Description
These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies combine warm spices and rich browned butter to create a comforting fall treat. The pumpkin puree adds moisture and subtle sweetness, while the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon provide classic autumn flavors. Rolled in a spiced sugar coating, these cookies are perfectly tender with slightly crisp edges, ideal for a cozy snack or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal recommended)
Pumpkin Pie Sugar Coating
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Increase heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly with a spatula until the butter foams and begins to brown. This should take 2-3 minutes and will give a nutty aroma. Pour into a medium bowl and allow to cool completely.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Once the browned butter is cool, whisk in the light brown sugar, white sugar, and maple syrup until combined.
- Add Egg Yolk and Flavors: Whisk the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree into the browned butter mixture until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon.
- Form the Dough: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gently until a dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheets: While dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and Coat Dough Balls: Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, portion out dough balls about 2 tablespoons each. In a small bowl, whisk together the white sugar and pumpkin pie spice for coating. Roll each dough ball in this spiced sugar mixture to coat thoroughly.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 3-4 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes. The edges should be set while the centers may look slightly underbaked.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Butter: European style butter is recommended for richer flavor and better browning.
- Salt: If kosher salt is unavailable, use half the amount of fine salt instead. Note that Diamond Crystal kosher salt is less salty than Morton kosher salt, which could affect the saltiness of the cookies.
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to avoid added sugars and spices that could affect the recipe outcome.
- Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Unbaked dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months and baked directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
