Description
These Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies are soft, cozy fall cookies with nutty brown butter, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup — decorated with white chocolate ghosts and black candy melt faces for a festive Halloween twist.
Ingredients
Scale
- Brown Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, browned
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate (melted, for ghost coating)
- 1/4 cup black candy melts (for eyes and mouths)
Optional Add-Ons:
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook butter until golden brown and nutty (about 4–5 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk browned butter, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices (if using).
- Combine: Gently fold dry mixture into wet until just combined — do not overmix.
- Scoop dough: Drop spoonfuls (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between cookies.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake cookies 10–12 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly soft. Cool on pans, then transfer to wire racks.
- Decorate with ghosts: Melt white chocolate in short microwave intervals until smooth. Spoon a dollop on each cooled cookie, dragging downward to create a ghost shape.
- Add spooky faces: Melt black candy melts, transfer to piping bag or ziplock, and pipe eyes + mouths onto each ghost.
- Set: Let chocolate harden at room temperature (or refrigerate briefly) before serving.
Notes
- Practice ghost shapes on parchment before applying to cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3–4 days.
- Refrigeration helps set chocolate faster if you’re short on time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Halloween Treat
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: undefined
- Trans Fat: undefined
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Halloween cookies, ghost cookies, pumpkin cookies, spooky fall treats, decorated cookies