Description
These Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies combine the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter with warm pumpkin spices for a soft and chewy fall-inspired treat. Rolled in cinnamon sugar, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, making them an irresistible seasonal favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, swirling occasionally. Cook until the butter begins to foam and turns a golden brown color, giving off a nutty aroma, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Mix sugars and browned butter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled browned butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix until well combined for a smooth base.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract into the sugar mixture, mixing until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to evenly distribute the spices and leaveners.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid over-mixing to keep cookies tender.
- Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes to firm up, which helps in shaping the cookies.
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheet: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Prepare cinnamon sugar coating: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon to create the coating mixture.
- Shape and coat dough balls: Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball thoroughly in the cinnamon sugar coating to cover completely.
- Arrange on baking sheet: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may appear slightly underdone but will set as they cool.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely and firm up.
Notes
- Be careful not to over-bake; cookies will look slightly underdone in the center but will firm up upon cooling.
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent excessive spreading and help achieve soft, chewy cookies.
- Use fresh pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added spices and sugar.
- Brown your butter carefully, watching it closely to avoid burning it and giving a bitter taste.
