Description
These chewy maple pumpkin cookies combine the warm spices of pumpkin or chai blend with the rich sweetness of maple syrup and brown butter for a moist, flavorful treat perfect for fall or any cozy occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (270g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) European style unsalted butter, browned and cool 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
- Brown the Butter: About an hour before baking, melt the butter in a clear heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Continuously whisk once it begins to foam until brown bits form and it smells nutty. Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl. Let cool for 30 minutes until still liquid but room temperature.
- Prepare Pumpkin: Lay 2-3 paper towels across a shallow bowl, scoop ½ cup of canned pumpkin puree on top, and blot to absorb excess moisture. Squeeze out any remaining water from the pumpkin before use.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin or chai spice blend, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Stir the cooled brown butter with the brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Add the egg yolk and mix thoroughly. Then fold in the blotted pumpkin, vanilla extract, and optional maple extract until fully incorporated.
- Make the Dough: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to develop flavor and improve texture.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 1-2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften slightly for better spreading during baking.
- Make Spiced Sugar: Combine granulated sugar and the chosen spice blend for the coating. Taste and adjust spice ratio as desired.
- Scoop and Coat Dough: Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, portion dough and roll each ball in the spiced sugar mixture, coating well.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place coated cookie dough balls 2-3 inches apart on the parchment-lined sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 12-14 minutes. At 9-10 minutes, if cookies are puffier than preferred, open oven and firmly bang the cookie sheet on the oven rack a few times to encourage spreading. Then finish baking for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet placed on a cooling rack for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Brown butter adds a nutty depth of flavor to these cookies. Ensure it is cooled but still liquid before mixing.
- Blotting pumpkin puree removes excess moisture, preventing soggy cookies and improving texture.
- Chilling the dough overnight enhances the flavor and helps cookies retain their chewy texture.
- Banging the cookie sheet during baking helps control how much the cookies spread and prevents excess puffiness.
- Maple extract is optional but enhances the maple flavor if you want it more pronounced.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
