As we end the first full week of October, you can no loner deny that it is full on pumpkin season! Pumpkin can be a bit of a galvanizing flavor. I find people are either very into pumpkin or simply don't understand why everyone else loves pumpkin. I fall somewhere in between when it comes to pumpkin. Let's just say that I've made my peace with pumpkin. When I create a pumpkin recipe, pumpkin plays both a starring and supporting role. These chewy maple pumpkin cookies are the perfect example of enjoying a pumpkin recipe without it being too "pumpkin-y."
In a few words, these pumpkin cookies are:
- Chewy
- Buttery
- Nutty
- Full of maple and pumpkin flavor.
- Balanced between spicy and sweet.
- The perfect fall cookie for snacking!
What ingredients do I need to make these chewy maple pumpkin cookies?
- All purpose flour
- Pumpkin spice blend or chai spice blend
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Egg
- Canned pumpkin or pumpkin pureé
- Vanilla extract
- Maple extract
- Granulated sugar
From these ingredients you will make the maple pumpkin cookies and the spiced sugar coating.
what baking tools do I need to make these pumpkin cookies?
- Sauce pan to make the browned butter
- 3-4 mixing bowls
- One for making the cookie dough and another to blot the pumpkin.
- One for the brown butter and one to make the spiced sugar coating.
- Flexible silicone spatula or spoon
- 1-2 large aluminum cookie sheets
- Large cookie scoop
- This is my preferred way to get beautifully consistent cookies every time!
- Parchment paper to line the cookie sheets.
- Food scale
- This is the recommended way to measure out the dry ingredients.
- Less measuring tools means less clean up!
Tips and tricks for the perfect chewy pumpkin cookie
- Read through the entire recipe before starting.
- Brown the butter.
- This provides another layer of flavor.
- Use European style butter for a chewier cookie.
- Blot the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin contains a lot of water so skipping this step will result in more cake like cookies.
- Chill the cookie dough.
- This helps to hydrate the dough and makes for a chewier, more flavorful cookie.
- Chilling can be done 8 hours or up to overnight. Make sure to keep it covered in plastic wrap while in the fridge.
- Remove the cookie dough to come sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Use a cookie scoop.
- This is the secret to perfectly shaped cookies.
- Use a large circular pastry (cookie or biscuit) cutter.
- While the cookies are still hot from the oven place a cutter that is wider than the cookie, around the cookie.
- In a circular motion, gently nudge any imperfect edges back into the cookie.
- Allow cookies to cool as written in the recipe.
More pumpkin recipes to try
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Spiced Pumpkin Apple Bread
- Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon Tiramisu
- Maple Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Gingersnap Icebox Cake
- Cheesecake Filled Pumpkin Spiced Cookies
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Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
chewy maple pumpkin cookies
these chewy maple pumpkin cookies are made from a maple pumpkin sugar cookie dough. they're coated in a sweet and spicy sugar. the result is a chewy, sweet and buttery pumpkin cookie that's full of delicious fall flavor!
Equipment
- mixing bowls with flexible silicone spatula or spoon
- plastic cling wrap
- large cookie sheet(s)
- large cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ c (270g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 c (226g) European style unsalted butter, browned and cool but still liquid
- 1 c (200g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ c (79ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ c (125g) canned pumpkin, blotted
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) maple extract, optional
spiced sugar
- ½ c (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin or chai spice blend
Instructions
- Make brown butter about an hour before you plan to make the cookies. It will need 15 minutes to make and another 15-30 to cool enough to use in the recipe.To make the brown butter, melt butter in a clear heavy bottom sauce pan. Once the butter starts to foam, whisk continuously until brown bits start to form. Remove from heat, pour into clean bowl and cool 30 minutes to room temperature.
- Lay 2-3 paper towels across a wide, shallow bowl. Scoop a generous ½ c of pumpkin puree onto the paper towels. The excess water will absorb into the paper towels. Before using in the recipe, squeeze the excess water from the pumpkin.
- Whisk the flour, spice blend of choice, baking soda and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
- Stir the cooled brown butter, brown sugar and maple syrup together until well combined.
- Stir in the egg yolk until well combined.
- Stir in the pumpkin, vanilla and maple extracts until well combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for 8 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line 1-2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This helps the dough warm a bit and will help the cookies spread better.?
- Mix the spice mix used in the cookie dough with the sugar until well combined. Taste and adjust the balance of spices as needed.
- Using a 2" cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough. Roll the dough in the spiced sugar mixture.
- Place the sugar coated cookie dough balls about 2-3" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies at 350 F (177 C) for 12-14 minutes. At 9-10 minutes, check the cookies. If they are puffier than you would like, open the oven, lift up the cookie sheet a few inches and firmly bang the pan on the oven rack a few times. Finish baking 3-4 minutes.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet on top of a cooling rack for about 3-5 minutes. Remove the cookies to fully cool on the cooling rack.
Notes
Recipe updated on 11/29/21 to reflect a retest to ensure a flatter, chewier pumpkin cookie.
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Pia says
Would this recipe still work if I cooked fresh pumpkin rather than using canned?
Megan says
Hi Pia! Yes, you can use fresh pureed pumpkin in place of the canned pumpkin. I would pay extra close attention to absorbing as much of the excess moisture from the pureed pumpkin as you can before using it in the recipe. Extra moisture = a more cake like cookie. Let me know how it works for you!
Linda says
Accidentally used salted browner butter so I skipped the added salt in the recipe and sprinkled sea salt before baking. Made one tray with and one tray with without chocolate chips. Both were amazing! Suuuuch a good recipe! ????
Megan says
These sound like fantastic flavor changes! Im going to have to give them a try. So happy to read you enjoyed them!
Tracy J Osborn says
Made these a couple of weeks ago!!! So good!! Going to bake them again this weekend for our first annual cookie baking weekend with my daughter in law and grandkids!!! Curious how much baking powder??
Megan says
HI Tracy! I am so happy to read everyone loved the cookies. How exciting to start such a fun tradition! I recently reworked the recipe and revised some of the ingredients to ensure a chewier cookie. Baking powder is no longer needed for the recipe. Since you have already made these once before, please let me know if you need the original recipe. If not, the recipe listed now is equally tasty!
Dani says
Hi Megan! I see that baking powder is needed for this recipe but it is not listed with a corresponding measurement in the actual recipe. How much baking powder is needed? Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Dani,
Apologies for the confusion. I reworked the recipe to ensure a chewier cookie vs. a more cake-like cookies as some readers reported having. There is no longer baking powder needed in the cookies, only baking soda. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. The recipe should reflect only baking soda in the measurements and instructions.
Dani says
Thank you so much for the (quick) clarification! Can't wait to try these tomorrow!
Amy G says
I just stumbled on your recipe. I will be attempting a cookie cake version. Then cutting them out to get perfect uniform cookies. Hope they come out!
Megan says
Hi Amy! Please let me know how this method works for you! I'd love to try it out!
Nicole says
Hello!! I made these last night into smaller 1.5 Tbsp cookies, and they are AMAZING!!! They look exactly like yours but smaller. I love pumpkin and CHEWY snickerdoodles, so this was the perfect cookie to me. Thank you for the recipe!