Sourdough Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cookies
These chewy pumpkin spice cookies are made with browned butter and sourdough discard for an unbelievable fall treat.
These cookies might just be the best cookies I have ever created. Seriously.
Browned butter + pumpkin + a pumpkin pie spice (affiliate link) for the win. The sourdough discard gives a subtle hint of tang that just deepens and improves the flavor here. No one will know that they are made with sourdough, but the discard just adds a little special pizzaz to the cookie.
These are almost like a pumpkin snickerdoodle, and they are so good they are going to disappear fast!
Making cookies with sourdough is one of my favorite ways to use discard – I mean, I have a BUNCH of sourdough cookie recipes, and I just can’t stop making them. Whether you make classic cookies like a sourdough peanut butter cookies or a fun new twist like sourdough snickerdoodle, adding discard to your cookie recipes is a delicious idea.
Adding sourdough starter to your cookies is such a great use of discard! Not only does it help improve the texture of the cookies – making them lighter and softer, but it also adds a little something extra to the flavor, helping to deepen the flavors of the cookie.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter yet and want one, my post on how to make a sourdough starter is broken down into the exact steps day by day you need to know, and I also have a guide on using sourdough for beginners that you should check out as well.
Here is a brief overview of how to make this recipe. For the full set of instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Brown the butter. In a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter starts to smell nutty and the milk fats start to turn golden brown. Watch carefully, it will burn quickly. Allow to cool back to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- Make the cinnamon and sugar for rolling the cookies in and set aside.
- Mix the batter.
- Chill the dough for 1 hour. This will help the cookies to have a nice chewy texture without being too puffy.
- Form balls of the cookie dough with about 2 Tablespoons of dough at a time, and roll in the prepared cinnamon sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven. The cookies will puff as they bake, but as soon as you take them out of the oven, press them down with the bottom of a cup to flatten them. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet.
Cookie storage
These cookies will last 5-7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
They will also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Love this recipe? Grab my book for 25 cookie recipes that use sourdough discard!
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Sourdough Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium heat, brown the butter. The butter will melt and bubble, stir occasionally until the milk fats start to brown and smell nutty, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the cooled butter, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, egg and vanilla for 4 minutes, until well combined and fluffy.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined.
- Chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare baking sheets.
- In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice.
- Scoop 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough directly into the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat.
- Place cookie balls 2″ apart on baking sheet.
- Use a glass to flatten the cookies.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until set.
- The cookies will puff while baking, re-flatten with the glass to help keep them nice and chewy.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
