Pumpkin Drop Cookies

Recipe from Pat Young

Adapted by The New York Times

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(655)
Comments
Read comments

These tender, spiced pumpkin cookies with browned butter icing were adapted from Pat Young, the winner of the best pumpkin recipe at the 83rd Pumpkin Show in Circleville, Ohio, in 1989. They're almost cakelike in texture, and we think they taste best with a tall glass of milk. —The New York Times

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Ingredients

Yield:45 cookies

    For the Cookies

    • 2cups/255 grams flour
    • 1teaspoon baking powder
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1cup/227 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
    • 1cup/200 grams brown sugar, packed
    • 1egg
    • 1teaspoon vanilla
    • 1cup/237 grams canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin purée (see tip)
    • 1teaspoon grated orange zest
    • ¼cup/35 grams currants
    • ¼cup/28 grams chopped walnuts

    For the Icing

    • ½ cup/114 grams unsalted butter (1 stick)
    • 2cups/227 grams confectioners' sugar
    • 2 to 4tablespoons whole milk
    • 45pecan halves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (45 servings)

127 calories; 8 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 55 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bake the cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and put aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 30 seconds, then add brown sugar, beating until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Add egg and mix until incorporated, then add vanilla, pumpkin and orange zest to butter mixture. Beat well, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.

  4. Step 4

    Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix just to combine. Mix in currants and walnuts.

  5. Step 5

    Drop by batter by heaping tablespoons on a parchment-lined baking sheet, two inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake about 14 to 16 minutes until tops are set. Let cool.

  6. Step 6

    Once the cookies have cooled and you are ready to frost the cookies, prepare the icing: Heat butter over medium heat until it darkens, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat and whisk in confectioners' sugar and milk alternately, mixing thoroughly. Add more milk to reach desired consistency.

  7. Step 7

    Spread icing on top of cooled cookies, decorating each with a pecan half.

Tip
  •  To make puréed fresh pumpkin, cut a pumpkin in half and remove seeds and stringy portion. Peel and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan and cover by an inch with salted water. Bring to boil and cook until tender (start checking at 10 minutes). Drain and purée in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set puréed pumpkin in a fine strainer and let drain for 10 minutes. In selecting pumpkin for cooking, look for one that is bright orange, firm, unblemished and with its stem firmly attached. It should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from the danger of frost.

Ratings

4 out of 5
655 user ratings
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Comments

DD Thexton

These sound yummy! A note about preparing fresh pumpkin...it's easier to just slice the pumpkin in half and roast (cut side down) on a rimmed baking sheet with a little water. 350 for an hour or so, testing with a fork for softness. Scoop out seeds & stringy stuff, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh into a food processor, puree, adding a little water as needed. No need to strain it. I usually make several quarts of pumpkin every fall and freeze in two cup containers for use all year.

Boiseannie

I always substitute evaporated milk for regular milk when making frosting. Much better taste and much better control of liquid when adding to confectioners sugar.

rudderman22

Although a nice recipe, 1 quibble and 1 rant Drop by teaspoons, not tablespoons, to get the required number of cookies The rant is that the icing does not work at all!!! Melting the butter first results in a separated gloopy mess. Please revise appropriately

michelle

These were a big hit the two times I made them. I skip the nuts and currants and bump up the spices which lets the cakey pumpkin-ness shine. These would also be great as whoopie pies with a slight tweak to the frosting.

JVA

Been making these for years & these have become a family favorite in the fall. After tasting today's batch, on this cold grey PNW day, my husband declared, "They're cozy, like an armchair for my mouth."

Nora

My daughter is allergic to cinnamon. Does anyone think thi recipe would taste good if I left the cinnamon out?

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Credits

Adapted from Pat Young (1989 Winner, Best of Pumpkin Show, Circleville, Ohio) 

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