Keebler Pecan Sandies
Submitted by dietician
Homemade Pecan Sandies copycat recipe with finely chopped pecans in a buttery shortening-based dough baked until golden. A spot-on clone of the classic Keebler cookie.
YIELD
2 dozenPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minIf you grew up on Keebler Pecan Sandies, this copycat recipe nails the sandy, crumbly texture and toasty pecan flavor of the original. Vegetable shortening instead of butter is the key to that distinctive melt-on-your-tongue shortbread texture that makes these cookies different from every other pecan cookie out there.
Chopping the pecans to rice-grain size is critical. Too large and you lose that uniform sandy texture. Too fine and you end up with pecan dust that disappears into the dough. A quick pulse in the food processor on low speed gets you there. Then knead the pieces in by hand so they’re evenly distributed without overworking the dough.
Pressing each ball to half an inch thick gives you cookies that bake evenly and develop golden brown edges while staying pale and tender in the center. The low oven temperature and long bake time (25-30 minutes) dry the cookies out slowly for that signature crisp, snappy bite.
Kitchen Tips
- Use shortening, not butter. Butter makes a different cookie entirely. Shortening gives Pecan Sandies their sandy, crumbly texture.
- Chop pecans carefully in short pulses. One pulse too many turns them into powder.
- Press the cookies to a uniform thickness so they brown evenly across the whole sheet.
- Pull them at the first sign of golden edges. The centers firm up as they cool.
Variations
- Toast the pecans before chopping for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a warmer, more fragrant cookie.
- Roll in powdered sugar while warm for a sweeter, snow-dusted version.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed.
Add the eggs and beat well.
While mixing, slowly add the flour, baking soda, and water.
Chop the pecans into very small bits using a food processor or blender on low speed. Be careful not to over chop; you don’t want to make pecan dust. The pieces should be about the size of rice grains.
Add the pecans to the dough and knead with your hands until the pecans are well blended into the mixture.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and press flat with your hands onto greased baking sheets.
The cookies should be about 2 inches in diameter and ½-inch thick.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
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