Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies take everything you love about classic chocolate chip cookies and give them a warm, fall twist. The brown butter adds a deep, caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with pumpkin and chocolate. And they're so soft!
For another dessert recipe, be sure to check out my Protein Puppy Chow!
Quick Look: Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: makes 36 cookies
- 📊 Calories: 87 per cookie
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Fall Flavor in a Classic Cookie - The combination of brown butter and pumpkin gives these cookies a rich, caramel-like flavor. If you love seasonal baking, this pumpkin cookie recipe will become your go-to!
- Soft & Perfectly Sized - These cookies stay soft and chewy thanks to the pumpkin puree. I love to make these in 1 Tablespoon servings so they're portion friendly.
- A Crowd Favorite - Everyone will love this fall alternative to a classic chocolate chip cookie! It's perfect for taking to a holiday party, dinner, or even a tailgate party!
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Select Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree - be sure to blot it with a paper towel as pumpkin has a lot of water. The water can water down the dough and cause the cookies to be flat.
- Butter - the browned butter step is the flavor of these cookies! However, if you're short on time or you don't love the brown butter flavor, you can use regular butter.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Tips & Variations
➡️ Swap for Regular Butter - Don't have time to brown your butter? No problem! You can use regular unsalted butter instead. The cookies will still be soft, chewy, and full of pumpkin flavor, though they'll lose a bit of that rich, nutty depth that brown butter adds.
➡️ Make Larger Cookies - Want large, bakery-style cookies? Simply double the serving size of the dough for each cookie. You'll get a thicker, softer, and gooier cookie. It may need a little extra baking time!
➡️ Add Extra Fall Spices- I tested these cookies with nutmeg and ginger, but for my preference, I liked letting the brown butter flavor shine! If you like a deep fall flavor, try to add nutmeg or ginger to the dough!
How to Make Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: First prep the brown butter by cooking butter over medium heat, stirring often until butter turns to a light brown color. Set aside to cool completely.
Step 2: Whisk in butter with both sugars until smooth. Add blotted pumpkin purée, vanilla, and egg. Mix until combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 4: Stir dry into wet until just mixed, then fold in chocolate chips. Chill dough 30-60 minutes (important for thick cookies!).
Step 5: Scoop 1 tablespoon dough balls onto parchment-lined or a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12-14 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look slightly underbaked.
Step 6: Optional: sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Regular unsalted butter works perfectly in this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies will still be soft, chewy, and full of fall flavor, though they won't have the caramel-like flavor that brown butter provides.
Absolutely! You can double the size of each cookie for a thick, gooey bakery-style cookie. Adjust the baking time accordingly since larger cookies need a few extra minutes.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
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Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Pumpkin purée blotted with a paper towel to remove excess moisture
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg
- 2 cup All-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cup Semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon Coarse sea salt optional
Instructions
Brown the butter
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it foams and turns golden brown with dark bits at the bottom. (They will look like coffee grounds) Pour into a heatproof bowl and cool until it comes to room temperature or so. (You can speed this up in the refrigerator).
Mix the dough
- Whisk in butter with both sugars until smooth. Add blotted pumpkin purée, vanilla, and egg. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir dry into wet until just mixed, then fold in chocolate chips. Chill dough 30-60 minutes (important for thick cookies!).
Bake
- Scoop 1 tablespoon dough balls onto parchment-lined or a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12-14 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look slightly underbaked. Optional: Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
These sound absolutely incredible! I bet they are perfectly soft!
These look incredible, brown butter + pumpkin is calling my name. Saving to bake this weekend!
These were amazing! I love the nutty brown butter with the pumpkin, cinnamon, and chocolate chips -- such a delicious combo! Can't wait to make these again soon because they certainly didn't last long in my house 🙂
I tested this recipe so many times and am obsessed with how these turned out! They're such a delicious alternative to a traditional chocolate chip cookie!