Delight your family and friends and whip up a batch of these amazing Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting! Not only are they easy to make, they taste wonderful and are perfect for fall baking!
These are soft, cake-like cookies and the browned butter frosting has a caramel-like flavor. Absolutely delicious.
Pumpkin spice anyone?
I don’t think I need to tell you that fall brings all things “pumpkin spice”. From candles and coffee to decorative signs and lotion… either you love it all or think it’s a bit much.
Personally, I enjoy my pumpkin spice in moderation. The occasional candle and yummy pumpkin baked items.
The original recipe only called for cinnamon but I changed it to pumpkin spice. Seemed fitting and tastes great. Want more? Check out the notes section of the recipe where I give instructions for adding even more spice!
Pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling?
This recipe for Pumpkin Cookies calls for pureed pumpkin which commonly is confused with pumpkin pie filling.
Is there a difference? Does it really matter?
Pumpkin puree is pure and simple pumpkin, that is all. Whereas, pumpkin pie filling is pumpkin puree with traditional pumpkin pie seasonings.
If you don’t have any of the spices for this recipe, pumpkin pie filling will be just fine to substitute.
However, if you do plan to add your own spices, do not use pumpkin pie filling. The cookies may end up tasting a bit like potpouri- there is such a thing as too much spice!
Aww, nuts!
My children have recently learned the skilled art of hickory nut cracking… sheltered homeschooled homestead kids…
But seriously, they really enjoy it and were so excited to make something with their hard work! That is actually what inspired me to make these cookies!
The kids loved helping to make these and it was a bonus added homeschool lesson!
Adding the hickory nuts on top gives them a little bit of texture as well as an added level of flavor.
Don’t have hickory nuts? You can completely omit the nuts or replace them with another type- pecans or walnuts would be lovely!
Time to bake!
It’s time to heat up the oven and get these cookies baking!
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
- cookie sheets
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/4 cup flour all-purpose or fresh ground wheat* see recipe notes
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup nuts (hickory, walnut, pecan...) finely chopped, optional
Instructions
Cookies
- Heat oven to 375F.
- Mix butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla with electric mixer until well blended, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add pumpkin and eggs, mix until well incorporated. On low speed, add flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- On ungreased cookie sheets, drop heaping tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies are done when there is almost no indentation when touched in center. Cool completely on wire racks.
Frosting
- Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk in medium bowl until smooth.
- In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light brown.
- Pour browned butter over sugar mixture. Beat on low speed 1 minute or until smooth.If needed, add a little more of the remaining tablespoon to make frosting spreadable.
- Generously frost cooled cookies, adding chopped nuts if desired. Store in covered container.
Notes
Kitchen tools I use and love:
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