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Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Cookies. Soft, chewy pumpkin cookies made with brown butter, maple, spiced pumpkin butter and chocolate chips. Each cookie is finished with a creamy maple glaze that melts into every warm, chocolatey bite. Perfect for baking all season long!
We’re a few days into October, and pumpkin cookies are on the baking list. Yep, it’s finally time!
I’m kicking off pumpkin-baking season with what might be my best pumpkin cookie yet. I’ve baked these four times this week already. My excuse? I was “testing the recipe,” but really…we devoured every batch and just wanted more!
Here’s the thing — most pumpkin cookie recipes lean cakey and thick, almost like muffins. That’s fine, but I’ve always dreamed of a pumpkin cookie with true chewy chocolate chip cookie vibes — rich, thin-ish, and perfectly soft in the center.
It took a few days of tinkering and four batches of homemade pumpkin butter, but I finally landed on the pumpkin cookie I’ve been craving. Big pumpkin flavor, warm fall spices, melty chocolate, and that maple glaze dripping over the top. You’re going to love these.
Let’s go through the steps
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- salted butter
- brown sugar
- pumpkin butter
- an egg
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- toasted or candied pecans
- maple syrup
For the Maple Glaze
- salted butter
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
- sea salt
The Tools
Just a mixing bowl, a saucepan, and cookie sheets. You can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. I use a hand mixer most often.
Steps
Step 1: Brown the butter
First things first, brown the butter. Add the butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Let it bubble and foam, then cook until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty, about 3–4 minutes. This gives the cookies incredible flavor.
Step 2: Make the cookie batter
Beat the browned butter with the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix just until combined — don’t overmix.
Step 3: Add the chocolate
Stir in the chocolate chips (I love dark, but semi-sweet works too). If you like, toss in some toasted pecans for extra crunch and nuttiness.
Step 4: Roll the cookies
Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size balls. Drizzle or roll each ball lightly in maple syrup — it’s an unusual step, but it gives these cookies extra flavor and a pretty, subtle sparkle once baked.
Step 5: Bake
Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until the edges are set but the centers are still a bit soft.
I don’t have any trouble with my cookies spreading, but if you are having trouble, chill the dough 20-30 minutes in the freezer before baking.
Step 6: Make the glaze (optional)
Whisk browned butter with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and a pinch of sea salt until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze generously over the warm cookies — it melts into every crackle for the most delicious finish.
These cookies are…
-
Easy — done in under an hour
-
Packed with real pumpkin flavor
-
Rolled in maple syrup for extra flavor + sparkle
-
Loaded with chocolate chips (and optional pecans)
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Chewy, soft, and perfectly gooey in the center
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Finished with a sweet maple glaze that melts into every crackle
Bake a batch this weekend, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or cider!), and enjoy every chewy, pumpkin-spiced bite. It’s the sweetest way to celebrate fall!
Looking for fall cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Cookies
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 246 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup finely diced pecans (optional)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Maple Glaze (optional)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. 2. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, the egg, and vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans (if using).4. Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the maple syrup over each cookie, gently rolling it in the syrup to coat. Use a very light coat of syrup, not too much.5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to set but still doughy in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. If your cookies are spreading, freeze the dough balls for 20-30 minutes before baking, then bake as directed.6. Meanwhile, make the glaze (optional). Melt together the butter and maple syrup in a small pot over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over each cookie. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on October 3, 2025
These are autumn in a cookie! I used Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter, refrigerated the dough for 30+ minutes, and pulled them out of the oven a few minutes before they were done baking and gently brushed maple syrup on, then finished baking. Next time I’d freeze them for 30+ minutes (I didn’t have room in my freezer!) to help with spreading a bit more, but the flavor is SO good. The maple glaze is excellent on these, and I sprinkled a tiny bit of vanilla salt on them to finish them off. Everyone I shared these with had rave reviews.
Hi Brianna,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win. Have a wonderful day!
These cookies are incredible. I used Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter and froze the cookies for several days to make ahead for a party (pre maple syrup), and wow! The dough was the best cookie dough I recall eating, and my husband said that he thinks they’re better baked (which he has never said about any cookie ever). We didn’t use the glaze because they felt perfect without.
Hey Brooke,
Happy Sunday!🎃 Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, so glad it turned out nicely for you!
These turned out amazing, thank you!
Hi Madison,
Big thanks for making this and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
The cookies tasted delicious, but I didn’t taste the pumpkin at all in them! It just tastes like a chocolate chip cookie to me.
Thanks so much for trying these cookies, Kayla! Sorry they didn’t have a pumpkin flavor, did you use pumpkin butter? Thanks again!
I like the idea of these cookies, but I think the last step of rolling them in maple syrup made them too sweet and I didn’t add the glaze. The ones that didn’t have maple syrup on them were pretty much perfect though!
Thanks so much, Katherine! Glad to hear you enjoyed the ones without the syrup!
great cookies if you love the taste of pumpkin and maple. My family loves them
Hey Jeanette,
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you!
Thanks for giving it a try and your comment! Have a great week ahead!
Tieghan this is a great recipe, and my cookies came out perfect !!🍁
As an avid cookie baker I would recommend chilling the dough as a *must* for 30 minutes . Forgive me but I also used the Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter as a shortcut☺️.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Sunday!🎃 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
Love your recipes, but the dough came out very wet.
Hi Trish,
Very sorry to hear this! Did you try baking the dough? How did the cookies turn out for you?
Would a store bought pumpkin butter work?
Hi Becca,
Absolutely! Let me know if you give these cookies a try, I hope you love them!
Wonderful, Teaghan.
So smooth and delicious. Best cookies for autumn.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Birgit,
Amazing! Thank you so much for making these cookies, I’m so glad they were enjoyed! Have the best weekend!
Could you share the recipe for the pumpkin butter you used for these cookies?
Hey Randi,
Of course:
https://fett-weg.today/6-ingredient-spiced-pumpkin-butter/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions!
There is something seriously wrong with this recipe – the dough was like cake batter! I had to add 2 cups of flour to be able to roll it and then they were very biscuit like and not cookie at all after baked! Very disappointed.
Hi Theresa,
Thanks so much for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had issues. Unfortunately, 2 additional cups of flour is far too much. I think chilling your dough would have helped. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
If you use the pumpkin butter right after you make it and it’s still warm it makes the dough really soft. I made this mistake – not sure if that’s what caused your dough to be soft? I let the dough sit for a little while and it plumped up. I also used a cookie scoop – instead of using my hands to roll – and this enabled me to cook the dough – even soft. It’s worth it to try again!
I love these. They turned out great! The only thing I did different was not roll them in maple syrup I drizzled over the cookies before baking but I found the edges burned a bit so next time I will roll them and the maple glaze is a must!
Hey Brandy,
Happy Friday!🎃 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it was enjoyed!
Could you make these gluten free by changing out the flour and what would you recommend?
Thank you!
Hi Vicki,
Sure, I would recommend an equal amount of a gluten free flour blend. Please let me know if you give these cookies a try
These turned out perfectly! Such a delightful fall treat
Hi Ariane,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!🎃👻
I made these before the recipe got changed again so they didn’t turn out for me at all. Is the recipe done being updated?
Hi Elaine,
Sorry to hear the cookies didn’t turn out for you, what went wrong with them? Please let me know how I can help!
Where do I find pumpkin butter beside Amazon? I shop at Wegmans and they don’t have it.
Hi Rosanne,
My local Whole Foods carries it, but I typically like to make my own. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
https://fett-weg.today/6-ingredient-spiced-pumpkin-butter/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi Tieghan,
Is it possible to freeze the balls after making (before rolling in maple syrup)?
That way I can bake a few whenever I need some?
What would the bake time be from frozen?
Thanks- can’t wait to try them!
Hey Frances,
Totally, that will work nicely for you! I would recommend to bake as directed. I hope you love these cookies!