These Pumpkin butterscotch Cookies are rich, buttery, and packed with pumpkin and butterscotch flavor. Chewy on the outside and soft in the middle, these cookies are full of warm spices making them them the perfect fall cookie!
Craving the perfect fall cookie? These Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with all the cozy flavors of fall. The combination of warm pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg with sweet butterscotch chips creates an irresistible treat that’s perfect for snacking, sharing for the holiday season.
These cookies are a breeze to make and will fill your kitchen with the comforting aromas of fall. Whether you’re a pumpkin lover or just looking for a unique cookie recipe, these will quickly become a fall favorite!
These cookies are thick and chewy on the outside with a soft and gooey center.They are so easy to make and require no chilling!
For more cookie recipes try my brown butter chocolate chip cookies , Peanut butter nutella cookies or Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Why you will love these pumpkin butterscotch chip cookies
- Fall Flavors: The combination of pumpkin and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg gives these cookies that perfect autumn vibe.
- Soft and Chewy: These cookies have the ideal soft and chewy texture, thanks to the pumpkin puree.
- Butterscotch Twist: Butterscotch chips add a sweet, creamy touch that pairs perfectly with the spiced pumpkin base.
- Easy to Make: This one-bowl recipe requires no special equipment or complicated steps, making it perfect for quick baking sessions.
- Perfect for Sharing: Great for fall gatherings, holiday cookie swaps, or just cozying up at home with a sweet treat
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter – You can use salted butter instead however be sure to reduce the salt to in the dry ingredients.
- Light Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar but you can use dark brown sugar as well.
- White Sugar – I used granulated white sugar.
- Egg – I like to use a room temperature large egg.
- Pumpkin Puree: Adds moisture and flavor to the cookies. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices added to it which would affect the texture of the cookies.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – I used a pre made pumpkin pie spice blend however you can easily make your own blend and use it here.
- Butterscotch Chips: These sweet, creamy chips add a delightful contrast to the spiced pumpkin flavor.
- Chocolate chips- I prefer using semi sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. You can also use semi sweet chocolate chunks or a chopped up chocolate bar in place of the chips.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and gives them a light, soft texture.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
The Secret to Chewy Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
Pumpkin is a really moist ingredient which makes it useful in cakes, pumpkin muffins, and quick breads. But it poses a texture problem when we’re trying to make thick and chewy butterscotch pumpkin cookies.
The added moisture often leads to a cakier/puffier cookie instead of a chewy cookie. To prevent that it is imperative to Blot the pumpkin before you add it to the cookie dough.
To remove the extra moisture, simply place the pumpkin puree in layers of a cheesecloth, a lint free kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels and press gently to remove the excess liquid.
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake these Pumpkin butterscotch cookies. You can use a stand mixer or a hand held electric mixer.Pre-heat the oven to 175C (350 F) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
Step 1. Melt the Butter: Heat the cubed butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Set aside in a small glass bowl to cool down.
Step 2. Whisk the dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Step 3. Blot the pumpkin: 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. Refer to the image above for what the texture of the pumpkin should be.
Step 4. Beat the wet ingredients: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the melted butter butter and both sugars until pale for 2-3 mins. Add the egg and beat until well combined making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat in the strained pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
Step 5. Mix the wet into dry: To the butter mixture on medium speed stir in the flour mixture, dark chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until just combined.
Step 6. Scoop out the cookie dough: Using a large cookie scoop, roll out as many cookie balls out of the dough as possible. Arrange the balls evenly amongst prepared baking sheets and press lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten the cookies.Optionally place a few extra chocolate and butterscotch chips on top of each cookie dough ball. Bake for 12-13 mins until golden.
Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for about 5 mins. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on a wire rack before enjoying.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a cookie scoop: Use a cookie or ice cream scoop for uniform cookies with thick, chewy and gooey centers. The cookie dough balls must be three tablespoons.
- Don’t Over bake: Remove the cookies from the oven when they are just slightly underbaked in the center. They will continue to set as they cool.
- Measure Pumpkin Carefully: Too much pumpkin can make the cookies too soft. Be sure to measure precisely for the best texture.
- Flatten the cookie dough: Be sure to press the cookies slightly before baking otherwise they wont spread and turn out puffy and cakey.
FAQ’s
This has to do with the flour. The flour needs to be spooned and leveled. If you scoop using the measuring cup directly into the flour, it will be compacted. Compacted flour means no spread with your cookies.
Yes ! You can easily substitute it with 1 ¾ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ginger and ¼ tsp cloves.
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?
Yes! You can use homemade pumpkin puree, but make sure it’s thick and not too watery. Drain any excess moisture before using.
Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but you can try to substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure to use a 1:1 replacement for the best results.
Can I skip the butterscotch chips?
Yes, you can skip the butterscotch chips and add more chocolate chips in this recipe if you prefer a classic pumpkin-chocolate combo.You can even try try adding white chocolate chips.
Storing and Freezing
Store these pumpkin butterscotch chip cookies in an airtight container up to a week at room temperature.
FREEZING
Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour or heat in the microwave.
Wrap the raw cookie dough balls in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Freeze up to 30 days.
The frozen cookie dough balls can be baked straight from the freezer. Just add a few extra minutes of bake time.
More recipes you will love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup butterscotch
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- 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 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. Then stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined.
- Slowly mix in the dry ingredients into the wet, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then gently stir in the butterscotch and chocolate chips until just combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. Very gently press down with your hand to flatten each ball of cookie dough slightly. Make sure to leave a little room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread a little while they bake.
- Bake the cookies at 350°F for 12-13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and the top is set.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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