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Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles {with Caramel Drizzle}
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Resting Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 32 mins
 

Soft and chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles with a fancy twist! Brown butter and classic fall spices give this cookie a ton of flavor while the caramel drizzle adds the perfect finishing touch. You won’t be able to resist these tasty cookies! (Check the notes section for a gluten free option!)

Serves: 28 Cookies
Ingredients
For the dough:
  • 3 Cups (360 Grams) All-Purpose Flour*
  • 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons Cinnamon
  • ¾ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • ¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • ¼ Teaspoon Allspice
  • 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
  • ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
For the Topping:
  • 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
For the Homemade Caramel:
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Water
  • 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
  • ½ Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
Cookies:
  1. Place the butter in a medium saucepot over medium-low heat. The butter will melt, and then start to bubble and splatter. Swirl the pan from time to time to stir the butter. Once the bubbling and splatter slows down, you’ll notice the butter start to brown and take on a nutty aroma. Let it go just a little longer to deepen in color and flavor. Keep a very close eye on it, as you don’t want it to burn! If you aren’t sure if it’s brown enough, take a spoonful of the butter and transfer it to a bowl - you’ll be able to see the color better. If it’s a deep brown and smells nutty (not burnt!) then you’re good to go. If it’s still pale, let it brown a little longer. Pour the butter into a bowl and set it aside to cool.
  2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir the mixture to evenly distribute the ingredients. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled brown butter.
  4. Using a spatula, gently mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined – the dough will be slightly thick and sticky, but still soft.
  5. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and place each one a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a log and wrap it up. Refrigerate for 2 hours. The dough will seem very soft, but it will firm up in the refrigerator.
  6. Preheat oven to 350º.
  7. Line 2 baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper.
  8. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or plate.
  9. Remove one log of dough from the refrigerator and slice it into ½-inch thick slices. You should get around 14 slices per log – don’t worry about being too precise here!
  10. Toss the slices in the sugar/cinnamon mixture to coat and place them on your baking sheets – leaving ¾ - 1-inch between each.
  11. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they are crackled and set. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cookie rack to cool completely. Drizzle the cooled cookies with the homemade caramel.
  12. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Homemade Caramel:
  1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepot over high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar melts and begins to turn light amber in color.
  2. Once the sugar is melted and looks like the color of caramel, add in the butter. Be very careful during this step because the caramel will bubble heavily. Keep stirring as you add the butter until it’s all melted in.
  3. While stirring, very slowly pour in the heavy cream. Again, be careful here, as it will spatter. Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and let it cool a bit before using. If it hardens too much, simply reheat it on low.
Recipe Notes

*I highly recommend using a scale to weigh your flour. If you don’t have one, measure out your flour by gently spooning it into the measuring cup and then leveling off the excess. Too much flour in the cookies means they won’t spread properly!

 

*Store-bought caramel will work just fine if you don't want to make your own!

 

*MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE!

I’ve successfully made these cookies gluten-free by using 2 ¾ Cups (360 grams) of Cup4Cup All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend. If you try another gluten free flour blend, I really recommend measuring by weight for best results. Also, if your blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients.