Chewy Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze Recipe

Chewy pumpkin cookies are the perfect fall treat. These cookies stay chewy rather than cakey because they use pumpkin butter, which concentrates pumpkin flavor without adding excess moisture. Warm spices and a silky maple glaze finish them off for a cozy seasonal bite.

Why you’ll love Pumpkin Cookies:

• Chewy texture – Omitting an egg white reduces moisture so you can add more pumpkin without getting cakey cookies.
• Bold pumpkin flavor – Pumpkin butter delivers a more concentrated, caramelized pumpkin note than plain puree.
• Maple glaze – A simple maple glaze brings a smooth, sweet finish that complements the spices.

Ingredient Overview:

The full recipe with exact measurements and directions is in the recipe card below.

• Butter – Salted butter adds flavor; bring to room temperature or use browned butter as directed.
• Pumpkin butter – Adds concentrated pumpkin flavor and less moisture than puree.
• All-purpose flour – Spoon and level your flour for accuracy, or use a scale.
• Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature.
• Sugars – A blend of dark brown and granulated sugar gives the right chew and spread.
• Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla for best flavor.
• Maple syrup – Use real maple syrup for the glaze.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Pumpkin – If pumpkin butter isn’t available, canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin butter can be used; puree may yield a slightly cakier texture.
• Dairy-free – Substitute a trusted stick-style dairy-free butter. Browning dairy-free butter is not tested here, so skip browning if unsure.

How to Make Chewy Pumpkin Cookies:

Step 1: Brown the butter. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes foamy and turns a deep golden brown with a nutty aroma (about 4–6 minutes after melting). Scrape the brown bits into a bowl and cool briefly in the freezer, about 30–40 minutes.

Step 2: Make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, combine the cooled browned (or melted and cooled) butter with pumpkin butter and both sugars. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until combined, scraping the bowl to gather any dry pockets.

Step 3: Scoop the dough. Portion the dough into 70-gram balls (about 3.5 tablespoons). They don’t require chilling, though you can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours or freeze balls for longer storage. For smaller cookies, make 35–40 gram balls and reduce the bake time.

Step 4: Bake the cookies. Preheat the oven to 365°F. Roll each dough ball in pumpkin-spiced sugar and arrange 5–6 per sheet, leaving room to spread. Bake 8–10 minutes until the tops are crinkly and edges look set. For a uniform shape, place a round cutter around each warm cookie and gently swirl to shape. Cool on a wire rack for 20–30 minutes.

Step 5: Make the maple glaze. Whisk powdered sugar with maple syrup, vanilla, and a little milk or water to thin until you reach a silky consistency. Drizzle or dip cookies while warm or cooled.

Serving + Storing:

Serve cookies immediately after glazing, or let the glaze set if you prefer. Store glazed cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5–7 days. Unglazed cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 3–4 days.

Expert Baking Tips:

• Oven thermometer – Ovens often run hot or cold. An oven thermometer ensures accurate baking temperatures and more consistent results.
• Kitchen scale – Weighing flour gives far more reliable results than cup measurements, preventing dry or dense cookies.

FAQs:

More Pumpkin Recipes to Love:

• Pumpkin Streusel Muffins with Maple Glaze
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Rum Caramel
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
• Mom’s Best Ever Pumpkin Bread
• Ultimate Pumpkin Cake

5 from 2 votes

Chewy Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze

By Stephanie Simmons

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 9 mins

Total: 39 mins

Servings: 16 cookies

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Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 14 tbsp salted butter, 200 grams before browning, 156 grams after – See Notes
• 1/3 cup pumpkin butter
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

For the Pumpkin Spiced Sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• pinch of ground cloves

For the Maple Glaze

• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• milk as needed, to thin the glaze

Instructions

• Brown the Butter (Optional): Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt and then reduce to medium-low, stirring frequently until golden brown and nutty, about 4–6 minutes after melting. Pour into a bowl, scrape in brown bits, and cool in the freezer for 30–40 minutes.
• Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk cooled brown butter (or melted and cooled butter) with pumpkin butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined.
• Chill or Scoop: Scoop 70-gram dough balls (about 3.5 tbsp). You can skip chilling, or freeze/refrigerate dough as needed. If cookies spread too much, chill the dough balls 15–30 minutes before baking.
• Make Pumpkin Spice Sugar: Combine granulated sugar with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of cloves.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 365°F. Roll dough balls in spiced sugar and place on parchment-lined sheets. Bake 8–10 minutes until edges look set and tops are crinkly. Use a round cutter to shape cookies while warm, then cool on a wire rack 20–30 minutes.
• Make the Glaze: Whisk maple syrup, powdered sugar, and vanilla, adding milk a little at a time to thin to desired consistency. Drizzle or dip cookies.
• Serve & Store: Enjoy immediately or let glaze set. Store glazed cookies in the fridge in a single layer for 5–7 days; unglazed cookies keep at room temperature for 3–4 days.
• Make Ahead: Ball dough and freeze on a sheet until solid, then transfer to a bag for 1–2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time. Refrigerate dough balls up to 2–3 days before baking.

Notes

Brown Butter: Browning reduces the butter’s volume because water evaporates; start with 14 tbsp to end up with about 11 tbsp finished (156 g).

Regular Butter: If you skip browning, use 156 grams (11 tbsp) of salted butter.

Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar gives deeper flavor, but light brown sugar will work in a pinch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 341kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g

Nutrition information is an approximation.

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