Chewy Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies Recipe
These Chewy Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies are a delightful fall treat combining warm spices, rich molasses, and pumpkin puree for a soft, flavorful cookie with a perfectly chewy texture. Browned butter adds a nutty depth, while a cinnamon sugar coating gives a sweet, spicy finish.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (including chilling time)
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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 for Dough
- 200 g light brown sugar
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 295 g all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Melt and Brown Butter: Melt the unsalted butter in a small pot, whisking occasionally until it begins to brown and develop a nutty aroma with some browned bits on the bottom. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning.
- Cool Butter: Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes until slightly warm or room temp.
- Mix Sugars and Butter: In a large bowl, combine the browned butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar, stirring until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, molasses, and pumpkin puree until evenly mixed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, ginger, baking soda, and all-purpose flour to the wet mixture, stirring until a cohesive dough forms.
- Portion Dough: Using a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a level 2 tablespoon scoop, measure dough balls weighing approximately 28-29 grams.
- Shape and Chill: Roll each portioned dough ball between your hands to form a smooth surface. Arrange on a lined cookie sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for better flavor and texture.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Coating: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix the 50 grams of granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl to create cinnamon sugar.
- Coat Dough Balls: Remove dough balls from the refrigerator and roll each in the cinnamon sugar mixture just before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Place the coated dough balls on parchment-lined half sheet pans and bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops look slightly dry but the cracks remain moist.
- Cool and Store: Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cooled. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- Chilling the dough overnight enhances flavor and helps maintain the cookies’ chewy texture.
- Using browned butter adds a deep nutty flavor that complements the pumpkin and spices.
- Weighing the dough portions ensures evenly sized, uniformly baked cookies.
- Cookies should appear slightly soft and moist in the cracks when done; overbaking will dry them out.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for longer storage.
Keywords: Pumpkin spice cookies, molasses cookies, chewy pumpkin cookies, fall baking, cinnamon sugar cookies
