Description
Soft and chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made with nutty brown butter, blotted pumpkin puree, warm fall spices, and pools of melted semi-sweet chocolate. These cookies have golden edges, gooey centers, and no cakey texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Brown the butter in a large stainless steel pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally while it foams and crackles. Remove it from the heat when brown bits cover the bottom and the butter smells nutty.
- Scrape the browned butter and all toasted bits into a glass measuring bowl. Refrigerate for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until it reaches 70°F to 75°F and remains liquid.
- Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate. Press paper towels firmly into the puree to absorb excess moisture. Scrape it together, spread it again, and repeat with fresh paper towels until it feels thick and measures about 1/3 cup.
- Whisk the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for exactly 1 minute.
- Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and blotted pumpkin puree until fully combined.
- Fold in the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt until almost combined.
- Fold in the chopped semi-sweet chocolate until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon portions and roll each portion gently between your palms.
- Arrange the dough portions 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press extra chopped chocolate on top if desired.
- Bake one tray at a time for 9 to 13 minutes, until the edges look golden and the centers remain slightly underbaked.
- Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to gently shape the warm cookies into thick, even circles.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet over a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- Measure the flour with the spoon-and-level method or weigh 220 grams for the most consistent texture.
- Do not skip blotting the pumpkin puree because excess moisture creates cakey cookies.
- The browned butter should weigh about 184 grams after cooking.
- Cool the brown butter to 70°F to 75°F before mixing. It should remain liquid.
- Chopped chocolate creates larger melted pools than standard chocolate chips.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Refrigerate shaped cookie dough portions for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 2 months.
- Add 1 to 3 minutes to the baking time when baking cold or frozen dough.
- Let very cold dough soften at room temperature if the cookies do not spread enough.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 19
- Sodium: 195
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 58