Description
These Chewy Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies are a delightful fall treat combining the rich flavors of browned butter, warming spices, molasses, and pumpkin puree to create soft, intensely flavorful cookies with a perfect chew. Coated in cinnamon sugar, these cookies offer a nostalgic autumn taste perfect for holiday baking or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 226 g unsalted butter (1 cup)
- 1 large egg (50 g without shell), room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 35 g molasses (2 tablespoons)
- 56 g canned pumpkin puree
Dry Ingredients
- 200 g light brown sugar
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 295 g all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda
For Coating
- 50 g sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Melt the unsalted butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning. Once the butter starts to brown and you notice a nutty aroma with brown bits forming on the bottom, remove from heat immediately.
- Cool the Butter: Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl and let it cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes until it is slightly warm or room temperature to avoid cooking the eggs in the next steps.
- Mix Sugars and Butter: In a large bowl, combine the cooled browned butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses until evenly incorporated. Then fold in the canned pumpkin puree.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, ginger, and baking soda to the wet mixture. Stir gently until the dough just comes together.
- Portion the Dough: Using a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop (or about 28-29 grams per dough ball), scoop out the dough. Roll each portion between your hands to create smooth dough balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the cookie sheet with dough balls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to firm up and develop flavors.
- Prep Oven and Cinnamon Sugar: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small bowl, mix 50 grams of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Coat the Dough Balls: Immediately before baking, roll each chilled dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat evenly.
- Bake the Cookies: Arrange the coated dough balls on parchment-lined half sheet pans, placing sufficient space between them. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops look slightly dry but cracks remain moist.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy them warm or once cooled. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to develop the chewy texture.
- Watch the butter carefully during browning to avoid burning; browning adds a rich, nutty flavor.
- Weighing the dough balls is optional but helps create evenly sized cookies for consistent baking.
- Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.
- The pumpkin puree adds moisture and flavor without making the dough too wet.
- For softer cookies, slightly underbake and allow them to finish cooling on the tray.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert / Cookie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin spice cookies, molasses cookies, chewy cookies, fall baking, pumpkin cookies, brown butter cookies, cinnamon sugar cookies
