Description
These Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing are a delightful fall dessert featuring soft, spiced pumpkin cookies topped with a rich and nutty brown butter icing. Perfectly balanced with warm spices and creamy sweetness, these cookies bring seasonal comfort to any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Brown Butter Icing:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugars until thoroughly combined, forming the cookie dough base.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing to maintain cookie softness.
- Scoop and Bake Cookies: Drop tablespoon-sized scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden and centers are set.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, which is important before icing.
- Prepare Brown Butter Icing: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, cooking it until it turns golden brown and emits a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning.
- Mix Icing Ingredients: Whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt into the browned butter until smooth and creamy, adjusting milk quantity to achieve desired icing consistency.
- Ice the Cookies: Spread the brown butter icing over the fully cooled cookies and allow the icing to set before serving to ensure a perfect finish.
Notes
- If the icing thickens too much as it sits, stir in a splash of warm milk to loosen it to spreadable consistency.
- For added texture and flavor, incorporate chopped pecans or walnuts into the cookie dough before baking.
