With their warming spices, caramel notes of brown butter, and bright, cozy pumpkin color, these brown butter pumpkin cookies are as delicious and cozy as fall cookies could be.
Why will you love these brown butter pumpkin cookies?
These cookies have the best texture combination for a cookie: a crunchy outside layer and soft, chewy centers. They are not cakey at all! I carefully chose the proportions of the ingredients so they would be moist enough to be chewy inside without being too soft and cakey.
These cookies are fragrant and flavorful thanks to a blend of spices. Pumpkin puree paired with brown butter creates an irresistible, unique flavor that will lure you in for one more bite every time.
Brown butter pumpkin cookies ingredient notes
Brown butter. Its nutty, caramel-like notes deepen the flavor of these cookies and pair so well with pumpkin. If you’ve never made brown butter before, don’t worry—it’s easy! Those extra few minutes are truly worth it for the rich flavor it adds.
Pumpkin puree adds moisture, flavor, and beautiful color. Whether you use canned or homemade puree, be sure to blot it before adding it to the dough. Too much moisture will cause the dough to become too soft, resulting in cakey cookies. I use homemade pumpkin puree made from sugar squash that I strain before blotting, the way I described in this pumpkin puree recipe.
Light and dark brown sugars contain molasses, which contributes to the chewiness and flavor of these cookies. They are not overly sweet, and I don’t recommend reducing the sugar amount, as that would also reduce the spread and chewiness.
The baking soda reacts with the acidic molasses and helps the cookies spread. Don’t skip it!
Egg yolk. Together with pumpkin puree, even with the blotted one, we are adding a lot of moisture. Using only the yolk helps regulate moisture content.
An important note about flour: measure it accurately. Using too much flour is the quickest way to end up with dry, crumbly, or cakey cookies that won’t spread properly.
Spice mixture. I’m mixing my spice from scratch, just because I’m a control freak and like to control the flavor completely. You can use pumpkin spice instead, if you prefer.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies
- Intermediate
Cozy and fragrant brown butter pumpkin cookies with a crunchy exterior and chewy centers.
Perform time: 30 min
Bake time: 15 min
Rest / Chill time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients
Yield: 10 cookies
- 160 g / 5.6 oz unsalted butter or 135 g / 4.7 oz previously browned butter
- 170 g / 6 oz wheat flour (all-purpose or plain)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 60 g / 2.1 oz pumpkin puree
- 100 g / 3.5 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- 30 g / 1.1 oz dark Muscovado sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
* You can replace all the spices with 1½ tsp of pumpkin spice.
For rolling
- 40 g / 1.4 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
Yield: 20 cookies
- 320 g / 11.2 oz unsalted butter or 270 g / 9.5 oz previously browned butter
- 340 g / 11.9 oz wheat flour (all-purpose or plain)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 120 g / 4.2 oz pumpkin puree
- 200 g / 7 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- 60 g / 2.1 oz dark Muscovado sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
* You can replace all the spices with 3 tsp of pumpkin spice.
For rolling
- 80 g / 2.8 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Yield: 30 cookies
- 480 g / 16.8 oz unsalted butter or 405 g / 14.2 oz previously browned butter
- 510 g / 17.9 oz wheat flour (all-purpose or plain)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp ground cloves
- 180 g / 6.3 oz pumpkin puree
- 300 g / 10.5 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- 90 g / 3.2 oz dark Muscovado sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
* You can replace all the spices with 4½ tsp of pumpkin spice.
For rolling
- 120 g / 4.2 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- ⅜ tsp ground ginger
- ⅜ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅜ tsp ground cloves
Yield: 40 cookies
- 640 g / 22.4 oz unsalted butter or 540 g / 18.9 oz previously browned butter
- 680 g / 23.8 oz wheat flour (all-purpose or plain)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cloves
- 240 g / 8.4 oz pumpkin puree
- 400 g / 14 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- 120 g / 4.2 oz dark Muscovado sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
* You can replace all the spices with 6 tsp of pumpkin spice.
For rolling
- 160 g / 5.6 oz brown sugar (unrefined, Demerara)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Directions
1.
Begin by browning the butter following the instructions here. Allow it to cool, making sure it stays liquid and does not solidify. If using previously browned butter, melt it in a saucepan.
2.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Mix well and set aside.
3.
Blot the pumpkin puree. Place a paper towel on a flat plate and spread the puree on top of it. Depending on how thick your towel is, use one or two layers. Place another sheet of paper towel on top and press to absorb the excess moisture.
Flip it over, press again, then carefully peel off the first sheet. Place a new sheet on top and repeat the process. Finally, flip the blotted pumpkin puree onto a plate, press one more time, and remove the last sheet of paper towel. If any puree got stuck to the paper towel, simply scrape it off with a spatula.
4.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugars and cooled brown butter. Mix through.
5.
Add the blotted pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
6.
If you see any stubborn lumps of dark sugar, smash them with a spoon.
7.
Sift in the flour mixture and mix just until the dough comes together. It will be soft and greasy.
8.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
9.
Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar and spices in a small bowl to use for rolling the cookies.
10.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (without a fan).
11.
Portion the chilled dough and shape flattened balls with your hands.
12.
Roll them in the spiced sugar.
13.
Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving space between each one. Bake them on the middle rack of the oven for 14–15 minutes.
14.
Freshly baked cookies will be very soft. Leave them on the baking sheet until they are firm enough to be lifted. Then, transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Extra tips for success
If you are using homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe, make sure it is strained and contains as little moisture as possible. Blot it after straining, as described in the recipe. Too much moisture will make the cookies cakey.
If you prefer, you can use pumpkin spice instead of all the listed spices.
This cookie dough doesn’t require a long chilling time. Thirty minutes is sufficient. If you plan to bake your cookies later and want to chill the dough for a longer period, let it soften after taking it out of the refrigerator. If the dough is too cold, it won’t spread properly, and your cookies will be thicker and cakier.
Don’t overbake your cookies. Don’t wait until they firm up in the oven; otherwise, they will be dry with no chewy center. They should be very soft when freshly baked; they will harden while cooling.
Storage directions
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
