Enjoy these Pumpkin Madeleines with your favorite coffee or tea. They are soft sponge cakes made with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, so you get plenty of fall flavor. A drizzle of maple glaze makes them a simple but festive dessert for a brunch, the holidays or for an afternoon treat.
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I am a big fan of madeleines because they are so simple to make, and the flavors are endless. That shell shape looks so pretty next to my cup of tea, and the crispy edges and light and fluffy interiors are hard to resist. Makes me feel a little fancy. My cinnamon madeleine recipe is just as delicious. Both are perfect for a fall dessert.
These little cakes have their roots in France, but they are an easy dessert to make in our American kitchens. Mix up the simple batter, fill your favorite madeleine pan, and you’ll have cakes that taste like they came from a French patisserie. Feel free to use a French accent while baking.
And if you want to go all out on a pumpkin dessert, make this Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream and serve it with these madeleines. They make a great dessert combo for a fall or for a fancy schmancy Thanksgiving dessert.
- Type of recipe: Dessert
- Cooking method: Baking
- Skill level: Easy to medium
- Flavors & textures: Light, tender sponge with warm pumpkin spice flavor; slightly crisp edges with a sweet maple glaze.
- Serving ideas & occasions: Perfect with coffee or tea, great for brunch spreads, fall gatherings, holiday dessert trays, or as a simple homemade gift.
Table of contents
Madeleine Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure you are using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. They are two different products.
- Eggs: Always use large eggs in baking.
- Brown Sugar: Add a little sweetness to our cakes with brown sugar; light or dark brown will work, or make homemade brown sugar.
- Maple Syrup: Use your favorite brand, but make sure it’s pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This spice blend can be used in all types of baking recipes. See the recipe card for making your own pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Vanilla: Use a pure vanilla extract for the best flavor, or make this easy homemade vanilla extract.
- Butter: Preferably unsalted butter. Melt this and let it cool before making the batter.
How To Make Pumpkin Madeleines
Step 1. Start by spraying your madeleine pan with cooking spray and melting the butter so it has time to cool.
Step 2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
Step 3. In a mixer bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar for several minutes until light and bubbly.
Step 4. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla, then mix until combined.
Step 5. Mix in the flour one tablespoon at a time with the mixer on low speed.
Step 6. Add the cooled, melted butter to the mixing bowl, and with a spatula, fold it into the batter.
Step 7. Scoop about a tablespoon of batter into the madeleine molds so they are 3/4 full. Use a #60 cookie scoop for consistency.
Step 8. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Step 9. While the madeleines are cooling, make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and maple syrup (see recipe card for amounts), stirring until smooth.
Step 10. Once the madeleines are cool, drizzle with the glaze.
Serving, Storing and Make Ahead
I’ll be honest, these madeleines are best eaten the day they are made for a lighter texture. They will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for several days.
These cakes freeze well. After cooling, place them in a zip-loc bag and freeze. Leave off the glaze before freezing, and add it later, or enjoy plain. When you’re ready to eat, warm them in the microwave for a few seconds.
The batter can also be prepared two days ahead and refrigerated, which saves time and helps the cake bake up with a better texture.
FAQs
This recipe only uses ¼ cup of pumpkin, so you’ll have leftovers from a 15-ounce can. Store pumpkin puree in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in ½-cup portions. Use it later for muffins, pancakes, quick breads, oatmeal, or smoothies.
It’s always good to have variations, and here are my suggestions
- Brown Butter Variation -For a richer flavor, melt the butter until it turns golden and smells nutty before adding it to the batter. Browned butter adds a toasty, caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with the pumpkin and spice in these madeleines. You can also add it to the glaze.
- Cinnamon-Sugar Coating Variation-Skip the glaze and while the madeleines are slightly warm, brush them with melted butter. Roll or sprinkle them in a mix of cinnamon and sugar; for a crisp and spicy coating.
Tools & Pans Needed
- Make sure you are using a non-stick madeleine pan like this classic shell shape, or choose another shape like this scallop madeleine pan.
- A stand mixer is always ideal, but a hand mixer will also get the job done.
- This 1-tablespoon cookie scoop gets the perfect portion and makes getting the batter into the pan easy.
Try These Pumpkin Baked Goods
- Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars, bake in a 13×9 baking dish, cut into squares and enjoy.
- Pumpkin Cake with White Chocolate Frosting is packed with pumpkin and warm spices.
- Pumpkin Cranberry Bread bakes into a moist loaf that tastes great for breakfast and dessert.
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Recipe
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Pumpkin Madeleines
Ingredients
Madeleine Batter Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled – 4oz, 115g
- ½ cup AP flour 2.7oz, 75g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed – 3.5oz, 100g
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree 2oz, 55g
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Maple Glaze Ingredients
- ½ cup powdered sugar 2.3oz, 65g
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
How To Make The Pumpkin Madeleine
- Melt the butter first in the microwave so it will have time to cool.
- Preheat your oven to 375℉. Spray your madeleine pan with non-stick cooking spray. Note: If you let the madeleines chill for 1 hour, wait until you are ready to bake.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
- In the bowl to your stand mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and bubbly, about 4 minutes. You can alway use an electric mixer.
- Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat on medium-high for another minute.
- Slow the mixer down to low and slowly add the flour mixture, a few tablespoons at a time, until just combined.
- Add the melted butter and use a rubber spatula to fold it into the batter.
- Optional – Chill the madeleine batter for an hour to enhance the flavor.
- Scoop the pumpkin batter into the cavities of your greased madeleine pan filling each one about ¾ full.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cakes will fill the shell shape, and the edges will appear be crispy. There should be a slight hump in the middle of each cake. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before flipping out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
How To Make The Maple Glaze
- In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to whisk together the powdered sugar with the maple syrup until smooth. The glaze will be a little tough to stir at first but as the sugar starts to melt into the syrup, it gets a lot easier. The glaze will be thick. Add a little water if the glaze is too thick.
- Drizzle the glaze over the madeleines. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the glaze to set before enjoying.
Notes
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp allspice or cloves (whichever you have on hand)
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Nutrition
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Hello there, I’m Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven® sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
