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The best ever Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, made with browned butter, pumpkin butter, oatmeal, pumpkin spice, and plenty of chocolate. Plus one special ingredient that really makes these stand out…espresso. They’re the perfect fall pumpkin cookie. Slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and gooey in the middle. And the sea salt on top makes every bite even more addicting. Equally perfect for Halloween night as they are for Thanksgiving dinner.
This is my year to bake all things pumpkin. When I was looking back at the last 10 years of writing recipes for HBH, I realized many things. But one thing that hit me about fall is the lack of sweet pumpkin recipes.
I actually have plenty of favorite pumpkin recipes. But when it comes to baking with pumpkin, I only have a handful of really solid go-to recipes.
I made it my goal this week to embrace baking with pumpkin. I’m two recipes down and wow, they’re both so delicious. Starting with my personal favorite though, cookies!!
We absolutely love oatmeal cookies around here. My mom’s recipe is pretty famous at this point. So all I do is use her recipe as a base, then adjust from there.
Shockingly, these didn’t take me long to test. I had a few ideas, but in the end, I landed on this cookie. I think it’s pretty perfect.
Details
Like most of my cookie recipes during the fall, this one starts with brown butter. I just love the rich nutty flavor it adds. It makes your cooking and baking even more special.
I brown the butter and then add it to a bowl with brown sugar and pumpkin butter. The key here is pumpkin butter, not pumpkin puree. Pumpkin butter is more reduced down than pumpkin purèe and contains less moisture. Less moisture will give you a chewier cookie, not a cakey cookie. You can use my homemade pumpkin butter or pick some up at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, your local market, or even via Amazon. Though I’m partial to my homemade recipe. Just make sure your pumpkin butter is spiced for best flavor.
Mix in half the pumpkin butter along with an egg and vanilla. I also love to add a small amount of espresso powder. I found this paired so nicely with the flavors and chocolate in the cookie. Kind of like a pumpkin latte with melty chocolate.
Now mix in the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.
The next step is important. Dollop on the remaining pumpkin butter and add the chocolate, but don’t mix the pumpkin butter fully into the dough. You want streaks. This gives you more pumpkin flavor without creating an overly cakey cookie.
Roll the dough into balls, I love to use a cookie scoop for this. It’s so much easier and works nicely with this dough since it’s a bit stickier. Then bake.
These cookies smell incredible, like cookies with the addition of warming fall scents.
Easy to make, no chilling, and take less than a half hour to make. Love that. Plus they’re full of actual pumpkin flavor, real pumpkin, and swirled with both pumpkin butter and chocolate.
These cookies are lightly crisp on the edges but soft and gooey in the center.
Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Cream Cheese Swirled Cinnamon Pumpkin Butter Bread
6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter
Chai Pumpkin Cake with Maple Browned Butter Frosting
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Butter Bread
Fluffy Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Lastly, if you make these Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 18 -22 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 350 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup pumpkin butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips
- sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool 5 minutes or so.3. To the browned butter, mix in the brown sugar, 1/3 cup pumpkin butter, the egg, vanilla, and espresso powder, mixing until smooth. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. 4. Dollop the remaining 1/3 cup pumpkin butter over the dough. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips. Gently fold the pumpkin butter and chocolate into the dough, being careful to not over-mix. You want streaks of pumpkin butter. 5. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon size balls, it might be a little sticky. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough down. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, rotate, and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten. Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.6. Sprinkle with sea salt (if desired). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.
Notes
Pumpkin Butter: you can use my homemade pumpkin butter or just pick some up from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, your local market, or even via Amazon.
If you want more Pumpkin Spice Flavor: add in 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice along with the flour.
My husband and I cannot get enough of these! I’m a self proclaimed cookie connoisseur and these are my #1 favorite cookie I’ve ever had/made.
MUST make with Tieghan’s pumpkin butter. Game changer.
My husband took some to base for his friends to try, and they all asked for the recipe so they could ask their wives to make them haha! So they are military men approved & raved over too hahaha!
Hey Dylan,
Happy Monday! 👻 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Happy Halloween! 🎃
These are delicious! But my cookies did not come out pretty and crispy like yours. …More puffy and chewy. Maybe should have used a better quality chocolate too 🤔
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks so much for trying these cookies!! Have you tried tapping the baking sheet on the counter while the cookies are baking? That usually helps to get a flatter cookies! Let me know! xx
These are awesome! So many flavors and textures! Yum! Even my picky kiddos wolfed them down! Followed the recipe exactly, super excited to have leftover pumpkin butter as an excuse to make more soooooon! Thanks for another fantastic recipe, Tieghan!
Hey Meghan,
Happy Friday!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review! xx
Our family loved these cookies! Great fresh out of the oven but I liked them better the next day! Just put a second batch in the oven because, you know we gotta use up this homemade pumpkin butter we made with your easy recipe! Thank you!
Hey Becky,
Happy Friday!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review! xx
These turned out so well–a big family hit! Thanks Tieghan for your creative genius!
Awe, thanks so much Kimberley!! So glad to hear that these cookies 🍪 were enjoyed! Thanks for making them! xT
I enjoyed baking these, and the texture is quite delightful. I also made your pumpkin butter recipe to use for this. Love oats in my cookies, I will definitely make these again. Thank you!
Hey Nicole,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
Amazing cookies! Can I freeze the dough in cookie balls and bake later?
Hey Jess,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! Totally, that will work well for you! xT
Hi Tieghan!
These look so yummy, but I have someone allergic to oats. Is there a way to make these without using oats? Can I just take them out of the recipe, or do I need to adjust portions of other ingredients to do so? Thanks so much!
Hi Alexa,
I would go ahead and use this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pumpkin-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
My niece made these and they were amazing!
Hi Sophia,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
I was looking forward to making these but am disappointed with the way they turned out. Flavor is awesome, but the texture is very cake-like. I followed the recipe to a T. I noticed a comment follow up mentioned to use less baking soda AND powder, although the recipe does not include baking powder as an ingredient. You may need to adjust the recipe to better reflect the correct baking soda and powder amounts.
I don’t usually comment on blogs but I would agree with Alex. Made my own pumpkin butter. Followed instructions carefully. And there’re underwhelming. Not a good pumpkin flavor and they look underbaked even after over-baking. They are also cakey and dull in appearance. Flavor is okay. Would love to try this recipe again if there were suggestions to improve.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for making the recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they weren’t enjoyed. These really should just have a hint of pumpkin, not huge pumpkin flavor because you are also getting the nuttiness from the browned butter, texture from the oats, and sweetness from the chocolate chips. I would try this recipe if you want something more pumpkin-y:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pumpkin-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/
I hope this helps! xx
Hi Alex,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they were not enjoyed. There is only baking soda in this recipe. Did you bang your baking sheet on the counter? You can always flatten the dough with your hand too! I hope this helps! xT
Teigan, Can you use almond flour in the place of all purpose flour for this?
Hi Pascale,
I would recommend using a gluten free flour blend, I think that will work best for you. Please me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
So easy and delicious! Halved the recipe but should have done the full thing, since we are eating them so quickly.
Hi Maddie,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a winner! 🤩
I was so excited to make these and I will admit they were yummy, but mine were cakey as well. I followed the recipe exactly and I made your pumpkin butter exactly as instructed. Do you have any advice for making them less cakey? I also felt like we lost the browned butter flavor in the finished product. Yes, I’ll admit I tasted the dough and it was FANTASTIC! After baking them however, I felt the browned butter flavor got lost. Would love some advice on getting a crispier texture. Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Hey Shauna,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! Sorry about the texture, next time reduce your baking soda and be sure to use a metal pan. That should help! xx
Mine also were cakey. I did use a metal pan for baking. If I try this recipe again, I will decrease the baking soda a smidge.
You commented to reduce the baking powder. I don’t see any in the recipe. Am I missing something?
Thanks!
Sorry, just the baking soda:)
I just made these… I mainly wanted to freeze the majority so I chilled the dough and made my dough balls using a cookie scoop. I was careful not to overmix the pumpkin butter and I could clearly see the areas of butter. I froze almost all and made few having scooped the chilled (refrigerated dough). I was disappointed that after pan banging, there wasn’t any spread. I may have had a tad more flour than called for as I made these with my 2 yr old. I’m concerned my frozen dough balls are not going to spread at all. Is there anything I can do to remedy?
Bring to room temp?
Flatten?
Lower oven temp?
Can I add a pan of water to add some moisture to the oven or will that make them cakey?
Looking for advice from the experienced baker…
Hi Miranda,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! Chilled dough tends to hold its form, so when you thaw the dough I would really make sure it’s back to room temp before baking. I hope this helps! xx
Great cookie recipe! I cut the brown sugar by A third and they are still absolutely delicious!! Love this!
Hi Missy,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT