World’s Best Cookies … seriously!

She says:

I’m going to begin this post with a caution: do not bake (& definitely do not share) these cookies unless you want to commit to baking them on the reg. (That’s cool speak for “you’ll get lots of requests.”)

At least that’s what happened to me.

Brown Butter, Maple, Pumpkin, Chocolate Chips … what’s not to like?

These just be the BEST cookies on the planet.

I tried many versions of pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies. And this one (adapted from Butternut Bakery) is by far my fave. We make these every fall (and sometimes in between) with one small tweak: I skip the sugary outside + add some chocolate chips instead. You do you. But whatever you do, please don’t skip the brown butter– it MAKES the cookies, and is so much easier to prep that you might think.

Huge shout out to Butternut Bakery!

Happy baking! (if you dare)

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Total Time: 50 minutes | Yield: 11–12 large cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (220g) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (280g) dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg yolk
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80g) pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup (or more) semi-sweet/dark chocolate chips

Instructions

BROWN BUTTER:
Melt 1 cup of butter over medium heat, continuing to stir until it reaches a rich amber color. (When you think you’ve gone too far, keep going. We’re looking for brown.)
Pour the butter into a measuring glass, making sure to get all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as well. It will be a bit short of 1 cup. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes. Don’t let it solidify. (*Hint: Set a timer.)
PREHEAT OVEN:
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (Put some butter on pan under parchment to keep it from slipping.)
MAKE DOUGH:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cooled brown butter. It should look like clumpy wet sand.
Whisk in the egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth. (*It’s tempting to add more pumpkin, but resist the urge– it messes with the texture.)
Add in the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold into the dough. (*Don’t use a mixer here. And if your dough doesn’t hold its shape when scooped, the butter may have been too warm; chill the dough for about 15-20 minutes until thickened.)
Add in chocolate chips and mix through.
Use a 1/4 measuring cup and scoop out the dough. The dough will be very soft but not sticky.
Place onto the baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart from each other. You’ll get 4-5 cookies on a sheet. Leave the rest of the dough out at room temperature.
BAKE: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are darkened and the center looks puffed and slightly underdone. (*Watch cook time — my oven cooks them WAY faster; and the first batch seems to always take longer than the next few; I usually set my timer for 9-10min and check them , but not too often–as you probably know, opening the oven door too much messes with temp.)
Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.
EAT:
Allow the cookies to cool before eating. And then, have at ‘er!

*DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Directions

Whisk together cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl until well combined. Store in a small jar or container.