These pecan shortbread cookies have a surprise ingredient! The addition of canned white beans boosts nutrients and protein to this sweet treat.
A coffee in one hand and a shortbread cookie in the other. That’s sounds like the perfect mid-morning snack. This isn’t your average, run of the mill shortbread. This one is special. It’s got a very big surprise! This shortbread is made with beans. Yes, BEANS!
I stumbled upon this amazing cookbook, Spilling the Beans. It an interesting and intriguing cookbook that teaches you a plethora of ways to incorporate beans into your favorite recipes.
This pecan shortbread is amazing. It’s so addicting and super tasty. The original recipe called for melted butter but I went a step further and used browned butter. I love using brown butter in baked goods. It adds an intoxicating, warm nutty flavor that makes my tastebuds dance.
Recipe Ingredients
These surprise pecan shortbread cookies are made with kitchen staple ingredients. You’ll need unsalted butter, all-purpose flour and kosher salt along with the following:
- Pecans: Use whole, halves, or pecan pecans. It is important to lightly toast the nuts before adding to the recipe. Toasting nuts enhances flavor and texture.
- Brown Sugar: Recipe can be made with light brown or dark brown sugar. In a pinch, you may sub in regular white granulated sugar.
- White Beans: Canned white beans are labeled as navy white beans, cannellini beans, white kidney beans or great northern beans. They all work fine in this recipe. Be sure to rinse and drain beans before adding to other ingredients.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to soften the all-purpose flour, giving it a similar texture to cake flour. This helps products a soft, crumbly shortbread cookie.
- Chocolate Chips: Melt your choice of chocolate chips (milk, dark, semi-sweet, or white chocolate) to garnish the cooled, baked pecan shortbread.
Variations and Substitutions
White beans work best in this shortbread cookie recipe. If you happen to only have black beans, convert this recipe into a chocolate version.
Black beans have a stronger, richer flavor that pairs well with chocolate. Try black bean brownies.
Ground almonds or almond flour may be used in place of pecans.
For a gluten-free option, swap in oat flour (ground old-fashioned oats) in place of all-purpose flour.
If you’re not ready to try adding beans to your dessert, I also have this classic pecan shortbread recipe and lemon shortbread cookie recipe as well.
More Bean Dessert Recipes
Surprise Pecan Shortbread
Ingredients
- ½ cup toasted pecans
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar,, packed
- ½ cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips,, melted
Instructions
- In a food processor, grind pecans until sandlike in texture. Set aside.
- Melt ½ cup butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Continue to cook and brown the butter until fragrant. It will smell very nutty. Be careful not to burn the butter. Remove from heat.
- Back to the food processor, puree cooled butter, brown sugar, and white beans together. Pour puree into the sauce pot and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly. Cook puree until it boils and because thick and gummy. This should take around 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add cooled puree to dry ingredients and fold to combine.
- Press dough into a 9-inch round cake pan. Lightly cover pan with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, until dough is firm. To speed up the process, you can also freeze the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325 ° F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and dock all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until shortbread is set and lightly golden in color. Let cool. Melted chocolate chips and drizzle over cooled shortbread. Cut into wedges and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
That is quite a surprise to have beans in the shortbread. It looks quite tasty actually.
When I was in my early 20’s my family had a recipe for cake that used pinto beans. We made it in a bundt pan and it was quite good. I have lost track of the recipe, but will have to search for it again.
Pinto beans in a cake?! That sounds interesting. I hope you find your recipe and share it!