Description
These Chewy Pumpkin Cookies are soft, flavorful, and perfect for fall baking. Infused with pumpkin puree and warm pumpkin pie spice, they offer a deliciously moist texture and a lightly spiced sweetness that makes them irresistible. Topped with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, these cookies are quick to make and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (122 g) canned pumpkin puree
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Topping
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Make Spiced Sugar Topping: In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and set this aside for topping the cookies before baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and packed light brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, ensuring even texture.
- Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract to enhance flavor.
- Incorporate Pumpkin Puree: Stir in the canned pumpkin puree until the batter is fully combined and has a consistent texture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring just until combined to avoid overmixing which can make cookies tough.
- Shape and Top Cookies: Drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet spaced apart and sprinkle each cookie with the prepared spiced sugar topping.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden while the centers remain soft and chewy.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overbake to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
- Using egg yolks instead of whole eggs helps improve the texture, making the cookies more tender.
- Make sure the pumpkin puree is canned and pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.
