If you love butter pecan, give my gluten free butter pecan cookie recipe a try. They are full of incredible buttery pecan flavor. They are easy to make in about 20 minutes! 

Butter pecan cookies on a cookie sheet.

Butter pecan is one of my favorite ice cream flavors. Do you have a favorite flavor of ice cream that would be fun to create a cookie around?

If you love caramel as much as my kids, this gluten free caramel apple cake and these gluten free caramel cupcakes are definitely worth trying too!

Try these and try a few more gluten free cookie recipes too.

Why Make These:

  1. There is something about the creamy goodness mixed in with that butter, and the nutty pecan flavor makes me love this recipe.
  2. The caramel sauce takes the flavor over the top!
  3. You can freeze these easily so that you can have them anytime!
  4. I used Kraft caramel bits to get the caramel flavor into the cookies.

If you prefer a classic cookie recipe, you will want to make these Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies too!

Ingredient Notes:

  • Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with both Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Blend and King Arthur Measure for Measure. That doesn’t mean others will not work. I just have not tested other flours.
  • Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract – I do not recommend using imitation vanilla.
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter. Use vegan butter if you want these cookies to be dairy-free.
  • Caramel – I used caramel that is gluten free. You can read more about what caramel is gluten free. Check my gluten free caramel list.
  • Pecans – This recipe features pecans, but any nut is fine if you can’t find them at the store. You can omit the nuts to make this recipe nut-free, but then there are more caramel cookies.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

A photo of the dry ingredients in a metal mixing bowl.

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the pecans in and mix well, so the pecans are evenly dispersed.

The whisked wet ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients, including the softened butter, and whisk to blend. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients. Mix well.

The butter pecan cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

Step 3: The gluten free butter pecan cookie dough is a little more firm than other cookies I have made. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid. I like to chill my cookie dough for 30-45 minutes, but this is optional.

The pecan cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet.

Step 4: Use a cookie scoop to drop the dough balls onto a cookie sheet. Either spray light oil on the cookie sheet or use parchment paper. You can pat the cookies down if you prefer a flatter cookie. 

Step 5: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes at 350º F. Remove them from the oven and move them to a cooling rack. Be careful and use a spatula so you don’t get burned by the hot caramel.

(*Note to be careful when you take these out of the oven. The melted caramel is HOT!)

A stack of three cookies on a plate.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Can you make this recipe nut-free?

You can make these cookies nut-free by skipping the pecans.

Can you make this butter pecan cookie recipe dairy-free?

You can make these cookies dairy-free by using vegan butter. I haven’t found dairy-free caramel chips, so you would need to substitute them with something like Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips.

Can you freeze these cookies?

Yes!! We often make a double batch to freeze some of the cookies! Just let the cookies fully cool, then add them to a freezer bag. Zip the bag closed, squeezing as much air out as possible.

How do you store butter pecan cookies?

These cookies will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.

A pecan cookie with a bite taken out.

More Gluten Free Cookies:

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Include which flour blend you used. This helps others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!

Gluten Free Butter Pecan Caramel Cookies

Sandi Gaertner
Easy gluten free butter pecan caramel cookies
5 from 6 votes
gluten free allergy icon
soy free allergy icon
vegetarian icon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cookies and Bar Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 18 cookies
Calories 165 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Cookie scoop
  • Cookie sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • â…› teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup toasted pecans unsalted
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup Kraft caramel bits

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • Spray coconut oil onto a cookie sheet.
  • In a large bowl, add dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
  • Add all wet ingredients, pecans, and caramel bits.
  • Mix well.
  • Use a cookie scoop to drop cookie balls onto a baking sheet.
  • Bake 10 minutes until done.
  • Cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

  1. I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
  2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  3. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
  4. These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 184IUCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

(*Note this post was updated from an older March 2015 post. Here is the old photo below

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