These Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are simply amazing! They have a warm pumpkin flavor, lots of spices, and a beautiful, nutty brown butter taste.
Making these cookies is like a cozy hug! I love to enjoy them with a cup of tea. They always bring smiles and the smell fills the house with happiness! 🍂
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Browned butter is the star of this recipe. It adds depth and a nutty flavor. If you want a dairy-free option, try using coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative.
Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you don’t have pumpkin, you can substitute with applesauce for a different but tasty flavor.
Spices: The mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves gives these cookies a cozy fall vibe. If you’re missing one spice, you can usually omit it or use a pumpkin spice blend as a substitute.
Flour: All-purpose flour works best here, but if you’d like to go gluten-free, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can work well too.
What’s the Best Way to Brown Butter?
Brown butter adds a deliciously rich flavor, but it requires a bit of attention. Here’s how to do it perfectly:
- First, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Continue cooking, stirring or swirling the pan often, to prevent burning. Look for the milk solids to sink and turn golden brown.
- As soon as it smells nutty and has that lovely golden color, remove it from the heat immediately to prevent overcooking.
Let it cool a bit before adding it to your mixture. This adds the perfect depth of flavor to your cookies!
Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients You’ll Need:
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
For Rolling Sugar:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Time Estimate:
This delightful cookie recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare, followed by chilling time of at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours if you want to make it ahead). Baking will take about 10-12 minutes. Overall, you’re looking at around 1 hour and 30 minutes before you can enjoy these delicious cookies!
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Brown the Butter:
Start by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking it while gently swirling the pan ever so often. Watch closely as it foams, then turns a lovely golden brown color and gives off a nutty aroma—this takes about 5-7 minutes. Once browned, remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
2. Prepare the Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix everything together until it’s nice and smooth and creamy.
3. Add Wet Ingredients:
Next, beat in the egg until everything is mixed well, then add in the pumpkin puree and mix until incorporated and combined.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients:
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until they’re all well-blended.
5. Mix Dry into Wet:
Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, giving it a gentle stir until just combined. Remember, don’t overmix here!
6. Chill the Dough:
Cover the dough bowl and pop it into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You can chill it for up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to deepen and prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
7. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets:
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to help prevent sticking.
8. Prepare Cinnamon Sugar:
In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for rolling the cookies later.
9. Form Cookies:
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out about 1.5 tablespoons of dough. Roll each scoop into a ball and then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture until well coated.
10. Bake:
Place your sugar-coated cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set, but the centers are still soft. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool!
11. Cool:
Once baked, let your cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. After that, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy the warm, cozy flavors of these delightful cookies!
These cookies will offer a soft and chewy texture, filled with the comforting tastes of pumpkin and a delightful array of warm spices, all made even better by the rich flavor of brown butter. Enjoy each bite! 🍁
Can I Use Another Type of Sugar?
Yes, you can substitute brown sugar with coconut sugar for a slightly different flavor. Just keep in mind that it may affect the color of the cookies a bit. Regular granulated sugar can also be used, but the cookies won’t have the same depth of flavor.
How Should I Store Leftover Cookies?
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be refrigerated for up to a week. Make sure they’re completely cooled before storing to maintain their soft texture!
What If I Don’t Have Cream of Tartar?
No worries! If you don’t have cream of tartar on hand, you can substitute it with an equal amount of baking powder or simply omit it. The cookies will still taste delicious, but cream of tartar does help to add a little chewiness.
Can I Freeze the Dough for Later?
Absolutely! You can freeze the cookie dough balls before baking. Just place them on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be baked straight from the freezer, just adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
