Chewy Pumpkin Maple Cookies: A Fall Favorite
These delightful fall cookies feature browned butter, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup for a rich, chewy texture. Spiced with pumpkin or chai blend and rolled in spiced sugar, they're perfect for any autumn gathering.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- whisk
- Large bowl
- Shallow Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Oven
- Cookie Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie Scoop (2-inch)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 1/4 c (270g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c (226g) European style unsalted butter, browned and cool but still liquid
- 1 c (200g) light brown sugar
- 1/3 c (79ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1/2 c (125g) canned pumpkin blotted
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) maple extract optional
For Rolling
- 1/2 c (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
Instructions
Preparation
- Brown butter by melting in a saucepan, then whisking until foamy and brown bits form; cool in a clean bowl for 30 minutes until room temperature but still liquid.
- Blot excess water from canned pumpkin puree by scooping it onto paper towels in a shallow bowl and squeezing before use.
- Whisk together flour, spice blend, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined, then set aside.
- Combine the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup, stirring until well incorporated.
- Stir in the room temperature egg yolk until it is fully blended with the wet ingredients.
- Mix in the blotted pumpkin, vanilla extract, and optional maple extract until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) and line 1-2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper; let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften slightly.
- In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar with 1/2 tsp of pumpkin or chai spice blend for rolling.
- Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll each ball thoroughly in the spiced sugar mixture.
- Place the sugar-coated cookie dough balls 2-3 inches apart on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 F (177 C); if cookies are too puffy at 9-10 minutes, firmly bang the baking sheet on the oven rack a few times to flatten them.
- Cool the baked cookies on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Browning the butter adds a nutty depth of flavor. Be sure to blot the pumpkin puree to remove excess moisture, which helps prevent cakey cookies. Chilling the dough is essential for texture and spread, and don't forget the oven rack bang for perfectly chewy cookies!