These Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies are a decadent and satisfying dessert. These cookies have a box cake mix base, chunks of chocolate, coarse sea salt, and chopped pecans. Every cookie lover’s dream.
I think I’ve mentioned before why I love desserts like cookies and cakes. In case you forgot, I absolutely love them because they’re so versatile. There are countless variations you can come up with, not to mention different styles.
For example, when it comes to cookies, you can have chewy, cakey, crispy, etc. These double chocolate pecan cookies are slightly cakey in the center and crispy on the outside. In other words, they’re amazing.
You know what other cookies will blow your mind? Whole wheat chocolate chips cookies (yep, you read that right), black and white cookies, and caramel apple cookies. Of course, I could keep going on that list, but these are currently some recipes I’m obsessed with. Go, make all of them!
Why We Love These Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies
- They're super simple to make and come together in just a few minutes.
- While we love the pecan/chocolate combination, the base cookie dough recipe is like a blank canvas. Try adding chopped Oreos, other nuts, or even caramel pieces to the cookie dough.
- They're sturdy cookies and great for taking to parties.
- Dip half the cookie in melted chocolate for a gourmet version.
Ingredients/Shopping List
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- Salted butter
- Large eggs
- Chopped pecans
- Semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- Flaked or coarse sea salt
Tools Needed To Make Cake Mix Cookies
- Mixing Bowl
- Electric mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cookie Scoop
How Do You Make Double Chocolate Cookies from Scratch?
- Prep - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roughly chop the chocolate.
- Make the dough - Thoroughly mix together the eggs, cake mix, and melted butter. Fold in the pecans and chopped chocolate.
- Bake - Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and bake the cookies for about 12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- How do I know when my cookies are done? - Your cookies should be set on the sides, poofy in the middle, but the middle should still be soft. You don’t want to wait until they’re fully set before removing them from the oven or they will overcook since they continue to cook when taken out of the oven.
- Let the dough rest before baking - When mixing your dough, it may seem like it’s too dry. Keep mixing, but then let it rest. This allows it to really soak up those wet ingredients and it will be perfect for rolling and baking.
- Can I use oil instead of butter? - You bet, but your cookies will spread more, so be aware of this.
- Don't refrigerate before baking - This dough hardens up when chilled. So, don’t be tempted to chill it before throwing the cookies in the oven or you’ll end up remaking the dough, more times than not.
- Use other nuts - You don’t have to stick with pecans if that’s not your nut of choice. Feel free to roll with other options such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc.
- Chopped chocolate substitute - If you want to save some time and not chop chocolate, just use chocolate chips. It’s about half a cup.
- Use other cake mix flavors- Try a butter pecan cake mix, or even vanilla!
Common Questions About Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Is Cookie Mix the Same as Cake Mix?
Both mixes contain very similar ingredients. It’s usually the amount of liquid and rising agent that differs between the two recipes. If you’re talking about store-bought options, they’re similar enough that they should be interchangeable, but each brand differs. So, just use more liquid for your cake than you would for cookies.
Can you Substitute Butter for Oil in Cake Mix Cookies?
You definitely can swap out the oil for butter, but it’s important to chill the cookies before baking or they’ll spread. When I say spread, I mean turn into a thin pile of a crispy cookie all over the pan. It truly becomes a mess. So, if you decide to swap the ingredients, chilling is an important step that can’t be skipped like it can when oil is used.
Please feel free to share your experience with making these Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies in the comments below or on social media!
More Cookie Recipes You’re Sure to Love:
- Triple Chocolate Cookies
- Best Homemade Pizookie
- Pecan Caramel Cookie Cups
- Snickers Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cookies and Cream Haystacks
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- ¼ cup melted salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- ½ teaspoon flaked or coarse sea salt
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Preheat oven to 350°F
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
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Roughly chop the chocolate and set aside.
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In a large bowl mix the cake mix, melted butter and eggs until well mixed. At first it will seem dry and it will seem as if there is not enough liquid ingredients, but just keep mixing and it will come together.
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Fold in the chopped chocolate and pecans then let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
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After you have let the dough rest, scoop onto the prepared baking sheet leaving about an inch and a half between cookies. I use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can drop by heaping tablespoon if you prefer.
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Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a pinch of salt then place on the centre rack of the oven and bake for approximately 12 minutes. Cookies will look puffy and the tops will feel soft when you take them out of the oven, but the edges should feel set. If the cookies still feel wet, or the edges are not set, return to the oven for 2-3 mintues.
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Let cool for 5 minutes then move to a cooking rack.
Letting the dough rest for 15 minutes is important as it helps hydrate the dry ingredients resulting in a better texture cookie.
Don’t overbake, the cookies will seem puffy and soft when you remove them from the oven but they will continue to firm up as they cool resulting in a soft, chewy cookie.
I used devil’s food cake mix, but any chocolate cake mix can be used.
The dough will seem very dry as you first start to mix it with the wet ingredients. Do not be tempted to add more butter. Just keep mixing and it will come together to form a dough.
Substitutions
Pecans can be replaced with any nut you like. Walnuts, chopped peanuts and almonds all work well.
If you don’t want to chop chocolate you can replace with ½ cup chocolate chips.
Butter can be replaced with vegetable oil if you prefer, but the cookies may spread a little more.
How long will these cookies keep?
They will keep for about a week at room temperature if stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Stored in the freezer they will keep several months.
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