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Brown Butter Maple Pumpkin Cookies

Brown butter maple pumpkin cookies with a nutty, deeply golden brown butter base, tender centers, and a sweet maple glaze drizzle. These cookies use pumpkin puree blotted very dry and bake until the edges turn golden for a bakery-style finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
resting (brown butter solidify) 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour No sifting needed.
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cookie batter
  • 1 lb unsalted butter, browned and solidified Brown until deeply golden, then cool until solid.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup pure maple syrup
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree (blotted very dry) Blot very dry to prevent spreading.
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Maple glaze and finishing
  • 1 cup powdered sugar For maple glaze.
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup For maple glaze.
  • 1 tbsp milk Add 1–2 tbsp as needed to thin the glaze.
  • 1 flaky salt for finishing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown butter and chill
  1. Brown the butter in a skillet until it turns deeply golden and smells nutty, then refrigerate until solid, about 1 hour. Visual cue: the butter will be amber-gold with browned milk solids at the bottom.
Prep the oven and dry mix
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment. Visual cue: parchment should sit flat with no wrinkles.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. Visual cue: the mixture should look evenly speckled.
Make cookie batter
  1. Beat the solidified brown butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until creamy. Visual cue: the mixture lightens and turns smooth.
  2. Add the blotted pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract, mixing until the batter is cohesive. Visual cue: it should look thick and uniform without streaks.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains. Visual cue: stop mixing once streaks disappear.
  4. Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon rounds and place on the prepared sheets with space between. Visual cue: rounds should hold their shape.
Bake, glaze, and finish
  1. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F until the edges are golden. Visual cue: centers may look slightly set but not dry.
  2. Cool cookies completely before glazing. Visual cue: when cool, cookies won’t smear if touched gently.
  3. Whisk powdered sugar and maple syrup, then add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze drizzles thickly. Visual cue: drizzle should fall in ribbons that slowly settle.
  4. Drizzle with maple glaze and sprinkle with flaky salt. Visual cue: the glaze should streak over the tops, and salt should appear as tiny flakes.

Notes

Pro tip: blot the pumpkin puree very dry to keep the cookies thick and prevent excess spreading. Store baked cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days; refrigerate up to 7 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months (thaw at room temp, then glaze after thawing if you prefer). For a dairy-free swap, use a plant-butter intended for baking (it browns differently), and use dairy-free milk in the glaze.