Description
These chewy maple pumpkin cookies combine the warm flavors of pumpkin, maple syrup, and a pumpkin spice blend into a soft, chewy treat perfect for fall. Brown butter adds depth and richness while a spiced sugar coating gives each cookie a delightful sweet and aromatic finish. Chilling the dough overnight ensures the perfect texture and flavor development.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 1/4 cups (270g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 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 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) maple extract (optional)
Spiced Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
Instructions
- Make Brown Butter: Melt butter in a clear heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter foams, whisk continuously until brown bits form and it develops a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes until still liquid but not hot.
- Prepare Pumpkin: Lay 2-3 paper towels in a wide, shallow bowl. Scoop a generous ½ cup of canned pumpkin onto the towels. Let excess water absorb, then gently squeeze out as much moisture as possible. This ensures the dough won’t be too wet.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, chosen pumpkin or chai spice blend, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, stir the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and pure maple syrup together until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Add Egg Yolk: Stir in the room temperature egg yolk until combined with the wet mixture.
- Add Pumpkin and Extracts: Mix in the blotted pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and optional maple extract until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to overnight. This chills the dough and enhances flavor and texture.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line one or two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring Dough to Room Temp: Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to help the cookies spread properly during baking.
- Prepare Spiced Sugar: In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar with the pumpkin or chai spice blend until well combined. Adjust spices to taste.
- Scoop and Coat Dough: Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, portion dough into balls. Roll each dough ball in the spiced sugar mixture to coat thoroughly.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the sugar-coated dough balls 2-3 inches apart on the prepared parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Around 9-10 minutes in, check the cookies; if they appear too puffy, open the oven and firmly bang the cookie sheet on the oven rack a few times to encourage spreading. Continue baking for the remaining 3-4 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet set atop a cooling rack for 3-5 minutes, then transfer them directly to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- This recipe was updated on 11/29/21 following a retest to ensure a flatter and chewier pumpkin cookie texture.
- Blotting the pumpkin to remove excess moisture is crucial to avoid overly wet dough and spread during baking.
- Chilling the dough overnight significantly improves texture and flavor.
- Brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth to the cookies that complements the pumpkin and spices perfectly.
- Gently banging the cookie sheet on the oven rack mid-bake helps flatten the cookies if they puff up too much.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
