Description
With a soft, chewy texture and loaded with browned butter and pumpkin spice flavor, these Chewy Browned Butter Pumpkin Cookies are the perfect cookie for fall!
Ingredients
- 226 gm (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 300 gm (1 1/4 cups, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 120 gm (1/2 cup) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 312 gm (2 1/2 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon sugar coating: 67 gm (1/3 cup) granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown the butter (instructions below*), then place in the fridge uncovered to chill for 45 to 60 minutes, until the butter has cooled and reaches a semi-solid consistency of very soft butter.
- Add the chilled browned butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Next, mix in the egg yolk, followed by the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 2 additions, mixing on low speed until just combined; be careful not to overmix.
- Cover the dough and place in the fridge to chill for 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for the cinnamon-sugar coating in a small bowl and set aside.
- Using a #24 spring-loaded cookie scoop (which holds a little over 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough), scoop the cookie dough and roll in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from front to back about halfway through bake time to ensure even baking. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*How to brown butter: Place the butter in a medium stainless steel or light-colored saucepan set over medium-low heat. Allow the butter to melt and come to a boil, stirring constantly. As you continue to stir, you’ll hear the butter begin to make a crackling noise. Eventually, the crackling noise will subside and a foamy layer will surface to the top. Continue to stir constantly and watch the liquid butter underneath the foam go from yellow, to tan, to caramel-colored; the butter will become fragrant. Once you’ve reached this stage, pour the butter into a heatproof bowl, being sure to get all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. For this recipe, pop the browned butter in the fridge uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes before making the dough. Browned butter can be made up to 3 days in advance (see below).
Make ahead tip: The browned butter can be made up to 3 days in advance. To do this, simply brown the butter as directed above and store covered in the fridge. Be sure to set the browned butter out at room temperature to soften before making the cookie dough!
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing instructions: Chill, scoop, and roll the dough in cinnamon-sugar as directed in the recipe. Place sugar-coated dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until dough is frozen solid. Place the frozen dough in a freezer-safe zip top bag and store for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, just add 1 to 2 minutes to your bake time!