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Brown Butter Maple Pumpkin Cookies

Brown Butter Maple Pumpkin Cookies deliver nutty brown-butter flavor in soft, golden cookies with pumpkin spice and a simple maple glaze drizzle. Brown butter is chilled until solid for a rich, thick texture that bakes up with golden edges.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 165
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 base
  • 1 lb unsalted butter browned until deeply golden and then 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 add 1–2 tablespoons as needed for drizzling consistency
  • 0.5 tsp flaky salt for finishing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown butter + chill
  1. Brown the unsalted butter in a cast iron skillet until deeply golden, then let it cool and solidify in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
  2. Set up: preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment while the dough firms up.
Mix dry + wet
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
  2. Beat the solidified browned butter, brown sugar, and pure maple syrup until creamy, then beat in the blotted pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin batter until no dry streaks remain.
Bake + glaze
  1. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon rounds and place them on the lined baking sheets with space between.
  2. Bake at 375F for 10–12 minutes, until edges are golden.
  3. Cool completely, then drizzle with maple glaze and sprinkle with flaky salt to finish.

Notes

Pro tip: blanch-free browning is key—brown butter should smell nutty and be visibly golden, then chill until truly solid so the cookies scoop cleanly. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies (without glaze) for up to 2 months; thaw and glaze after. For a dairy-light option, use a 1:1 plant-butter substitute suitable for baking, but texture may be slightly softer.