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Lighter Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies (Easy Fall Recipe)

Lighter Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies - featured image
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These Lighter Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are the fall dessert you didn’t know you needed. They have all the cozy, spiced warmth of a classic snickerdoodle, but with a tender, cake-like crumb from the pumpkin and a deep, nutty richness from the brown butter, and they are lighter than your average cookie.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place 6 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. It will melt, then foam. Watch for tiny brown specks forming at the bottom. Once it smells nutty and turns golden-amber (about 5-7 minutes), remove from heat immediately. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup packed brown sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined and glossy.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until no clumps remain.
  4. Bring it together: Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Make the coating: In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.
  7. Scoop and roll: Use a cookie scoop to portion out rounded tablespoons of dough. Roll each ball between palms until smooth, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Makes about 18 cookies.
  8. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will look puffed and slightly cracked on top. Edges should be set but centers still soft. Do not overbake.
  9. Cool: Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Watch the butter closely when browning—it can go from browned to burnt quickly. Don’t skip chilling the dough; it prevents spreading and deepens flavor. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after baking to set properly. For best texture, ensure pumpkin puree isn’t too watery; pat dry with a paper towel if needed. Cookies taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, pumpkin, snickerdoodle, cookies, fall recipe, easy, lighter

Find it online: https://sofiaspice.com/lighter-brown-butter-pumpkin-snickerdoodle-cookies-easy-fall-recipe/