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Cozy Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

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Soft, cake-like pumpkin cookies with a rich brown butter icing. An easy fall recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup (1 stick) of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt completely, then swirl the pan occasionally. After about 5-7 minutes, the foam will subside and golden brown specks will form at the bottom. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine cooled brown butter, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, beat for another minute until light and fluffy.
  4. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until no lumps remain.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  6. Scoop and shape: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently press each down slightly to about ½ inch thick.
  7. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cookies should look set around edges but still soft in center. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Make the icing: Brown remaining ½ cup butter the same way. Let cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in sifted powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add more milk if too thick, more powdered sugar if too thin.
  9. Ice the cookies: Once cookies are completely cool, drizzle brown butter icing over the top. Let icing set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t skip cooling the brown butter before mixing into wet ingredients to avoid cooking the egg. Watch brown butter carefully as it can go from perfect to burnt quickly. Room temperature ingredients matter for best texture. Cookies taste even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, brown butter icing, fall cookies, easy pumpkin recipe, soft pumpkin cookies

Find it online: https://spoonluma.com/cozy-pumpkin-cookies-with-brown-butter-icing-easy-fall-recipe/