Oat and Pecan Brittle Cookies

This is THE cookie. The one that you’ll be known for. Is this cookie a bit more complex to make than your average cookie? Yes. Is it absolutely worth taking the time to do each step? Also yes.

This cookie balances both a comforting homemade feel and complexly rich undertones that few drop cookies even attempt. The finished product looks so simple that it may be overlooked on a holiday cookie table, but that would be a severe mistake. The texture of the cookie is crisp on the edges and soft in the middle, but with the added bonus of small pockets of the most delicious pecan brittle you’ve ever had sprinkled throughout.

This cookie has become a freezer-stash staple in my house, and is perfect for the job since the dough is easily doubled and bakes perfectly from frozen with just an extra minute or two on the bake time.

If you are looking for a sophisticated upgrade to a plain oatmeal cookie, this is an excellent choice. An upgrade in the final product requires some extra work, but it is worth the effort. Plus the pecan brittle alone merits a standalone recipe—it is highly addictive. Browning butter and making your own pecan brittle and oat flour are little steps that add up to create a rich, flavorful, complex cookie.

I also use my nose when I make caramel. I think the color was a little less dark than what I would call dark amber, perhaps due to the foaminess from the butter, but it was smelling more and more caramel-y and toasty, so I removed it before it got too dark and into the burnt flavors.

The brittle does set up quickly, so have your parchment paper-lined sheet pan ready. I scooped out the nuts and tried to arrange them into as flat of a sheet of caramel as possible. The actual shape is not so important though, since you will chop it into bits later.

I recognized this recipe from Bon Appetit and some commenters said they spread a lot so I made mine smaller. The cookies do indeed spread so provide lots of room on the cookie sheet—don’t overcrowd or you’ll end up with one giant cookie!

The cookies had layers of flavor and texture—lots of chew from the oats, but also pockets of softness and crunchiness. The deep caramely toffee combined with the toasty pecans and oat notes were a nice upgrade from a regular oatmeal cookie, and well-balanced between buttery, sweet, and salty.

If I could change one thing, I would have kept some of the chopped pecan brittle chunks larger because I liked the contrast they provided mixed in the oatmeal dough.

A new twist on the classic oatmeal cookie that has amazingly chewy texture with perfectly crisp edges. This cookie is both salty and sweet with a bold pecan brittle flavor and goes amazing with a cup of coffee.

I found that the amount of salt in the brittle seemed to be fine but the cookies did turn out to be quite salty. The sweetness of the brittle does balance it out but it may be too much salt for some. Could probably get away with less salt in the cookie dough.

Oh yes, please take my word and make these cookies!!! They are deeply flavored in the most decadent, satisfying way and are enticingly delicious. I loved the chewy texture. I found myself pulling off gooey buttery pieces bite after bite, savoring the amber puddles of baked brittle. Altogether the pecan brittle and the browned butter are deeply layered, not overly sweet or one-note.

The recipe does have multiple steps and some complexity but they are well worth the time and are easy to execute. You definitely want the chewy texture and melded flavors that an overnight rest in the fridge creates. If short on time, one could substitute store bought toffee or butterscotch chips for the pecan brittle; however, I found making the brittle rewarding and fun. I had never made caramel before because I was intimidated. Making the caramel for the brittle was straightforward and anxiety free. My only change was sprinkling Maldon’s flaky sea salt on the cooling cookies. The salt tied everything together. All in all, these are my perfect cookies and a hit with all who tried them.

The only addition I think worth noting is that I used my food processor to chop the brittle into pea-sized bits. This process was 30 seconds. The crushed brittle smell was intoxicating. Before processing the dry ingredients, I suggest weighing the brittle so it’s easily divided in half.

Next time, I would use the 2-ounce scoop for speed and less waste. The dough balls rested in the fridge on a half sheet tray wrapped with plastic wrap for the recommended 12 hours.

I would cool the cookies on the trays for at least 10 minutes. These cookies are wider than my regular metal spatula and bent and tore when moving. For the next batch, I let the cookies cool longer on the tray and used a wider and solid metal spatula for the transfer. Resist the temptation to taste right away. I think the cooled cookie has more flavor and an improved texture than the right-out-of-the-oven cookie.