Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste:Pumpkin spice + semisweet chocolate is a combination I love so much!
Texture:These cookies are rich, chewy, and soft – not cakey!
Ease:Browning the butter is an extra step, but this recipe is still super simple to make.
Pros: Delightfully flavorful fall treat that everyone will love.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again?Again and again and again.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read ourdisclosure policy.
These Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies will become a staple part of your fall baking repertoire.
These cookies are simple to make often – which is great because once you have a taste, you’ll be craving these cookies till Christmas!
Taking the time to brown the butter (instead of simply melting it) adds a whole new complexity of flavor. It creates this super crave-worthy kind of caramelized nutty quality that really complements the warm spices in this recipe.
This Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe actually doesn’t even require an electric mixer to make! The hardest part is probably waiting for the butter to brown and cool, and then waiting for the dough to chill for 30 minutes before baking.
In general, the colder any cookie dough is when it enters the oven, the thicker your cookies will be.
The waiting will be SO worth it once you sink your teeth into a thick, chewy, and slightly gooey cookie that tastes like fall heaven.
I’m so thrilled to be teaming up with Bob’s Red Mill to bring you this tasty cookie recipe. Not only does the brand produce high-quality flours, grains, and tons of other go-to baking ingredients, but they’re also employee-owned.
I just love working with brand partners who have a strong spirit of generosity and a sense of family woven into the company culture. Learn more about Bob’s Red Mill here.
This recipe makes about 25 cookies, but you could very easily double it to serve a crowd for a holiday gathering or potluck. I can promise you these cookies won’t last long!
How to Make Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Browning the Butter
Follow the recipe directions closely for browning the butter. It’s super simple, just be sure not to walk away from it while it’s cooking on the stove. It quickly goes from browned to burnt. For best results, avoid using a nonstick pan. Learn all my tips and tricks for browning butter in my How to Brown Butter article here.
Egg Yolk
- Egg yolks have protein and fat, which adds a bit of chewiness and richness to any cookie, cake, or brownie.
- On the other hand, egg whites tend to create a lighter airier, and more cakey texture.
- Since this cookie recipe has pumpkin puree, we’re already adding a significant amount of moisture. In fact, pumpkin puree can sometimes be used as an egg replacer in baking.
- Because of this, I only added 1 egg yolk in this recipe with no whole eggs.
- Too much moisture would make these cakey, and I wanted the texture to be chewy.
Sugar
- I decided to use mostly granulated sugar in these Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with just a touch of light brown sugar for that butterscotch flavor.
- The granulated sugar promotes spread and gives the cookies a slightly crisp edge.
- Again, this was done to prevent these cookies from becoming too cakey in texture.
- Don’t reduce the sugar in these cookies. Learn about the role sugar plays in baking here (spoiler alert: it’s MUCH more than just sweetening!)
Flour
For this recipe, I love to use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour, which is a premium baking flour freshly milled from certified organic, hard red wheat. Whenever baking relatively simple recipes (like cookies) it’s really important to me to use high-quality ingredients so the flavor is as amazing as possible. These little details add up to make the difference between good cookies and GREAT cookies!
The Pumpkin
Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling in these cookies. Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for side-by-side comparisons between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin.
The Spices
Be sure to use fresh spices, as fresh spices will always impart a lot more flavor! If your spices have been sitting in your pantry for years and no longer have a nice, strong smell, they won’t give your baked goods any flavor.
Chilling the Dough & Storage
- These pumpkin cookies keep for quite a while in an airtight container at room temperature – up to 5 days.
- You’ll notice that the pumpkin spice flavor actually intensifies over time!
- You can also “marinate” the cookie dough by storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- This will also intensify the pumpkin spice flavor and make the cookies thicker and chewier. Give it a try!
- Learn how to freeze cookie dough and bake from frozen in this post here.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
- Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting
- Pumpkin Scones
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Muffins
Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
By: Tessa Arias
4.78 from 18 votes
Yield: 25 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Inactive Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
Review Print
Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are CHEWY (not cakey) pumpkin spice cookies loaded with tons of caramelized butterscotch flavor and gooey chocolate chips. A fall favorite!
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (204 grams) Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose White Flour*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Brown the butter:
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises.
Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a medium mixing bowl, being sure to scrape all the brown bits into the bowl too. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the hot butter and stir to combine. Let cool.
Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the hot butter and stir to combine. Let cool.
Make the cookies:
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
To the butter mixture, add the egg yolk and vanilla, stirring to combine. Stir in pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition, until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to scoop. You can also portion the dough and refrigerate the dough balls, well covered, for up to 48 hours, which will intensify the flavors.
Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop or a spoon, roll the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set and edges are lightly browned.
Let cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Pumpkin flavor will intensify after a day.
Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!
Recipe Notes
*If using a different brand of all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal or King Arthur, use 190 grams.
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
