I’m thrilled to share my easy, no chilling Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies that come together in under 30 minutes and rely on one surprising pantry swap to make them perfect for both Halloween and Thanksgiving.
I never meant to invent the cookie everyone asks for seconds, but here I am. Browned butter sneaks in a deep, toasty flavor that makes the pumpkin puree sing, turning simple pantry staples into something kinda fancy.
They come out soft and slightly chewy, with little pockets of sweet surprises that make you forget the plate is nearly empty. As much as I hate bragging, these might be the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies I bake all season, and they fit right into my Fall Oatmeal Cookies rotation for Thanksgiving or a last minute Halloween stash.
Go on, try one.
Ingredients
- Browned butter adds deep nutty caramel flavor, lots of fat for chew, it’s not low calorie.
- Pumpkin puree gives moistness and subtle sweetness, adds fiber and vitamin A, low fat.
- Rolled oats bring chewiness, whole grain carbs and fiber, helps you feel full, slightly nutty.
- Brown sugar sweetens with molasses notes, adds moisture and chew, mostly simple carbs.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips give pockets of sweet chocolate, add sugar and some fat.
- Pecans or walnuts add optional crunch, healthy fats, a bit of protein and toasty flavor.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling often until it foams, smells nutty and little brown bits form, about 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, scrape browned bits into the bowl, and let the butter cool until warm but still pourable, 5 to 10 minutes. No chilling needed.
3. In a large bowl whisk together 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then whisk in the warm browned butter until smooth.
4. Add 1 large egg, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mix and whisk until combined.
5. In a separate bowl whisk 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Tip: spoon flour into the cup and level it off for accurate measure.
6. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Don’t overmix or the cookies will get tough; a few streaks of flour are fine.
7. Fold in 1 to 1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts if using.
8. Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons or a small cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp per cookie) onto the prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Press the tops down slightly so they spread evenly.
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven bakes unevenly. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish setting.
10. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze baked cookies or dough balls for later. If you like them extra gooey, bake at the lower end of the time or warm briefly before serving.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven, preheat to 350°F (175°C)
2. 2 rimmed baking sheets, plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
3. Medium saucepan for browning the butter
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Small bowl for the dry ingredients
6. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for accuracy)
7. Whisk and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon
8. Cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon, and a wire cooling rack
FAQ
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Browned butter -> if you dont wanna brown butter, use 1 cup melted unsalted butter cooled to warm. You will lose some nutty depth so add 1/2 tsp extra vanilla or a pinch of kosher salt for more flavor.
- Pumpkin puree -> swap with 1/2 cup canned sweet potato puree for similar texture and flavor, or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for a milder, moist cookie; with applesauce add a touch more cinnamon.
- All-purpose flour -> use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend by weight for a gluten free version, or swap with whole wheat pastry flour cup for cup (regular whole wheat is heavier so expect denser cookies).
- Old-fashioned rolled oats -> use quick oats 1:1 if you want a softer, less chewy bite, or blitz them into oat flour for a finer crumb (same volume roughly).
Pro Tips
– Brown the butter and stop it from cooking fast by pouring it into a cool bowl as soon as you see the nutty smell and brown bits. If it keeps cooking in the pan it can go from perfect to burnt in seconds, so watch it, swirl often, and scrape all the bits into the bowl.
– Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling or even better weigh it, otherwise you could end up with dry tough cookies. Mix the dough just until the dry streaks mostly disappear, overmixing makes them gummy, so walk away once it’s almost combined.
– Want chewier cookies? Use the lower bake time, add a little extra brown sugar or a teaspoon of cornstarch for extra tender chew, and press the dough balls down a tad so they spread evenly. If you want thicker cookies, pop the scooped dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking.
– Toast your nuts and chop them coarsely, and save a handful of chocolate chips to press on top right before baking so the cookies look awesome. To reheat leftovers warm briefly in the microwave or oven to bring back that melty chocolate feel.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Recipe
I’m thrilled to share my easy, no chilling Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies that come together in under 30 minutes and rely on one surprising pantry swap to make them perfect for both Halloween and Thanksgiving.
24
servings
223
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven, preheat to 350°F (175°C)
2. 2 rimmed baking sheets, plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
3. Medium saucepan for browning the butter
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Small bowl for the dry ingredients
6. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for accuracy)
7. Whisk and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon
8. Cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon, and a wire cooling rack
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 to 1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling often until it foams, smells nutty and little brown bits form, about 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, scrape browned bits into the bowl, and let the butter cool until warm but still pourable, 5 to 10 minutes. No chilling needed.
- In a large bowl whisk together 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then whisk in the warm browned butter until smooth.
- Add 1 large egg, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mix and whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Tip: spoon flour into the cup and level it off for accurate measure.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Don’t overmix or the cookies will get tough; a few streaks of flour are fine.
- Fold in 1 to 1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts if using.
- Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons or a small cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp per cookie) onto the prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Press the tops down slightly so they spread evenly.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven bakes unevenly. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish setting.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze baked cookies or dough balls for later. If you like them extra gooey, bake at the lower end of the time or warm briefly before serving.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 52g
- Total number of serves: 24
- Calories: 223kcal
- Fat: 13.2g
- Saturated Fat: 6.3g
- Trans Fat: 0.13g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.92g
- Monounsaturated: 4.6g
- Cholesterol: 28mg
- Sodium: 56mg
- Potassium: 93mg
- Carbohydrates: 27.4g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Sugar: 17.6g
- Protein: 2.3g
- Vitamin A: 242IU
- Vitamin C: 0.08mg
- Calcium: 8.6mg
- Iron: 0.64mg
