Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Maple Icing
These brown butter pumpkin spice cookies with maple icing are soft, without being too cakey, and full of warm autumn spices and toasty sweetness. Perfect for fall entertaining, coffee dates, and gifting!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) cut into pats
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1¼ cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Brown Butter Maple Glaze:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, (as needed)
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown bits form and it has a nutty aroma, about 6-8 minutes. (Don't walk away; it's important to keep a close eye on it so it does not burn. If it burns, you must start again.) Pour it into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, including the brown bits. Cool to nearly room temperature, about 15-20 minutes, give or take.
- Place a folded paper towel on a plate or work surface. Place the pumpkin puree in the center. Blot the pumpkin puree with another paper towel to remove excess moisture. Repeat with additional dry paper towels until one comes away mostly dry (I use a total of 8 half-sheets). Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- Add the pumpkin puree, both sugars, egg and vanilla to the bowl with the browned butter. Beat until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and incorporate by hand.
- Scoop the dough using a 2-tablespoon scoop and place directly onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2-inches in between; 6 to 8 cookies per sheet.
- Bake 13-15 minutes until the edges are set. (Rotate the cookies 180 degrees halfway through if your oven has hot spots like mine.) Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- While the cookies bake, make the glaze: brown 4 tablespoons butter until golden and nutty. Cool slightly. Whisk in powdered sugar, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons cream, and salt. Add more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve your desired consistency. A thinner glaze is good for drizzling; a thicker glaze can be spread with a spatula; somewhere in between is good for dipping.
Notes
- Spice shortcut – instead of using individual spices, replace the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1001IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Drop a comment or question!Have a question about recipe variations or techniques? Did this recipe make your taste buds do a happy dance? Let me know in the ratings and comments! Your feedback keeps our kitchen sizzling and helps us cook up more free, mouthwatering recipes for you.