Description
These Perfect Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are the ultimate fall dessert—chewy, crisp-edged, and packed with nutty brown butter, warm spices, and melty chocolate. Ready in about 35 minutes with no chilling required, they’re easy enough for a weeknight treat and impressive enough for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree (100% pure, not pie filling)
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional: flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Place 1 cup unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, then stir occasionally. After a few minutes, the butter will foam and bubble. Keep stirring until golden-amber with brown specks and a nutty aroma (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool 10-15 minutes until warm but not hot.
- While butter cools, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled brown butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until it looks like wet sand. Add egg and vanilla, whisk until smooth and glossy. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Optionally reserve a handful to press onto tops before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Let dough rest on counter for 10 minutes.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each) onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Press reserved chocolate chips onto tops if desired.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Edges should be set and lightly golden; centers will look soft. For chewier cookies, bake 10 minutes; for crispier edges, bake 12 minutes.
- Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. If using flaky sea salt, sprinkle a tiny pinch on each cookie immediately after transferring.
- Repeat with remaining dough. If baking sheets are warm, cool under cold water and dry before adding new parchment and dough.
Notes
Don’t rush the brown butter—use medium heat and watch for amber color and nutty aroma. Pat pumpkin puree dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture for chewier cookies. Let dough rest 10 minutes for thicker cookies. For best results, use a cookie scoop for even sizing and rotate baking sheet halfway through. Cookies can be frozen baked or as dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 95
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 23
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: pumpkin cookies, brown butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, fall dessert, easy cookie recipe, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies