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Maple Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Maple brown butter pumpkin cookies bake up soft and warmly spiced, with nutty browned butter and golden edges. A smooth maple glaze adds a sweet finish to each chilled-and-baked cookie.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 19 minutes
Chilling and glaze setting 1 hour 13 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 57 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 145
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed, light
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup pumpkin puree canned
  • 1 egg yolk large
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.75 tsp salt fine
  • 1 tsp cinnamon ground
  • 0.5 tsp ginger ground
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg ground
For the maple glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup pure
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 0.125 tsp salt fine

Equipment

  • 1 2-quart saucepan
  • 2 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets

Method
 

Brown the butter and mix the dough
  1. Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, then cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often, until the butter smells nutty and the milk solids are golden brown.
  2. Pour the butter, including the browned bits, into a large bowl and cool for 20-30 minutes, until no longer hot.
  3. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled butter.
  4. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
  6. Stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture just until no dry flour remains.
  7. Cover and chill the dough for 45-60 minutes.
Bake the cookies
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions, placing 12 on each sheet about 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake for 11-13 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the edges are set and lightly browned.
  4. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Make the maple glaze
  1. Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and fine salt in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and let it set for about 20 minutes.

Notes

For the deepest nutty flavor, watch the butter closely and remove it from the heat when the milk solids are golden brown. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use dairy-free butter and unsweetened plant milk.