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Brown Butter Maple Pumpkin Cookies

Brown butter maple pumpkin cookies with a nutty browned-butter base and spiced dough, baked until the edges turn golden. Finish with a quick maple glaze drizzle and flaky salt for a sweet-salty, tender bite.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
brown butter refrigerate 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 245
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cookie dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, browned and solidified
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup pure maple syrup
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree (blotted very dry)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Maple glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp milk Use 1–2 tablespoons to reach a drizzle consistency.
Finishing
  • 1 flaky salt for finishing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the butter & chill
  1. Brown the butter until deeply golden, then pour it out and let it solidify before using. Refrigerate until solid, about 1 hour, until the butter is set and scoopable.
Prep & preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment. Keep the parchment ready so the dough can go straight onto the trays.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the spices and leaveners are evenly distributed.
Cream wet ingredients
  1. Beat the solidified browned butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until creamy. Mix until smooth, then add the blotted pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Combine dough
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stop when no dry streaks remain to avoid tough cookies.
Portion
  1. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon rounds and place them on the lined baking sheets. Keep spacing so the cookies spread slightly without merging.
Bake
  1. Bake at 375F for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden. The centers should look set but still slightly soft.
Glaze & finish
  1. Cool the cookies completely, then drizzle with maple glaze. Sprinkle with flaky salt right after drizzling so it adheres.

Notes

For the best texture, brown the butter until it smells nutty and the color is deep gold, then chill until fully solid; blotted very dry pumpkin keeps the dough from spreading. Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months (thaw and glaze after thawing). For a dairy-free option, swap the butter with a 1:1 plant-based stick butter that browns well, and use non-dairy milk in the glaze.