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Pecan rosemary shortbread cookies on top of parchment paper surrounded by scattered pecans and rosemary leaves.

Rosemary Pecan Shortbread Cookies

These Rosemary Pecan Shortbread cookies are incredibly easy and are made with a few simple ingredients. They’re buttery, sweet but not too sweet, and nutty with a little hint of savory herb flavor from the rosemary. These shortbread cookies are great with a cup of coffee or tea, on holiday dessert tables, in gift baskets, or as an after dinner treat.
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Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:16 minutes
Total Time:26 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (~280g)
  • 1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks (227g)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt increase to 1/2 tsp if you're using unsalted butter
  • 1 cup pecans minced, unsalted
  • 1 tsp rosemary minced

Instructions

  • In a bowl, cream butter with the brown and granulated sugars using an electric beater.
    1 cup butter, softened, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • Mix in the flour and salt until incorporated, then mix in the pecans and rosemary, careful not to overmix or the cookies will become tough.
    2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup pecans, 1 tsp rosemary
  • Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a rectangular shape using your hands.
  • Roll out the dough to between ¼ and ½ inches thick using a rolling pin. You can use your hands or a bench scraper to periodically straighten out the sides/edges of the dough so that it stays in a rectangular shape. Cut it into 24 rectangular or square cookies.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and place the cookies on the baking sheet.
  • Bake the cookies for 16 minutes, or until you can just see the bottom edges of the cookies turning golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely before eating.

Notes

  • Use toasted or air-crisped pecans, not raw pecans. 
  • Don’t overmix the dough.
  • Cut the cookies before chilling.
  • Try to keep the cookies at an even thickness so they bake similarly to each other.
  • The cookies should fully cool before eating.