Ingredients

226 g unsalted butter (1 cup)

200 g light brown sugar

150 g granulated sugar

1 large egg (50 g without shell), room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

35 g molasses (2 tablespoons)

56 g canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

295 g all-purpose flour

50 g granulated sugar (for rolling)

2 tsp ground cinnamon (for rolling)

Instructions

Step 1: Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk occasionally and watch for the butter to start browning on the bottom of the pot. Once it smells nutty and you see brown bits, whisk constantly and then remove from heat.

Step 2: Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl and let it cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes until slightly warm or room temperature.

Step 3: In a large bowl, stir together the browned butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.

Step 4: Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses to the sugar mixture and stir to combine. Then fold in the pumpkin puree.

Step 5: Add all the dry ingredients—cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, ginger, baking soda, and flour—and stir until the dough just comes together.

Step 6: Scoop the dough using a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop (or a level 2 tablespoon scoop). Optionally weigh each scoop to about 28–29 grams for even cookies.

Step 7: Roll each dough ball between your hands to smooth the surface and place on a lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 8: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and remove the dough balls from the refrigerator.

Step 9: Mix the 50 grams of granulated sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture just before baking.

Step 10: Bake on parchment-lined half sheet pans for 10–12 minutes, until the tops look slightly dry but cracks remain moist.

Step 11: Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cooled, and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Tips & Variations

For stronger spice flavor, increase cinnamon to 2 teaspoons in the dough and adjust other spices to taste.

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best texture and flavor.

Refrigerating the dough helps the cookies keep their chewy texture and develop flavor.

Try adding chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough for a crunchy twist.

Molasses can be substituted with dark corn syrup in a pinch, but molasses gives the distinctive rich flavor.

FAQs

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree?

Fresh pumpkin can be used but should be cooked and pureed until smooth before measuring. The moisture content can vary, so you may need to adjust flour slightly to get the right dough consistency.

What makes these cookies chewy?

The combination of browned butter, molasses, and pumpkin puree contributes to the chewy texture. Additionally, chilling the dough before baking helps control spread and maintains their soft bite.