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!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 36 cookies
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:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
- Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla; beat until well-blended.
- In another large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (all the dry cookie ingredients).
- Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined.
- Drop on cookie sheets by tablespoonfuls, and flatten slightly.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
- Remove cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely.
Icing:
- Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside.
- 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.
- Remove from heat, cool 2-3 minutes, and *carefully* pour over powdered sugar.
- Add milk and vanilla, and vigorously whisk the mixture until smooth. If the icing seems to seize or separate, you just need to really 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.
- Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of icing onto each cookie. Allow setting. Enjoy!
- 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!