These pumpkin cookies are unlike any other! They’re dense, chewy, and packed with so much flavor including brown butter and maple. With an added coating of brown sugar cinnamon, these cookies are bound to be your new favorite this fall. The dough also requires ZERO time in the refrigerator, so they’re quick and easy to make.
Tips for browning butter
The base of this recipe is rich brown butter. It adds so much flavor to these cookies and pairs perfectly with the warm spices and pumpkin. The very first step in this recipe is to brown the butter, so make sure you don’t skip it!
What is brown butter? Brown butter is exactly what is sounds like…butter that has been browned! It’s a process of melting butter over medium heat in order to separate the water from the milk solids. The solids sink to the bottom of the pot where they darken, roast, and brown. This short and simple process transforms the color and flavor of the butter from pale and mild to dark and nutty.
How do you brown butter? I have a whole post dedicated to the process of browning butter, but here are a few tips to ensure you get it just right:
- Have patience – The entire process takes about 10 minutes, but most of the time nothing really happens. The browning takes place at the very end, and it happens very fast. Just keep an eye on the butter and as soon as it starts to foam up, keep stirring until it turns a rich amber color.
- Don’t take it too far – The brown color will go from light to dark very fast, but you want to land somewhere in the middle. As soon as you start to see the butter turn brown, keep it over the heat for a few more seconds to take it a shade darker. Then, remove from heat and pour into a separate container. It’s important to pour it out of the hot pot as soon as you can to prevent it from browning any further.
- Scrape the pot – All the flavor is in the brown bits at the bottom of the pot, so don’t leave those out! When you’re pouring the butter into a measuring glass, make sure you scrape in the little brown specks.
- Expect less – The amount of butter you start out with is not the same amount you will end with. Expect to have just a bit less than 1 cup of browned butter as some of the liquid evaporates during the browning process.
How to bake chewy pumpkin cookies
Pumpkin cookies are SO delicious but SO tricky to get just right. Due to the amount of moisture in pumpkin, pumpkin cookies tend to be more light and fluffy rather than dense and chewy…which is how I like my cookies to be. It took quite a few tests, but here is what is needed to get a dense and chewy pumpkin cookie:
- Butter – Using melted butter is a great way to get a more dense cookie. With room temperature butter, air is whipped into the dough during the creaming process. But with melted butter, it’s nearly impossible to build up any air inside the dough.
- Flour – It’s important to strike perfect balance of butter and flour. Too much flour and the cookies won’t spread, too little and the cookies will turn oily and thin. To ensure you use the exact amount needed for these cookies, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge. If you scoop directly into the flour container, it pacts it down into the cup which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added flour.
- Maple & Dark Brown Sugar – This is like a one two punch of these chewy cookies. These two add so much flavor to these cookies, while also building a strong and chewy texture. Dark brown sugar contains a higher amount of molasses than light brown sugar, so it builds a much more dense cookie. Paired with the maple syrup, the two help weigh down the cookie to stop it from puffing up.
Brown sugar cinnamon coating
The coating is optional, but it does add a touch of extra sweetness and texture to these cookies. It’s a simple combination of light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
When the dough is ready, scoop each dough ball directly into the dish of the coating. The dough will be very soft, so use a light touch to toss it in the sugar. Gently form it back into a ball and place it on the baking sheet. Sprinkle a little extra coating on the very tops and bake.
How to tell when pumpkin cookies are done baking
The key to a dense and chewy cookie is to pull it out of the oven when the center still looks a bit underdone. You know they’re ready when the edges are flat and golden but the center is pale and puffed.
The residual heat will continue to bake the cookies outside of the oven and the centers will firm up and settle as they cool. In the end you’re left with wrinkly and chewy edges with a soft and tender center.
Troubleshooting your pumpkin cookies
My cookies didn’t spread in the oven – 99% of the time, this is due to how you measured the flour. Like I mentioned earlier, always spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. Don’t ever scoop directly into the flour container or shake it down/pack it in. This will give you way too much flour, thus creating a thick dough that won’t spread properly.
My cookies spread too much – Your butter may have been too hot when you added it to the dough. Make sure the brown butter is at room temperature before using. Also make sure it’s right between 3/4 cup and 1 cup. If there’s too much or too little, it can throw off the entire cookie.
Another issue could be with the pumpkin. I find that canned pumpkin can have a lot of variability. If you can, use Libby’s canned pumpkin. Otherwise, if you have trouble with these cookies, try placing the pumpkin in a bowl lined with paper towels. This will help absorb any excess liquid before adding to the dough.
Lastly, it can also be the type of butter used. For this cookie, I used basic unsalted butter. If using a nicer butter with a higher butter fat (like Kerrygold or a European-style butter) that extra fat can cause the cookies to spread more.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, but the end result will leave you with a thicker cookie. Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Once it’s firmed up a bit, scoop the balls into a freezer safe bag and freeze.
To bake, let the dough rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Then toss in the coating and bake.
How to store chewy pumpkin cookies
Store the leftovers in an air tight container at room temperature. Make sure to stack them directly on top of each other as they tend to soften the longer they sit. If they’re arranged randomly, some of them will bend and warp in the container.
For more fall cookie recipes, check out my:
- Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Maple Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these Brown Butter Maple Pumpkin Cookies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make these pumpkin cookies here:
Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 11-12 large cookies
Description
These chewy pumpkin cookies are bursting with flavor! Baked with loads of brown butter, warm spices, and pure pumpkin, these are the ultimate warm and cozy cookies that are perfect for the Fall baking season.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (280g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80g) pumpkin puree
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Coating
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- First, brown the butter. Melt 1 cup of butter over medium heat, continuing to stir until it reaches a rich amber color. Click here for more details on how to brown butter.
- Pour the butter into a measuring glass to ensure you have the right amount, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the brown bits as well. It should be a bit short of 1 cup. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes. Don’t let it solidify.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cooled brown butter. It should look like clumpy wet sand.
- Whisk in the egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth.
- Add in all of the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold into the dough. *If your dough feels too thin (it should hold its shape when scooped), chill the dough for about 15-20 minutes until thickened. This can happen sometimes if the butter is too warm at the start.
- Off to the side, mix together the coating ingredients in a small dish.
- Use a large cookie scoop (2oz) or 1/4 measuring cup and scoop out the dough. Drop into the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat. The dough will be very soft but not sticky.
- Place onto the baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart from each other. You should be able to bake 4-5 cookies at a time. Leave the rest of the dough out at room temperature.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are darkened and the center looks puffed and slightly underdone.
- Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.
- Allow the cookies to cool, then dig in!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Elle says
These cookies were so delicious, brown butter anything is just so yummy. Thank you for sharing!
Dominika says
Hey! That cookies are incredibly good! But there is one little problem – I prefer use only 180g of brown sugar, because 280g is too sweet for me. But they don’t look like yours. I know, that is my fault, but can I do something (without adding extra sugar) for fix this problem and had chewy, “spready” cookies like yours? Thank you! 🥺🤎
Chantelle says
No way did you come up with a pumpkin cookie that doesn’t turn out like bread! I am sooooo happy to have found this recipe! I made these tonight and they are unbelievably good, and I cannot wait to make another batch of these for friends and family. 10/10 from me! Thank you!!
Jenna says
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Celeste says
Love these cookies! Just made them, will definitely make them again!
Laura says
I just polished off my first cookie from a fresh batch of this recipe. These cookies are phenomenal. They’ve got the perfect amount of chew that I love in a cookie and the flavors are so warm and wonderful. I’ve always been so frustrated by the cake-like nature of most pumpkin cookies so I’m thrilled to have found this recipe! Yum!
Jenna says
Yay! So glad to hear!
Jocelyn says
Hi, I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I’m looking forward to it since it doesn’t call for any wacky ingredients that I don’t already have (unlike a lot of recipes).
You emphasize making sure to measure the flour by spooning it in… this is an interesting approach, but can you just tell us instead how many grams of flour to use so that we aren’t guessing? I feel like that would be easier for both the recipe creator AND the people recreating it.
Just a thought…
Jenna says
The grams of flour are already listed in the ingredients 🙂
Ashley says
These cookies are INCREDIBLE. Will certainly be making these again. Yum, yum, yum!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Suzanne says
This looks so good! I love all the cozy, fall flavors packed into one!
Bridget says
This recipe is perfection. Mailed a batch to my bestie while recovering from surgery and to kick-off pumpkin season
Jenna says
Aw yay! I hope she’s doing well!
Kim says
This is one of my favorite recipes! I have made it numerous times and I do not get tired of eating the cookies! I freeze them in pre-measured balls so all I have to do it put them in the oven when I eat dinner and I have fresh hot cookies as a treat after!
This past time that I made the cookies, for some reason they didn’t fluff when I cooked them. They flattened out and had weird ripples around the end and were crunchy. Could this be because of the butter??
Jenna says
If you baked from frozen, it could just be that the centers weren’t thawed enough before baking. This would cause the edges to melt rapidly, causing those rippled and crispy edges. But I’m glad you enjoy the recipe!
Anna says
Stop what you’re doing and make these cookies! They are absolutely incredible. I have made them at least 5 times over the past few months and they’re a hit each time. My new favorite cookie!!
Jenna says
Aw yay! So happy to hear this!
Annie says
Amazing! I was actually looking for a molasses cookie recipe, but stumbled across these. I’m so happy I did! They were soooooo delicious. The perfect mix of cozy and chewy. Everyone loved them and I can’t wait to make them again. Thank you for sharing this recipe and I’m excited to try your other ones 🙂
Jenna says
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
ELINE THORSEN says
I tried these with star anise instead of pumpkin spice and they turned out great! Will defenitely make them again! Eline from Norway ❤
Chris Leong says
I just made a batch of these cookies. I used pumpkin puree that I had actually made from Halloween pumpkins. I used the puree to make dog treats, but was not sure how they would turnout in cookies. Well, they are amazing. I must say I did not understand the value of browned butter until I used it in this recipe. It really tastes great in this. The brown sugar also provided an amazing grainy, caramelized crunch that I love. Chewy in the center. It’s a keeper!
Jenna says
Ah yay! So happy to hear this!
Renée says
Ohhh myyy gawddddd (Janice from Friends)! These cookies are absolutely incredible. I made them for Thanksgiving – my family kept raving about them. I’ve never had luck making a chewy pumpkin cookie until this recipe. It’s like a pumpkin snickerdoodle. They are big cookies, but so worth it!
Jenna says
Haha yay!! Thanks for sharing!
Kristi says
I just made these! They’re like the snickerdoodle’s dirty cousin. 😀 They’re sweet, spicy and nutty!
I can’t get good brown sugar here in the south, so I went with light from back home. It worked out well. I used a medium OXO cookie scoop; baked 12 mins and cool on tray 2.
Thank you very much for sharing!
Jenna says
Love that! Thanks for sharing!