These Browned Butter Pumpkin Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of cozy fall flavor. The nutty richness of browned butter pairs perfectly with the pumpkin and warm spices. Each cookie has a chewy center with slightly crisp edges, making them completely irresistible. Best of all, they require no chill time and can be made without a mixer, so they're quick and easy to whip up anytime.
Pumpkin is the quintessential flavor of fall, but it is so much more than just pie. These Browned Butter Pumpkin Cookies take everything you love about classic pumpkin cookies such as the soft texture, warm spices, and cozy aroma, and elevate them with one simple secret ingredient: browned butter. The nutty, caramel like flavor of the butter adds rich depth and makes every bite unforgettable.
Made in one bowl and without a mixer, these pumpkin cookies are soft, chewy, and a must-bake treat for the season.
If you love all things pumpkin try my pumpkin pound cake, pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin cake with browned butter frosting
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Nutty, Rich Flavor: Browned butter adds depth and nutty flavor that makes these cookies stand out.
- Perfectly Spiced: Pumpkin pie spice enhances the pumpkin for cozy fall flavor.
- Soft and Chewy Texture: Crisp edges with tender, chewy centers.
- Easy to Make: These easy pumpkin cookies use only one bowl and can be made without a mixer.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: Brown the butter until golden and nutty for rich flavor. Let it cool slightly before mixing.
- Pumpkin Purée: Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Blot excess water with paper towels for the best cookie texture.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds chewiness and enhances the nutty notes from the butter. You can use dark brown sugar as well.
- Granulated White Sugar: Helps create crisp edges and balances sweetness.
- Egg Yolk: Adds richness without excess moisture, preventing cakiness.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure while keeping cookies tender.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: A mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves brings classic fall flavor.You can use apple pie spice or even chai spice in place
- Ground Ginger: Adds a warm, spicy note to these cookies. You can skip it if you don't prefer the flavor.
- Cream of Tartar: Helps activate the baking soda, adds lift, and gives the cookies a slightly tangy flavor while keeping them soft and chewy.
- Baking soda: Helps these cookies spread and keep them chewy.
- Molasses: You can use maple syrup as well.Use unsulphured molasses for the best taste.
- Cinnamon Sugar (Optional): Used for coating the cookies before baking. While optional, it adds a light crunch and an extra touch of sweetness that makes the cookies even more delicious.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make these brown butter pumpkin cookies. Pre Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can use a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or sturdy whisk.
Step 1. Brown the Butter: Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. It will melt, foam, and then small brown bits will form at the bottom. Stir and watch closely. Once the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, remove it from the heat immediately and pour it into a mixing bowl to cool completely (about 15 minutes). Transfer to a heat proof bowl and let cool slightly. Butter should be cooled but still liquid.
Step 2.Mix Wet Ingredients: Whisk cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk, pumpkin purée (blotted), molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
Step 3.Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually fold into wet mixture until just combined.
Step 4.Shape Cookies: Scoop 1.5 tablespoon portions of dough. Roll each cookie dough ball into the cinnamon sugar and place the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Step 5.Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes, until edges are set but centers look slightly underbaked.
Step 6.Shape & Cool: Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. If desired, use a cookie cutter to round the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Blot the Pumpkin: Pumpkin purée has extra water. Make sure to press with paper towels to avoid cakey cookies. This step is critical for achieving extra chewy cookies. If you skip this step, the cookies will be thick and cakey
- Don't Overmix: Mix the dough just until combined to keep cookies tender.
- Shape After Baking: Use a large round cookie cutter to "scoot" cookies into perfect circles right out of the oven.
- Don’t Overbake: For a soft and chewy cookie, it’s crucial not to overbake. The cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly golden, and the centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet.
- How to Brown Butter: Place your butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. It will melt, then foam. As the foam subsides, watch for golden-brown specks to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a nutty aroma. Remove it from the heat immediately to prevent it from burning.
FAQ's
Browning the butter toasts the milk solids, creating a deep, nutty flavor that is far more complex and delicious than regular melted butter. It’s the secret ingredient that makes these cookies so special!
Pumpkin adds extra moisture. Always blot the purée and use only an egg yolk to avoid cakey pumpkin cookies. The second thing is making sure the butter is cool. If the butter is slightly warm or gets too cold and solidifies, the cookies will not spread.
Although I highly recommend using canned pumpkin purée for these cookies, you can also use homemade pumpkin purée if that's what you have on hand. Just make sure it's thick and well-drained for the best texture.
This usually happens if your browned butter was too warm when you mixed it in.Make sure the browned butter is cooled to room temperature before using.
No, they are both very different. You should only use pumpkin puree in this recipe.
You probably didn't measure the flour properly. Always spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. Never scoop directly from the flour container or pack it down, as this adds too much flour and creates a thick dough that won't spread correctly.
Storage & Freezing
- Room Temperature: Store these pumpkin cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezing Dough: Freeze cookie dough balls in a single layer on a cookie sheet or tray, then transfer to a bag. Keep in mind frozen cookie dough will leave you with a thicker cookie. Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Once it's firmed up a bit, scoop the balls into a freezer safe bag and freeze.To bake, let the dough rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Then toss in the coating and bake.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Cool completely, then freeze in airtight bags or containers for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Cookie Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Browned Butter Pumpkin Cookies
Equipment
- Large Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar *see notes
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter starts to foam and turn brown, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the butter into a measuring glass to ensure you have the right amount, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the brown bits as well. It should be a bit short of ½ cup. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes. Don't let it solidify.
- Over a small bowl place the pumpkin puree in several layers of cheesecloth or paper towels and press gently to remove the extra liquid until 1 cup of pumpkin puree gets reduced to ⅓ cup.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the both sugars and cooled brown butter. It should look like clumpy wet sand.
- Whisk in the egg yolk, molasses, vanilla, and pumpkin(blotted) until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold them into the wet to form a dough. Using a 1.5 inch (~2.5- 3 tablespoons) cookie scoop, portion out the dough and drop each piece into the cinnamon sugar, tossing to coat. The dough will be soft but not sticky.Place onto the baking sheet, spaced about 2-3 inches apart from each other.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are darkened and the center looks puffed and slightly underdone.
- Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.
Notes
- If your dough feels too thin (it should hold its shape when scooped), chill the dough for about 15-20 minutes until thickened. This can happen sometimes if the butter is too warm at the start.
- Make sure to remove the extra liquid from the pumpkin puree. It should feel pretty dry when it's ready to use. Leaving too much moisture in the pumpkin will give you a puffier cookie.
- If your butter is too warm, the cookies will spread way too much. Make sure the butter is cooled to room temperature.
- If you cant find cream of tartar you can skip it. The cookies would still be delicious without it.
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