A soft and tender cake-like pumpkin cookie with pumpkin pie spices, slathered with an amazing brown butter frosting! These Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing is the pumpkin recipe that started the whole pumpkin obsession for me, and they do not disappoint!
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Hello, friends! How’s everybody? Today we are chugging along with more pumpkin things. Are you sick of it yet? Good. Me neither! I’m going to level with you… these Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing are cakey pumpkin cookies. Because, as of right now, I don’t have a perfect chewy pumpkin cookie recipe that I really love. But I’m working on it. Just you wait.
(Update: the wait is over — you NEED to try these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies! They’re the perfect chewy pumpkin cookie! They’re loaded with spice, and a hint of coffee too.).
Today though, this is what I’m giving you: a cakey pumpkin cookie. A recipe for pumpkin mini-cakes labeled as cookies. No matter. These Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing are still perfect and lovely.
A cakey pumpkin cookie still has its time and place! These are ridiculously delicious. This recipe is old, old, old. It’s another one that was born out of my law school days when the only life I had outside of studying was experimenting in my kitchen. It’s tried-and-true deliciousness for the ages.
These Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing are soft and tender little pillows of pumpkin goodness combined with the best fall spices. It doesn’t stop there. They are then slathered in an amazing brown butter frosting. If there is something better than brown butter in this world, then I’m not aware of it.
You can also find that icing on these Brown Sugar Maple Bacon Scones, or these Zucchini Bars with Brown Butter Frosting, as well as a slew of other things on the blog.
These Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing are a perfect and balanced combination of some of the best flavors of fall. Like a party for autumn in a cookie (Errr, a mini-cake?). Have a fall party in your mouth! Make this pumpkin cookie recipe. You will not be sorry. I made them last week. We ate them all in about 2 days. And now they must happen again.
Yes, you caught me. There are little powdered sugar clumps in the icing. Let’s pretend those aren’t there, shall we? Also… the cookie with the bite looks like Pac-Man, doesn’t it? Adventures in learning how to photograph food, people. That is what you’re witnessing here. ๐
Besides these Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing, I’ve also used the same recipe to make these Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, these Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting, and these White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Cookies!
If you are more in the mood for a chewy pumpkin cookie, check out my Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, these Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, or these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies. ๐
Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
A soft and tender cake-like pumpkin cookie with pumpkin pie spices, slathered with an amazing brown butter frosting! These Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing is the pumpkin recipe that started the whole pumpkin obsession for me, and they do not disappoint!
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/2 c. butter softened
- 3/4 c. white sugar
- 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
- 1 c. canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/2 c. flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. clove
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Icing:
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter
- 1/4 c. milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Cookies:
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In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
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Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla; beat until well-blended.
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In another large bowl, combine remaining ingredients (all the dry cookie ingredients).
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Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined.
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Drop on cookie sheets by tablespoonfuls, and flatten slightly.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
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Remove cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely.
Icing:
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Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside.
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Melt butter in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until it foams, the foam dissipates, it turns a deep golden brown, and develops brown flecks and a nutty fragrance, about 10 minutes or so. Toward the later stages, around the time it begins to foam, watch the brown butter very closely. It can go from 'brown' to 'burned' very quickly.
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Remove from heat, cool 2-3 minutes, and *carefully* pour over powdered sugar.
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Add milk and vanilla, and vigorously whisk the mixture until smooth. If the icing seems to seize or separate, you just need to reeeeeeally mix it to emulsify it. You can use an electric mixer if preferred. But don't give up thinking it's ruined, it just needs to be emulsified, so give it a serious mixing! Icing should be thin enough to spread, but not runny or drippy. Add additional milk or powdered sugar, as needed, to achieve desired consistency.
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Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of icing onto each cookie. Allow to set. Enjoy!
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Store cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper or foil between layers of cookies. At room temperature, cookies will keep for 4-5 days. They'll keep for about a week if stored in the fridge. They freeze beautifully if well-wrapped!
I hope you love these Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing!! Please let me know if you try them!
Love Keil (MunchkinTime) says
September 27, 2014 at 12:03 pmThese look delicious… perfect cookies in fall season.
Sarah says
September 27, 2014 at 12:23 pmThanks! Yes, they’re fantastic. BROWN BUTTER! Haha. Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!
Jenny says
October 17, 2019 at 12:32 pmI just finished making the cookies and they are delicious. I do have a question. How do you get your cookies so perfectly round and same sized?? I am open to any and all suggestions.
Sarah says
October 18, 2019 at 7:49 amHi! I started using cookie scoops a few years ago, and I LOVE them. They make cookies very uniform in size and much more round. I also love that they usually give cookies more thickness and height because it scoops a pretty tall scoop. It also just makes drop cookies soooo much easier. Bonus — you get even baking throughout a tray because they are all uniform in size. You can find cookie scoops on Amazon for $10 or so!
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
September 27, 2014 at 4:18 pmThat made me laugh that you mentionned Sally’s Baking Addiction’s pumpkin cookies, because I had just finished making her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies when I read this! Still a bit cake-y but definitely less so than most pumpkin cookies! I love the brown butter icing on these, brown butter is so good.
Sarah says
September 27, 2014 at 4:59 pmI’m now convinced that a truly chewy pumpkin cookie doesn’t exist! I can’t seem to make it happen without sacrificing pumpkin flavor, which, HELLO, is all I really want anyway! Haha. But these are excellent even if they fall under the ‘cakey’ category! Brown butter… best stuff on the planet, right? Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!! ๐
cathy says
September 27, 2014 at 10:06 pmI just went to a birthday party and the host served cookie that looked exactly like this that she purchased from a bakery! They were amazing like these sound and look! PINNED because now I can make these sweet treats at home! Sweet! :–)
Saying hello from the craft o maniac link party!
Cathy
Sarah says
September 28, 2014 at 7:55 amHi Cathy! Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so glad you like this recipe – the cookies are unbelievably good! The brown butter icing… there are no words to describe! Haha. Thank you for pinning! I’ve followed you as well because I took note of your Apple Cider Doughnut Cake recently on another link party and it sounded delicious. Happy Sunday to you!
J @ A Hot Southern Mess says
September 29, 2014 at 11:01 amOh. My. Gosh. These cookies looks sooooo good! I have to pin this recipe. Thanks for sharing. Stopping in from the link up today.
Sarah says
September 29, 2014 at 11:15 amOh, how funny because I saw your Cobbler recipe in the linkup and hadn’t had a chance yet to leave a comment! Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate it. Btw, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog name! ๐
Heather @ Shards of Lavender says
September 29, 2014 at 9:37 pmSarah, I love that you used brown butter in the icing; it adds such an amazing flavor! Your cookies look pillowy soft and I know my family would love them. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Can’t get enough of pumpkin!
Sarah says
September 29, 2014 at 10:37 pmHi Heather! Thank you so much for stopping by! These are one of my favorite cookies of all time. They’re just incredible. Isn’t brown butter the greatest? ๐ I hopped over to your blog and spotted these. You had me at brown butter, but butterscotch + cashews? Omgosh. Pinned, for sure. Have a great evening!
Heather @ Shards of Lavender says
September 29, 2014 at 11:13 pmThanks for the pin, Sarah! The blondies are my absolute favorite:) Good to find another butterscotch fan!
Gwen says
October 1, 2014 at 1:39 amThese look amazing! I have a pumpkin pie recipe I love, Pumpkin bread and even a pumpkin spice latte recipe I adore, but pumpkin cookies! Yay! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try!
Sarah says
October 1, 2014 at 8:49 amHi Gwen! I’m so glad you like the cookie recipe! Try them! They’re delicious and easy, and the icing is AMAZING!! Thanks for stopping by here! Have a fabulous day. ๐
Rachel @{i love} my disorganized life says
October 1, 2014 at 1:08 pmOh my! Pumpkin AND brown butter icing? I’ve just gone to cookie Heaven! Thanks for sharing at Wednesday Whatsits!
Sarah says
October 1, 2014 at 1:37 pmI feel the same way! These are definitely a cookie euphoria for me. I can’t get enough pumpkin things right now and I heart brown butter so much. Definitely one of my favorite things on the planet. Haha! Thanks for stopping by, Rachel! ๐
Kirsten Oliphant says
October 1, 2014 at 9:32 pmI didn’t know what the big deal was about brown butter. Then I made it. OH.MY.WORD. That’s why I immediately clicked over here from Mouthwatering Mondays! Love your blog, love this recipe. Yum! Pinning. ๐
Sarah says
October 2, 2014 at 8:18 amI know – it’s funny that butter is sooooooooo incredible and amazing when you basically cook the heck out of it. Who would’ve thought? But it is! Haha. Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate your kind comment! ๐
Sami says
October 1, 2014 at 9:55 pmOh my gosh, I’m pretty sure my friend made this exact recipe and brought them to school today. YUM! They were so good!
Sarah says
October 2, 2014 at 8:17 amHi Sami! Yes, I love these cookies. I have tried a lot of different pumpkin cookies, and so far, these are my favorite! Thanks for stopping by!
Marissa says
December 27, 2018 at 5:49 pmWhat size can of pumpkin purรฉe??
Sarah says
December 27, 2018 at 5:51 pmThe recipe calls for 1 cup pumpkin puree. A 15 oz. can is plenty… almost double what you need.
Tiffany says
October 2, 2014 at 2:30 pmThese look absolutely amazing!
Sarah says
October 2, 2014 at 4:08 pmThank you, Tiffany! Thank you for stopping by!
Diane Roark says
October 4, 2014 at 4:45 pmThank you for linking up these delicious looking cookies to Wonderful Wed. Blog Hop last week.
I am adding them to my Cookie Roundup post.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
Sarah says
October 4, 2014 at 5:06 pmHi Diane! Thanks so much for popping over here, and for including me in the cookie roundup! I feel so honored. I appreciate it! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!! ๐
Julia@Mini Van Dreams says
October 7, 2014 at 9:23 amThank you for linking up with us again at Tickle My Tastebuds! I am featuring you this week and would love if you’d stop by and link up some more delicious recipes!
Julia @ Mini Van Dreams
Sarah says
October 7, 2014 at 11:01 amHi Julia! Done! Thanks so much for the party, and for featuring these cookies! Hope you have a fantastic week! ๐
Jessica says
December 5, 2015 at 8:34 amWhat great stuff! I LOVE to bake.
Sarah says
December 6, 2015 at 9:49 amSo glad you like the recipe!
Cathy P says
September 12, 2018 at 5:31 pmDoes the icing harden? They sound wonderful. I would like to take them to a party and wonder how to transport them and how many days in adcvance of the party can I make them. Thanks
Sarah says
September 12, 2018 at 7:18 pmHi there! The icing hardens! It sets if you leave them out in a single layer. They should be fairly easy to transport once the icing sets. I would put foil or saran between layers of cookies though! You can definitely make these a day or two ahead of time. You could even make them well ahead of time, and freeze, if you wanted, but I’d freeze separately – freeze the cookies, make and freeze the icing, then defrost and assemble. Please let me know how you like them!
Natalie says
September 17, 2018 at 1:31 pmWhat size can pumpkin?? Cant wait to make these
Natalie says
September 17, 2018 at 1:32 pmJust realized it’s a cup … sorry my bad lol
Sarah says
September 17, 2018 at 5:06 pmNo problem!! ๐ Please let me know how you like them!
Sheila Shaw says
October 3, 2018 at 8:18 amOhhhhhhh, YES! Made these last night and boy are they Yummy! They even look like the picture ?
Thanks for sharing this recipe Golden Girl??โ?
Sarah says
October 3, 2018 at 5:39 pmOh, that’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that. This recipe has been super popular lately. The pictures on my blog post are OLD!! I’ve made these a few times this month too, and these are such a staple for me. I love them. I’m so happy you like them too. ๐
Kylie says
October 3, 2018 at 12:50 pmI used a whole 15oz can of pumpkin on accident ??โโ๏ธ How can I fix this?
Sarah says
October 3, 2018 at 2:38 pmEek!! That’s almost double the amount, so double the rest of the recipe, if it’s not too late! You’ll just have LOTS of cookies, but that’s not a big problem. ๐
Kristie says
October 22, 2018 at 12:15 pmI thought I’d try this. Yummy! They were gone in no time. Have made second batch already this week. Daughter wants a batch to take to work. Put on my husband’s favorite ,list. I said they are just like his mom’s orange drop cookies but pumpkin spice.had no problem with the recipe? Thanks.
Sarah says
October 22, 2018 at 4:31 pmHi Kristie! YAY! I’m so glad you like them. They’ve been a favorite of mine for years. I should really update the pictures in that post though – they’re quite awful. Haha. Your MIL’s orange drop cookies sound amazing!!
Marcia says
November 18, 2018 at 3:50 pmJust made these!! Divine!! Mmmmm!! Thought I would have too much frosting but it was just enough!! Excellent recipe!!
Sarah says
November 18, 2018 at 8:21 pmWonderful!! I’m so glad it worked for you! Any critique or feedback? I’ve made them for a long time, and really love them. So glad you liked them too! Thanks for sharing. ๐
Chelsea says
November 19, 2018 at 6:01 pmThese cookies look delicious! Do you unsalted butter or salted for the cookie part?? Thanks!
Sarah says
November 19, 2018 at 8:57 pmI know a lot of bakers use unsalted butter, but I’ve baked with salted butter for years, so I just haven’t really changed that about my recipes. I use salted! Thanks for clarifying. ๐ I hope you like them – made them for years now!
Kim says
December 8, 2018 at 11:47 amI only have unsalted butter, how much salt do I add to the cookie mixture? I thought salt was always an important part of the baking process. ?
Canโt wait to make them and try them!
Sarah says
December 8, 2018 at 6:44 pmUnsalted butter is totally fine! Add 1/4 tsp. salt! It’s helpful for balancing and enhancing sweetness, so I do add it when I’m not using salted butter. ๐
Cynthia says
November 20, 2018 at 11:48 pmSoooooo good. Making these for my sons birthday to take to his class. Delicious!!
Sarah says
November 21, 2018 at 9:03 amYay! I’m so glad you like them!! Thank you so much for letting me know! Anything you would change next time? Thanks for your comment. ๐
Brandie says
November 21, 2018 at 8:50 amHi i was wondering what size canned pumpkin?
Sarah says
November 21, 2018 at 9:02 amYou use 1 cup canned pumpkin puree – a 15 oz. can will be plenty, you won’t use the whole thing!
Brandie says
November 21, 2018 at 11:30 amPerfect thank you ๐
Deb says
November 22, 2018 at 1:25 amJust made these tonight! The cookies themselves are SO good. I just realized as I was reading the other comments that I used a whole can of pumpkin purรฉe instead of a cup and honestly Iโd keep it that way. The cookie taste is great and it cooked just fine (although I had to cook them about 15 mins or so).
What I feel I must have done wrong is the icing. My husband and I both felt like it tasted almost exclusively like the vanilla and overpowered the cookies. I ended up only drizzling a little bit of the icing on 2/3s of the cookies and left the last tray plain. Should the icing have tasted more like butter? I have more unsalted butter so I might try again tomorrow with less powdered sugar and vanilla.
Great recipe though. Again, we loved the cookies even without the icing (and with extra pumpkin purรฉe thrown in.).
Sarah says
November 22, 2018 at 8:33 amOh, you used a whole 15 oz. can and they still turned out great? Whew, that’s great! I thought I’d seen one or two other comments about how much pumpkin, so I’m going to make a note in there so that it’s clearer. I’m so glad they still turned out well for you even with the extra! Maybe I’ll try that myself. Thank you for letting me know!
The brown butter icing should definitely have a bit more depth than being just a vanilla icing – it should have notes of nuttiness and caramel in it. It shouldn’t overpower the cookies though… I myself do a pretty thin layer of frosting (though my family goes OVER that and adds more to the cookies I’ve frosted – haha!). But I like to make sure that they don’t overtake. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you! If you decide to try it again, let me know how it goes. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Kristianna says
November 22, 2018 at 2:02 pmHello! Just made these delicious cookies! So amazing I must say! But my icing is veryyyy sweet, anything to fix that?
Sarah says
November 22, 2018 at 5:58 pmI’m sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier in the day! I would say to add a pinch of salt if it’s too sweet – that might help cut it a bit!
Charleyn La'a says
November 23, 2018 at 5:33 amJust made these for Thanksgiving Day. I followed the cookie recipe but had to make a few adjustments after making my first batch.
First, I added 1 tsp nutmeg and cloves instead of just 1/4 tsp to the dough mix.
Second, when droping by Tbsps of dough onto parchment paper, I totally had to flatten my dough balls to look like cookies cuz my first
batch looked just like baked cake balls and tasted really dry.
Third, I sprinkled more cinnamon on top of the flattened dough balls before baking them.
The icing was a little on the sweet side, so I sprinkled more nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon into it to my taste.
These pumkin spice mini cakes came out great!
Thank you for this recipe. Happy Thanksgiving. Aloha from Hawaiสปi.
Sarah says
November 23, 2018 at 10:14 amThank you so much for sharing your feedback! Nutmeg is not my favorite, so I usually do pretty small amounts, but the spices can definitely be changed easily for preference. I’m glad you found a combo of spices that you liked better! And yes – sometimes they are pretty puffy, occasionally I slightly flatten them, but usually they flatten out as they cool. I’m glad that you liked them overall, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday!! Thank you!! ๐
Jess says
December 2, 2018 at 10:44 amIf I use salted butter will that make a big difference?
Sarah says
December 2, 2018 at 2:53 pmNope, it won’t! I use salted butter most of the time. Unless I indicate that I used unsalted in a recipe, I use salted! I know a lot of bakers work with unsalted butter only, but I mostly use salted because it’s just how I know my recipes at this point. ๐ Please let me know how you like them!
Lindsay says
December 4, 2018 at 7:44 pmDo these have to go in the fridge or freezer? Every year I make about 1800 cookies the week before and the week of Christmas (a few different types) and either fridge or freeze them until it’s time to give them away. How should I keep these cookies fresh? They look and sound amazing! Thank you!
Sarah says
December 4, 2018 at 8:06 pmHOLY COOKIES!! Eek! What all are you making this year? I’d love to know what’s on your baking list!
I would refrigerate them to keep them fresh. Freezing shouldn’t be needed if you’re only making them a few days before – these should keep well for a solid 5 days or close to a week. They’re cakey though, so I think they would benefit from time in the fridge! I hope you like them. Please let me know. They’ve been a favorite cookie of mine for many years now! ๐
Suzanne says
September 4, 2019 at 3:04 pmThis looks so good! Do you use this glaze in any other recipes?
Sarah says
September 5, 2019 at 8:13 amI do! I use that brown butter icing on a number of other recipes, and I also have a brown butter buttercream frosting recipe. Brown butter is one of my favorite things!
Vanessa says
September 4, 2019 at 3:04 pmThanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Sarah says
September 5, 2019 at 8:13 amYou can keep these in an airtight container for 4-5 days at room temperature, and for about a week if you store them in the fridge! Add layers of foil or parchment paper in-between if you stack, and make sure the frosting sets before stacking them, obviously. ๐ I hope you like them!
Christina says
September 15, 2019 at 4:12 pmAll Purpose or Self Rising flour?
Sarah says
September 16, 2019 at 2:01 pmAll-purpose.
JS says
October 26, 2019 at 2:33 pmYou might’ve put Adapted from Martha Stewart Living. The Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing was her Cookie of the Month for the issue. That was from many, many years back.
Give the lady some credit as you even decorated them the same, couple of changes here and there to make it appear as your own. That’s probably okay, but give her credit.
Sarah says
October 26, 2019 at 6:15 pmI’d be happy to credit my recipe source, I always do — you’ll see that throughout my blog. However, in this case, I’ve made these cookies for 16 years, and I found this recipe in 2003 when I started law school. I don’t know that it came from Martha Stewart. It’s possible that it did, but it’s possible that it didn’t. I really don’t know because I’ve made them for 16 years now, and the recipe is written in red ink on a 5×7 index card…
As for “decorating them the same”…. I simply spread the icing on top with a knife. Nothing unique about that. Have literally iced thousands of cookies like that, so there is nothing unique about how Martha or myself decorated them, but thanks for your feedback, and please continue to look around to see that I cite my source when I use a recipe. Thanks.