this recipe without pecans?

Yes, but they are the star ingredient and the flavor will change slightly. Walnuts or almonds are good substitutions.

Can I make the dough in a food processor?

I haven’t tried this method, but I imagine it would work!

Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (6)

Related Recipes

If you like these cookies, try these baked goods next!

The BEST Maple Pecan Cookies
Blondies with Pecans
Chocolate Pecan Scones
Easy Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.

Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (11)

Get the Recipe: Homemade Pecan Sandies

Yield: 32 cookies

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Chill Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 17 minutes mins

Homemade pecan sandies are brown sugar shortbread cookies packed with chopped pecans. These slice-and-bake cookies are delicious!

5 (12 ratings)

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 Tablespoons (170 g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups (187 g) all purpose flour
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 cup (125 g) finely chopped pecans, (chopped, then measured)
  • ½ cup pecan halves for garnish

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (a stand mixer works better with the cold butter), beat cold butter, brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and salt together until combined. Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add egg yolk and mix until combined.

  • Add flour and mix just until combined, then add the chopped pecans and mix until incorporated. The dough may be a little crumbly (see notes).

  • Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap dough log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Remove dough log from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Use a sharp knife to cut into discs about 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch thick. Place discs on the prepared baking sheet and garnish with a pecan half.

  • Bake at 350℉ for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Crumbly dough: The dough will be crumbly due to the cold butter and chopped nuts. If it doesn’t come together to form a log, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.

Toast pecans for more flavor. Sprinkle on a baking pan and bake at 350 for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using in the recipe.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before slicing and baking.

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 112kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 20mg, Potassium: 33mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 142IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

Author: Haley D Williams

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Cookies Fall Recipes Nuts Winter Recipes

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Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my pecan sandies so crumbly? ›

Is Easy Pecan Sandies dough supposed to be so crumbly? Yes. These cookies are meant to have a crumbly texture, similar to shortbread. The dough will come together just enough to form into the ball cookie shapes.

What are the ingredients in Keebler pecan sandies? ›

Ingredients : Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), soybean and palm oil, sugar, pecans.

What is another name for pecan sandies? ›

According to Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Norma Arellano-Salazar, these popular cookies are also called snowballs or pecan sandies on the East Coast of the United States, as they resemble snow or sand thanks to their powdered-sugar dusting. Some even refer to them as Russian tea cookies.

What is the mistake in making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

What happens if you put too much butter in shortbread? ›

Greasy mess: Extra butter means more fat, making the dough greasy and difficult to handle. Spreading like crazy: Cookies lose their shape, spreading thin and flat instead of staying nice and round. Uneven baking: The excess fat can burn easily on the edges while leaving the center undercooked.

Who made the original pecan sandies? ›

The Keebler Company mass-produces and markets Sandies Classic (plain), Pecan, and Cashew shortbread cookies. Keebler first purveyed Sandies cookies in 1955 and added a toffee variety in 1993.

Why are pecan sandies called sandies? ›

The name 'sandies” was registered by the Keebler Company in 1955 for their line of flavored shortbread cookies, including the pecan sandy. However, the origins of the sandy cookie can be traced back to medieval France with the creation of the sablé cookie –– French for sandy, which refers to the cookie's texture.

Why are they called pecan sandies? ›

What Are Pecan Sandies? Pecan sandies get their name because they have a sand like, fine texture and they have chopped pecans in them. They are a shortbread style cookie.

What is the difference between sandies and shortbread? ›

Pecan Sandies are a cross between a rich shortbread and a drop cookie. The buttery richness of these cookies is reminiscent of shortbread. Yet you can use margarine rather than butter in this recipe and still enjoy a lush flavor, thanks to the pecans which add depth to the flavor of the dough.

Do pecan sandies have dairy? ›

Contains wheat, pecan, egg, milk and soy ingredients. May contain peanuts and other tree nuts.

What makes a cookie sandy? ›

Cookies with less sugar and a dry dough have a crumbly but soft texture. This causes the cookies to have both the texture and look of sand.

Where did pecan sandies originate? ›

Pecan Sandies are shortbread cookies loaded with toasted pecans. They're a bit sweeter and chewier than ordinary shortbread. Though they may have an Arabic origin, in the US these cookies were made famous by the Keebler Company which has been selling their “Sandies Pecan Shortbread Cookies” for decades.

What do sandies taste like? ›

Pop one of these mini shortbread cookies in your mouth and you will taste the nutty, buttery flavors of a classic sandie. But it's how these flavors transform that make our sandies memorable. First, there's a crunchy taste of toasted pecans combined with creamy, salty butter.

How do you store sandies cookies? ›

How to Store Pecan Sandies. Store the pecan sandies for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature. You can freeze them for up to three months.

Why does my cookie dough feel crumbly? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

What causes dry crumbly cookies? ›

If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

Why are my sugar cookies so crumbly? ›

Overworking = tough, misshapen, and crumbly cookies

Overmixing your dough usually makes cookies tough and shrink into weird shapes, but it can also make them crumbly. Generally you only want to mix just until the flour disappears, and then stop mixing!

What makes cookies too crumbly? ›

There are several reasons why the cookies may have become dry and crumbly but the two most likely are that either the cookies were baked for too long or too much flour was added to the dough. The cookie should be baked only until the edges are slightly golden and the top looks a little wrinkled.

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