Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pecan cookies are egg-free & peanut-free, yet so delicious with a gooey fudge-like center. This allergy-friendly recipe can be easily modified to accommodate wheat-free, milk-free, and nut-free.
Nothing beats a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies served with a glass of milk.
Yum.
My mouth waters just thinking about these Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies.
I’m a fan of this recipe for some many reasons. As a food allergy mom, I appreciate an egg-free cookie recipe that all my kids can enjoy. This recipe is also one of several ways that I regularly expose my food allergy toddler to pecans, which can help reduce his chances of developing a tree nut allergy down the road.
But serving a plate of warm cookies is more than just a food allergy win.
I also use this recipe as an exercise in food neutrality with all my children. When all food is neutral, kids will eat sweets in proportion to other foods. Did you know that withholding “forbidden foods” like cookies can increase the likelihood of kids overeating when they are eventually exposed to them?
One method I use to help all my kids learn how to manage sweets is to serve an endless plate of warm cookies and milk at snack. Now, I don’t do this every time I serve cookies for snack. And we don’t have cookies everyday. But I do use this exercise periodically to help my kids learn how internal cues can can help regulate their intake of sweets.
If you want to learn more, I would encourage you to check out the links to my previous blog posts. But first make a batch of these Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies!
Can infants or toddlers eat chocolate chip pecan cookies?
Good question. I specifically choose to ground the nuts in this recipe so that it would be a family-friendly and developmentally appropriate option. Nuts (and seeds) are considered a choking hazard for children under 4 years of age.
However, nuts that have been ground to the consistency of flour are safe to bake with. Which is why my chocolate chip pecan cookies are a great way to introduce tree nuts safely to those 12 months and older.
How do you grind nuts into flour?
Some tree nuts (like almonds) can be purchased in the actual flour consistency. But if you want to save money (or reduce risk for cross contact with peanuts or other tree nuts), you can easily make pecan flour at home.
I should add that I purchase tree nuts directly from companies or farms that will not inadvertently expose my child to peanut allergens. In the case of pecans, we order directly from a farm that does not grow or process any other nuts.
Here are two of my favorite methods to make pecan flour:
Option 1: Place nuts in plastic bag and seal, taking care to remove air. Use a kitchen mallet to pound nuts into flour consistency.
Option 2: Place nuts in a food processor or blender. Blend until nuts are finely broken up but not for so long that they become creamy and turn into nut-butter.
With either option, it is important to double check for any large chunks of nuts before adding to baking mixture.
What are allergy-friendly substitutions for this recipe?
As written, this recipe contains wheat, milk, and tree nuts. Chocolate chips will also most likely contain milk.
To make wheat-free: use wheat-free all-purpose flour blend
To make nut-free: omit pecans
To make milk-free: use coconut oil instead of butter AND use milk-free chocolate chips (or omit)
How to make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies:
Step 1: Wash hands with soap and warm water. Gather ingredients and supplies.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugars on medium speed.
Step 4: Add applesauce and vanilla. Mix on low speed until evenly distributed.
Step 5: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground pecans.
Step 6: Gradually blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture.
Step 7: Gently fold in chocolate chips. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop rounded dough onto ungreased 13 x 18-inch baking sheets.
Step 8: Bake at 350°F for 11-14 minutes, or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to wire cooling rack.
More egg-free recipes:
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Lisa Woodruff | June 28, 2022
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 11-14 minutes
- Total time: 1¼ hour
No peanuts | No eggs | No soy | No fish | No sesame
Contains wheat, milk, and tree nuts. Chocolate chips may contain milk.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans, ground
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions:
- Wash hands with soap and warm water. Gather ingredients and supplies.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugars on medium speed.
- Add applesauce and vanilla. Mix on low speed until evenly distributed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground pecans.
- Gradually blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop rounded dough onto ungreased 13 x 18-inch baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F for 11-14 minutes, or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to wire cooling rack.
Allergy-friendly Substitutions:
- No wheat: use wheat-free all-purpose flour blend
- No tree nuts: omit pecans
- No milk: use coconut oil instead of butter AND use milk-free chocolate chips
