Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

When pumpkin season hits, you need to try these soft, chewy browned butter pumpkin cookies. With warm spices, browned butter, and rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking these pumpkin cookies will surely become your new favorite!

 

I can’t help but when its the Fall baking season, my brain is hard wired to crave all things pumpkin and bake with all the warm Fall flavors. I suddenly can’t resist driving through a Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte. I suddenly want to burn a pumpkin candle. And of course I need a pumpkin dessert in my life.

Like a cookie. Like these soft pumpkin cookies made with brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. I mean sure I could make a pumpkin cheesecake, or some pumpkin muffins, but does anything beat a cookie? I think not.

Because let’s face it…no matter if it’s pumpkin season or not I always want a cookie. So it only made sense that I would make a pumpkin cookie. Especially when it’s made with brown butter and rolled in cinnamon and sugar.

What is brown butter?

Brown butter is when you melt down butter on the stove and allow the milk solids to brown, or caramelize.

Browning the butter gives the cookies so much flavor! Browning the butter gives a nutty aroma and caramel like flavor that can’t be beat. I love using browned butter in my baking! Like in my brown butter brownies, brown butter rice krispie treats, browned butter chocolate chip cookies, and these M&M cookie bars. It’s such a game changer!

Be sure to do this ahead of time to allow the butter to cool before adding to your cookie dough.

See Also:

• Pucker up and enjoy one of these homemade lemon cookies with easy lemon glaze drizzled over them!
• Coconut macaroons are an easy gluten free chewy coconut cookie. Dip in chocolate for an easy chocolate treat!
• Grab a jar of peanut butter and make these wonderfully easy old fashioned peanut butter cookies with criss cross pattern on top!
• Make these brown sugar chocolate chips cookies made with 100% brown sugar making them wonderfully chewy!

Why You Will Love These Pumpkin Cookies

• Soft and chewy pumpkin cookies – Some pumpkin cookies are more cakey than chewy but not these cookies! They are wonderfully chewy and soft at the same time.
• Lots of pumpkin flavor. – I used both pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in the cookie dough for maximum pumpkin flavor.
• Perfect holiday cookie to freeze – You can make some cookies now to eat and then freeze more to enjoy later for the holidays!

Ingredients Needed

For full recipe and instructions head to the recipe card below.

Cookie Dough:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter – Salted butter contains more water, so if you swap it out you may find your cookies may spread a bit more.
• 1 3/4 cups (240 grams) bread flour – Using some bread flour gives these cookies their chewy texture, so don’t skip it!
• 1 cup (136 grams) all purpose flour – Make sure to measure your flour correctly so your cookies spread correctly and aren’t overly cakey. For best results, use a scale and weigh your flour.
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – If you don’t have any, make your own pumpkin pie spice.
• 1/2 cup (118 mL) vegetable oil – Use a neutral oil, like canola oil if you need to swap. This helps make for a moist cookie recipe.
• 1/3 cup (79 g) pumpkin puree – Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling which has added ingredients. Or you can use fresh pumpkin. Here are 40 Ways to use up the rest of that leftover pumpkin puree.
• 3/4 cup (158 g) packed brown sugar – You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar- If you don’t have any, make your own brown sugar!
• 3/4 cup (144 g) granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon sugar coating:

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

How To Make Pumpkin Cookies

To make these cookies, you want to start by browning your butter.

Once your butter is browned you want to make sure to allow it cool to room temperature before making the cookie dough.

In a small bowl combine the bread flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.

Then combine the stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.

You need to refrigerate the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes to help the dough stiffen up a bit before scooping.

Preheat your oven to 350oF (177oC) and position a rack in the center of your oven.

Make the cinnamon sugar by whisking together the granulated sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl.

Once the dough is chilled, scoop the cookies into 1 1/2 tablespoons cookie dough balls. I like to use a cookie scoop so they come out the same size. Then roll smooth in your hands. Then roll them into the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place on a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.

Bake in a preheated 350oF (177oc) in the center of your oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will be puffy but set on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes than transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Recipe Tips

• Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Too much flour will result in a dense cookie. And we want soft cookies. You want to make sure to scoop the flour with a spoon and level with a flat edge. You can read a full tutorial on measuring flour here.
• Use pumpkin puree. Make sure to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix which has added sugar and spices already.
• Do not overmix. For soft pumpkin cookies you want to make sure to not over mix once you add your dry ingredients to the brown butter mixture.
• Chill the cookie dough. Do not skip the chilling of the cookie dough part! It’s essential so your cookie dough isn’t too soft and spread.

Recipe Variations:

• Use gluten free flour – Use a 1:1 gluten free flour and swap out the bread flour and all purpose flour.
• Add white chocolate chips – Pumpkin and white chocolate go great together! Stir in 12 ounces or 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips at the end. Or try swapping for regular semi sweet chocolate chips instead.

Recipe FAQ’s

Bake Up My Most Popular Cookie Recipes!

If you love cookies as much as I do then bake up some of my more popular cookie recipes from the blog, especially when it’s Christmas time!

Like my peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies with a Hershey kiss in the center, or my grandmother’s cookie recipe for Russian Tea Cakes, or these old fashioned peanut butter cookies with criss cross pattern.

For all my Christmas cookie recipes, check out my 25+ Christmas cookie recipes!

More Recipes To Try:

• Self Rising Flour Biscuits
• Lemon Cookies
• Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 20 Self Rising Flour Recipes
• Milk Bar Cake