The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

Step 1

First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter. It’s easy! Let the butter cool to room temperature. It should still be liquid, but it should not be hot.

Step 2

Prepare the pumpkin puree. Spread ⅓ cup of canned pumpkin on a plate. Fold a paper towel in half and lightly press or blot the pumpkin puree with the folded paper towel to absorb the excess moisture. Repeat this step 2 more times so that you've used 3 paper towels. The pumpkin should be dry enough that it goes from being ⅓ cup down to ¼ cup. Measure the puree after you've blotted 3 times and if it is still too much, use one more paper towel to remove more water.

Step 3

Combine cooled brown butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and stir to blend. It will look like clumpy wet sand. Add egg yolk, honey and vanilla and stir until it is smooth and glossy. Add dried pumpkin puree and stir to incorporate.

Step 4

Add baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice to the wet ingredients and whisk to blend well. Add the flour and use a rubber spatula fold it in until just combined.

Step 5

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Step 7

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a 1 ½-oz cookie scoop to portion mounds of dough and roll into smooth balls about 1 ½ inch diameter. If you don't have a scoop, divide the dough into 12 equal balls. If the cookies are too small, they won't spread enough.

Step 8

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to blend evenly. Drop the dough balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll them around to coat evenly. Place them onto the baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart from each other and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

Step 9

Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are browned and the centers looks puffed and slightly cracked. They will still be soft in the middle. Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for a 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.