Brown butter pumpkin cookies are fall in cookie form. The brown butter mixed with the pumpkin and pumpkin spice give these cookies an amazing warm, spiced flavor with hints of caramel and vanilla. They’re soft with crispy edges and absolutely delicious!
One thing that I love about fall is the nostalgia it evokes and how you just want to bottle up that feeling because it’s so fleeting. I find myself saying October should be two months long because I just want time to go by a little slower this time of year. Leaf covered streets, that perfect fall golden light and the magic in the air are just a few of my favorite things about the season — and now we can add these cookies to that list!
These browned butter pumpkin cookies evoke that nostalgia and all the warm cozy vibes — they truly are the perfect cookie for the fall season and I have not been able to stop making them since I developed this recipe! The brown butter takes this cookie recipe up a notch and really makes them so special and memorable.
A perfect complement to pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice, the salted brown butter gives these cookies notes of spiced caramel in every bite that taste like a bakery style cookie. I also love that they’re pillowy soft with crispy edges — the perfect texture!
If you’re looking to bake something that gets you in the fall mood, these pumpkin brown butter cookies are it, and you can enjoy them like this with some flakey sea salt sprinkled on top or add chocolate chips for the perfect pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
Made gluten free with 1:1 gluten free flour and arrowroot flour, they’re great if you’re gluten intolerant or sensitive. And yes, I do highly recommend refrigerating the dough overnight if possible (trust me it’s the secret to the best texture) because they are 100% worth the wait!
Ingredients for Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies
- Salted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Coconut Sugar
- Pumpkin Puree
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1:1 Gluten Free Flour
- Arrowroot Flour
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – it’s not a fall recipe without pumpkin spice, and this combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves will be underscored by the pumpkin puree and browned butter.
- Baking Soda
- Salt — salt will help highlight the other flavors of
- Flakey Sea Salt — spinkle flakey sea salt on top once these cookies have baked to complement their amazing texture and flavor.
Equipment / Utensils
- Saucepan or Saute pan
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowls
- Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet
How to Make Browned Butter Pumpkin Cookies
- Brown the butter. See below for precise browning instructions to ensure the perfect browned butter.
- Let the butter cool while you prep the other ingredients. While the butter cools, whisk together the dry ingredients and portion out the sugars and pumpkin puree.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together. Whisk the gluten free flour, arrowroot, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. Whisk together the cooled butter, brown sugar, coconut sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract or paste.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until a dough forms.
- Fold in chocolate chips if desired. Leave the dough as is or fold in chocolate chips for pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
- Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Don’t skip this step as it the secret sauce to an incredible cookie texture.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and portion the dough. Give the dough a couple of minutes to soften and then use a cookie scoop to portion it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake and enjoy! They’re truly amazing right out of the oven!
How To Brown Butter
Making browned butter might sound intimidating, but I promise it’s actually very easy and gives the most delicious caramel flavor to anything to add it to like these pumpkin cookies.
So, what is brown butter? It’s butter that has been cooked until the milk solids have caramelized, giving it a nutty flavor and a golden color. This flavor is really going to stand out in different things like cookies, breads, frosting, and even savory things like pasta.
How to brown butter:
- In a small saucepan or saute pan add cut up butter over low heat.
- As the butter is melting, use a spatula to stir it around as it continues to melt.
- Continue to stir over low heat — it will take a few minutes for the color to start to change which is why you don’t want to walk away from the pan.
- As you lightly stir you’ll notice the butter start foam. At first it will turn a light brown color and then begin to darken and become fragrant — the whole house will smell amazing!
- This is your cue to remove it from the heat and let cool.
How to Make Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 sauté pan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter see instructions for browning
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 1/3 cup Gluten Free Flour
- 2 tsp Arrowroot Flour or Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter and let cool for about 10 minutes. See instructions above for browning method.
- While the butter is cooling, combine the flour, arrowroot or cornstarch, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Once the butter is cooled, add it to a separate mixing bowl along with the coconut sugar and brown sugar. Whisk together and once combined add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Add to the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips if desired or leave plain. Chill the dough for an hour or overnight.*
- Once you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and portion the cookie dough using a cookie scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You don't have to wait until the dough is completely thawed, just until it's soft enough to use your cookie scoop.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove and enjoy warm right out of the oven!
Notes
More Pumpkin Recipes You’re Sure to Love
- Pumpkin S’mores Cookies
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Brownie Cookie Bites
- Pumpkin S’mores Cookie Bars
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