Description
These chewy maple pumpkin cookies are a delightful fall treat combining the warm flavors of pumpkin, maple syrup, and spiced brown butter. The cookies have a soft, chewy texture enhanced by the use of brown butter and a chilling period that develops the flavors and perfect chewiness. Rolled in spiced sugar before baking, they offer a subtly sweet, warmly spiced bite that’s perfect for autumn or holiday baking.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin or chai spice blend
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) European style unsalted butter, browned and cooled but still liquid
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (79ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (125g) canned pumpkin, blotted to remove excess water
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) maple extract, optional
Spiced Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin or chai spice blend
Instructions
- Prepare Brown Butter: Melt the butter in a clear heavy-bottom saucepan, whisking continuously once it foams until brown bits form. Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl to cool for 30 minutes until still liquid but cooled.
- Dry Ingredients Mix: Whisk together the flour, pumpkin or chai spice blend, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Prepare Pumpkin: Lay 2-3 paper towels in a wide shallow bowl and place a generous ½ cup of canned pumpkin on top. Allow the paper towels to absorb excess moisture, then squeeze out any excess water from the pumpkin before using.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Stir cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup together until well combined. Add egg yolk and mix thoroughly.
- Add Pumpkin and Extracts: Incorporate the blotted pumpkin, vanilla extract, and optional maple extract into the mixture until fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gently until just combined without overmixing.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to develop flavor and texture.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C), line 1-2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes to help cookies spread better.
- Make Spiced Sugar: Mix granulated sugar with the pumpkin or chai spice blend used in the dough. Taste and adjust spices as needed.
- Scoop and Coat Dough: Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, portion dough and roll each ball in the spiced sugar mixture until fully coated.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the coated cookie dough balls about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 12-14 minutes. At 9-10 minutes, check cookies; if too puffy, open oven and firmly bang the cookie sheet on the rack a few times to encourage spreading. Continue baking for 3-4 more minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet placed atop a cooling rack for 3-5 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make the brown butter about an hour before starting to allow time for it to cool properly.
- Blotting the pumpkin removes excess moisture which helps prevent soggy cookies and maintains chewy texture.
- Chilling the dough overnight is crucial for flavor development and desirable texture.
- Room temperature dough before baking encourages better spreading.
- Tapping the cookie sheet in the oven if cookies seem too puffy helps achieve a flatter, chewier cookie.
- Recipe was updated on 11/29/21 to ensure a flatter and chewier pumpkin cookie texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
