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Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Cookies. Soft, chewy pumpkin cookies made with brown butter, maple, spiced pumpkin butter and chocolate chips. Each cookie is finished with a creamy maple glaze that melts into every warm, chocolatey bite. Perfect for baking all season long!
We’re a few days into October, and pumpkin cookies are on the baking list. Yep, it’s finally time!
I’m kicking off pumpkin-baking season with what might be my best pumpkin cookie yet. I’ve baked these four times this week already. My excuse? I was “testing the recipe,” but really…we devoured every batch and just wanted more!
Here’s the thing — most pumpkin cookie recipes lean cakey and thick, almost like muffins. That’s fine, but I’ve always dreamed of a pumpkin cookie with true chewy chocolate chip cookie vibes — rich, thin-ish, and perfectly soft in the center.
It took a few days of tinkering and four batches of homemade pumpkin butter, but I finally landed on the pumpkin cookie I’ve been craving. Big pumpkin flavor, warm fall spices, melty chocolate, and that maple glaze dripping over the top. You’re going to love these.
Let’s go through the steps
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- salted butter
- brown sugar
- pumpkin butter
- an egg
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- toasted or candied pecans
- maple syrup
For the Maple Glaze
- salted butter
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
- sea salt
The Tools
Just a mixing bowl, a saucepan, and cookie sheets. You can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. I use a hand mixer most often.
Steps
Step 1: Brown the butter
First things first, brown the butter. Add the butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Let it bubble and foam, then cook until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty, about 3–4 minutes. This gives the cookies incredible flavor.
Step 2: Make the cookie batter
Beat the browned butter with the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix just until combined — don’t overmix.
Step 3: Add the chocolate
Stir in the chocolate chips (I love dark, but semi-sweet works too). If you like, toss in some toasted pecans for extra crunch and nuttiness.
Step 4: Roll the cookies
Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size balls. Drizzle or roll each ball lightly in maple syrup — it’s an unusual step, but it gives these cookies extra flavor and a pretty, subtle sparkle once baked.
Step 5: Bake
Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until the edges are set but the centers are still a bit soft.
I don’t have any trouble with my cookies spreading, but if you are having trouble, chill the dough 20-30 minutes in the freezer before baking.
Step 6: Make the glaze (optional)
Whisk browned butter with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and a pinch of sea salt until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze generously over the warm cookies — it melts into every crackle for the most delicious finish.
These cookies are…
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Easy — done in under an hour
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Packed with real pumpkin flavor
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Rolled in maple syrup for extra flavor + sparkle
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Loaded with chocolate chips (and optional pecans)
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Chewy, soft, and perfectly gooey in the center
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Finished with a sweet maple glaze that melts into every crackle
Bake a batch this weekend, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or cider!), and enjoy every chewy, pumpkin-spiced bite. It’s the sweetest way to celebrate fall!
Looking for fall cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup finely diced pecans, (optional)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Maple Glaze (optional)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. 2. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, the egg, and vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans (if using).4. Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the maple syrup over each cookie, gently rolling it in the syrup to coat. Use a very light coat of syrup, not too much.5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to set but still doughy in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. If your cookies are spreading, freeze the dough balls for 20-30 minutes before baking, then bake as directed.6. Meanwhile, make the glaze (optional). Melt together the butter and maple syrup in a small pot over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over each cookie. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Absolutely loved this recipe! They’re addicting. Love the flavors. Makes me excited for fall!
Hey Courtney,
Amazing! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best week!
Delicious. That glaze is dangerous.
The cookies are fluffier than I like. I like mine a little chewier. Maybe my pumpkin butter had too much liquid in it. I’m going to try squeezing out the liquid from it next time and see if that improves the texture.
Hey Noel,
Happy Monday! Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
I made these vegan by omitting the egg and using a flax seed and water egg substitute. The texture was both soft and chewy. I loved it. These oddly tasted like chocolate chip cookies more than anything else but they look pretty. I blended the glaze in a blender to get the smoothness and color you had in the pictures. Unfortunately, it still looked more opaque than yours – I don’t know why that happened. I wish I could taste the spices and pumpkin butter (purchased Terrapine Ridge Farms Pumpkin Butter) more but overall happy. Thank you!!
Hey Michelle,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
Thank you, Tieghan!
I made them for a second time and they turned out better! I did the same as before (Hu semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, Terapin Ridge Pumpkin Butter and Melt vegan butter). *This particular vegan butter didn’t brown (Miyoko’s does but they were all out). This time, instead of a flax seed “egg”, I used Just Egg liquid (almost 2 ounces) and didn’t add extra flour. I thought I needed to the first time around but looking at your photos of the dough, I can see it was pretty moist and soft.
Also, the chocolate chips I used were large so I ended up only using 7 ounces and that was perfect. Lastly, I made the scoops of dough slightly bigger and cooked them for 12 minutes.
They are so incredibly soft, chewy and moist – but not in a bad way! I can pick them up and they stay completely intact. Just the way a cookie should be! Thank you again!
Thanks so much, Michelle:) I appreciate you sharing all of your notes! Have a great week!
This recipe is a keeper!! So delicious. I made your pumpkin butter recipe using some pumpkins we had grown just for fun. The pumpkin butter imparted so much flavor, these cookies had such a strong pumpkin taste for only using 1/2 a cup. I want to try it with the glaze later this week… because I’m absolutely whipping up another batch.
Hey Lauren,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your feedback, so glad it was a hit!
Have the best weekend!
Really great cookies!! Took a little longer to make the pumpkin butter and brown the butter, which added to the time for me. Also, I should have let the brown butter cool a bit longer before adding the chocolate chips (~15 mins) – it melted them making it a chocolate cookie, which was still good!
Can the glaze be saved and reused ?
Hey Paige,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Sure, you could save the glaze in the fridge!🎄
Really tasty fall cookies!! 😋
Hey Kaylyn,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for making it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
These went together fairly easily and are delicious…the maple syrup coating was a challenge… I’m not sure if it added anything special…I ended up putting a small amount in a measuring cup and rolling the dough balls in the cup.
Hey Renee,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad to hear the cookies were enjoyed! Happy Halloween!🎃
Cookies ended up tasting like sticky chocolate chip cookies – unfortunately not the fall dessert I was hoping for.
Hi Katie,
Thanks for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear they were not enjoyed!
Can we make the dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge for 24hrs?
Hi Kimberly,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to do. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi. I LOVE these cookies. I just ate one. 🙂 I’ve only made them immediately. If I put the dough in the fridge overnight, do you recommend bringing them to room temp before baking or can they go straight into the oven?
Hey Melissa,
I’m grateful you tried this recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out!
Yes, I would bring the dough back to room temperature:)
Happy Thanksgiving!
These came out delicious! I didn’t do the glaze but the recipe worked well for me. Thanks!!
Hey Emily,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment! Enjoy your day!
I don’t have pumpkin butter so can I use pumpkin puree? And how much pumpkin puree would I then use for this recipe?
Hi Ella,
So sorry, I have only tested this recipe with pumpkin butter, so I would recommend using that:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way!