

I have been waiting impatiently, which is the only way I wait by the way, for it to be socially acceptable to begin making pumpkin goodies. It’s hard to tell why, but baking with pumpkin makes me giddy. I decided to start my pumpkin season out with a bang. These Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies are pillowy soft and perfectly moist. They practically melt in your mouth.


And the frosting! Oh, the frosting! Brown butter lends a subtle hint of flavor that sets these cookies apart from any others you’ll find out there.


But was that enough for a pumpkin season opener? Oh no. Not at AHC. I added a smattering of milk chocolate chips to half the batter. Not enough to detract from the pumpkin magnificence but just enough to make your eyes pop open and say, “Oh wow that’s good!”


I would like to call your attention to those magnificent milk chocolate chips. Perfectly accenting the pumpkin.
These are perfectly seasoned with your traditional spices so that it’s bursting with the flavors you’re craving and the brown butter frosting keeps them from being mundane. Not that we didn’t eat our fair share unfrosted. Because we did.


I made half the batter into plain chewy pumpkin cookies, which I piped into perfect, little circles, and then folded in a handful of chocolate chips to the remaining batter on a whim. Neither my fiancé nor I discriminated in our noshing. They are both fabulous.


Where was the Wedding Fairy during this pumpkin paloosa you might ask? Did she take a holiday? Didn’t you, Lindsey, swear just the other day that you were going to be good? Ummmmm. I don’t have an answer for that except it seems even the snarky Wedding Fairy has a weakness for pumpkin. Thank all that is good! Starting with these cookies!
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 48, 1.5 inch Cookies 1x
Description
These Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies are bursting with traditional pumpkin pie flavor, which is complemented by a delicious Brown Butter Icing.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cookies:
- 1 cups unsalted butter, slightly softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup pure, pureed pumpkin
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chips, optional (I use Ghirardelli and you can feel free to use more or less to your taste!)
For the Brown Butter Icing:
- 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons whole milk
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease.
- Sift together all the spices, baking soda, baking powder, and flour in a medium bowl.
- Cream butter and both sugars with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until well blended. Add egg and pumpkin and mix just until combined. You don’t want the butter to over soften.
- Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until combined. If you would like to add chocolate chips, stir in the desired amount with a spoon. At this point you can either drop the cookies onto the sheet from a spoon or a scoop, or you can pipe them into circles. Perfectionists beware: they will not be pretty and picture perfect unless you pipe them with a round fitting. The taste difference is nonexistent.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-13 minutes. The piped 1” cookies take about 10 minutes, while the drop cookies take a little longer. The cookies are done when the center springs back from your touch. Not a moment longer! Completely cool on cookie racks prior to icing. [Try to resist eating the majority!]
For the Brown Butter Icing:
- Brown your butter: Melt butter over medium-low heat in a small, thick-bottomed pot. Swirl the butter every minute or so to ensure even cooking. WATCH IT LIKE A HAWK. Patience is crucial to browning butter. First the butter will “un-cloud”, then little tiny bubbles will form on the bottom of your pan. These are good things. Keep swirlin’ intermittently. Every so often give the butter a good sniff and see if it smells like melted butter or if it has a nutty aroma. Once you smell that distinctly nutty aroma and your butter is a golden brown, pull it from the stove and pour it over your confectioners sugar. Make sure you get every last bit of it – including the little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Yummmy.
- Add the remaining ingredients and vigorously beat with a spatula to mix. The consistency should be smooth and creamy. Not runny. If your icing is a touch too thick drizzle a little more milk on at a time. You will probably have to loosen it up halfway through icing.
- Ice those beautiful chewy chocolate chip pumpkin cookies with a small offset spatula and then sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon for fun.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Brown Butter Icing adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
You may also love these Fall Favorites:
Maple Caramel Pecan Bars {These are soooooooo gooood!}
22 Comments
Phillip
September 24, 2013 at 8:40 amThese look great. I’m going to try them!
Lindsey
September 24, 2013 at 10:14 amThere are no words! They were spectacular! Both with and without chocolate chips. Let me know what you think!
Dina
September 25, 2013 at 12:14 pmthey look yummy!
Lindsey
September 25, 2013 at 12:54 pmOh that they are!
Miss Kim @ behgopa
September 26, 2013 at 12:46 amOh I was just thinking of pumpkin and baking with pumpkin. It is really starting to feel like fall finally (thank God), and I just love fall baking, especially with all those spices that just makes your house smell so good. Brown butter is the best. Makes things taste good! Love the bright orange colors of the pumpkins.
This post is so fall-esque lol. Fall is my fav season. Thank goodness the unbearable heat of summer is over!
Lindsey
September 26, 2013 at 9:13 amlol you are fall obsessed! These are delicious. And the icing is hard not to just eat it straight on your finger!
Kristina
September 26, 2013 at 10:09 amOo chewy is my favorite! And I think it is always socially acceptable to bake with pumpkin 🙂 SO so yummy!
Lindsey
September 26, 2013 at 10:50 amPeople do look at you a leetle funny if you whip up pumpkin bread in July! Which, of course, I know from experience! And chewy is definitely the way to go!
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Laura Dembowski
September 29, 2013 at 3:21 pmPumpkin cookies are one of my weaknesses and these look wonderful!
Lindsey
September 29, 2013 at 4:47 pmOh these are a must try! Make sure you make the icing too! Soooo amazing!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
October 2, 2013 at 11:52 amWow, these look yummy! I could use one for breakfast right now. 😉
Great pictures too. Love the cute little pumpkins!
Lindsey
October 2, 2013 at 12:56 pmThank you! I can attest to the fact that they are delicious at all times of the day! Including breakfast! lol
Carrie
October 10, 2013 at 9:29 amI made these cookies last night, rather than just getting on here (and every other food site) and saying something looks good and I would like to try them. They are tasty, but not chewy, rather more cake-like…similar to what I make for pumpkin gobs, and don’t hold together well. My family enjoyed the flavor though.
Lindsey
October 10, 2013 at 10:59 amI’m sorry they didn’t work for you. I didn’t have the same problems as you but I appreciate your feedback.
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