brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies
soft and chewy brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies with brown butter icing
baked in October 2024
yield: 28 cookies
prep time: 45 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
difficulty level: medium
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 and 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in slices
- 2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Icing
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for garnish: sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Directions
For the cookies:
- Blot the pumpkin: Line a medium bowl with 2 paper towels. Place the pumpkin puree in the bowl. Using another paper towel, press down to blot excess moisture out of the pumpkin. After blotting, you will have about 1 cup (225g) of pumpkin. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: NOTE: If topping the cookies with the brown butter icing, you can brown the butter for both the cookies AND the icing together. Once it is all browned, divide and set aside 1/4 cup for the glaze. The rest (about 1 cup) is for the cookies.
- In a light-colored skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly.
- Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring.
- After 5–8 minutes, the butter will begin browning. You’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma.
- Once browned, immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof glass bowl or liquid measuring cup, including all of the browned solids at the bottom of the pan. If you browned enough butter for the icing as well, divide and set aside 1/4 cup brown butter. Allow brown butter to slightly cool while you continue.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Pour the slightly cooled brown butter into a large bowl.
- Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.
- Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined, then whisk in the blotted pumpkin.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be soft and sticky.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough into balls (about 2 heaping Tablespoonsof dough each) and place 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
- Slightly flatten the balls out as the cookies won’t spread much unless you help out first!
- Bake for 14–15 minutes or until lightly browned and set on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before icing.
For the icing:
- Give the 1/4 cup of brown butter you reserved for the icing a quick stir. If it’s no longer thin and liquid, warm it on the stove or in the microwave until liquid again.
- Whisk in the remaining icing ingredients until smooth.
- Dip the top of each cookie into the icing.
- Sprinkle each lightly with pumpkin pie spice, if desired.
Nutrition
- Total calories: 5,629
- Calories per cookie: 201
