The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies (with VIDEO)

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This recipe for Thick & Chewy Pumpkin Cookies combines the rich flavors of brown butter, brown sugar, a touch of honey, pure pumpkin and warm spices for the most fragrant and tasty Fall cookies! They are rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking similar to snickerdoodles. The thing with pumpkin cookies is that they are often puffy and cakey, but not these. These are incredibly soft and stay chewy for up to a week - they even improve with age. That is why I say these are the BEST pumpkin cookies. They may replace my favorite ginger cookies for the spot for best Fall cookie! I highly recommend you also try my Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies if you love baking with pumpkin. These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are also a huge hit during the Fall.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Brown butter cookies - the addition of brown butter really makes these pumpkin cookies stand out with that rich and nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, it's easy! Check out these instructions for how to brown butter here.
Soft and chewy texture - these cookies are nice and chewy! They are not cakey like a lot of pumpkin cookies can be.
Pumpkin spice cookies - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice and nutmeg adds warm cozy flavor to these cookies.
Cinnamon sugar - these cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunchy spicy coating which helps keep them chewy and also makes them extra delicious.
Concentrated pumpkin flavor - these cookies pack plenty of pumpkin flavor by simply drying the pumpkin with paper towels before using it in the cookie dough. This enables us to get more pumpkin into these cookies without adding too much moisture.

BLOTTING PUMPKIN PUREE

I recommend canned pumpkin vs. homemade pumpkin puree for baking because it is more consistent in texture and moisture content since commercial products must meet defined specifications. When you make it at home, it will have a different moisture content every time. For thick cookies, it is important that you dry out the canned pumpkin in this recipe. To do this, take a paper towel and blot the pumpkin to absorb moisture (details are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post). Why do we do this? In order to get pronounced pumpkin flavor and chewy texture, you need to remove water and concentrate the puree. In this recipe you need ⅓ cup canned pumpkin, but this amount will make the cookies slightly more cakey on its own. So, before using it, spread the pumpkin out on a plate, place a paper towel that's folded in half on top of it, then apply slight pressure to absorb as much moisture as you can. Repeat 2 more times. This will reduce the volume to just ¼ cup pumpkin.

dried blotted pumpkin puree for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies — Place paper towel over pumpkin puree

dried pumpkin puree for chewy pumpkin cookies — Pumpkin puree thoroughly dried.

Brown butter - for this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half. You will also need to brown the butter which makes these cookies taste incredibly rich! It has a rich, nutty, butterscotch flavor that really adds so much depth and complements the pumpkin and spices. Also, browning the butter removes the moisture (butter is 15% water) to make up for the added moisture from the pumpkin puree. This is one of the secrets for making sure these cookies are chewy and not cakey. The instructions for how to brown butter are here.
Brown sugar - this recipe uses all brown sugar. The molasses in brown sugar gives them a toffee-like flavor and also gives them a chewy texture! I prefer light brown sugar, but this recipe also works with dark brown sugar.
Egg - you'll just need one egg yolk to make this cookie dough. The moisture from the pumpkin will make up for the moisture omitted with the egg white so that the cookie texture remains dense and chewy instead of cakey.

stack of chewy pumpkin cookies broken in half showing soft middles

Canned pumpkin - canned pumpkin is easily accessible and inexpensive. I recommend using store-bought pumpkin since it is more consistent. If you make your own, it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe. For this recipe you will need to dry out the pumpkin puree as shown above using paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
Pure vanilla extract - snickerdoodle cookie dough is based on a vanilla sugar cookie, so the vanilla quality is important. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Pumpkin pie spice - use your favorite brand, or make your own from a blend of 1 part nutmeg, clove and allspice with 2 parts ginger and 3 parts cinnamon.
Cinnamon sugar - the cinnamon sugar coating gives these cookies a nice crackled top and adds slight crunch with more cinnamon flavor. It's kind of like a pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie!

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

To make pumpkin pie spice at home, blend certain proportions of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove. Here is my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice that yields about 3 tablespoons of total spice.

HOW TO MAKE CHEWY PUMPKIN COOKIES

STEP 1). Brown the butter. Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then continue to cook while stirring occasionally until butter begins to bubble and crackle as the moisture boils off. Keep cooking with frequent stirring until it turns a deep golden color. A dense foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it into a large mixing bowl, then let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Mix together flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a medium bowl and whisk them together to blend evenly.
STEP 3). Combine butter and sugar. Add brown sugar to the cooled browned butter and whisk until combined. It will look a bit clumpy but it will come together with the egg yolk.
STEP 4). Mix in egg and pumpkin. Beat in egg yolk until incorporated and creamy smooth. Whisk in vanilla and pumpkin.

chewy pumpkin cookies with bite on baking tray

STEP 5). Add dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly incorporated.
STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
STEP 7). Make cinnamon sugar. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
STEP 8). Coat in cinnamon sugar. Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion mounds of dough and roll into smooth balls, then roll them evenly in the cinnamon sugar. Apply some pressure so you get a nice even coating.
STEP 9). Bake. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and still soft in the middle.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS (watch the recipe video at the bottom of the page for a full tutorial)

Combine brown butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

Mix in egg yolk and honey.

Mix in blotted pumpkin puree.

Add dry ingredients and fold it in gently.

Scoop up dough.

Roll pumpkin cookie dough into smooth balls.

Roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar.

Bake until set on the edges and soft in the middle.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make them dry and the dough will not spread the right way.
Dry the pumpkin puree for thicker cookies. Pumpkin puree contains a lot of water and we need to remove most of that moisture in order for these cookies to be chewy since too much moisture will make cakey cookies. It's easy - just use several paper towels to pat down on the puree and absorb the water. About 3 paper towels will absorb more than 1 tablespoon of water to reduce the puree to ¼ cup or 60 ml. This is also the way to increase the amount of pumpkin in the cookie dough for more flavor without affecting the texture. There is an option to omit this step if you are pressed for time, and in this case you should read the FAQ section below.
Let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour so that you get cookies with a chewy texture.
Do not skip the cinnamon sugar. The sugar on the exterior of the cookie dough protects it from drying out and also creates the nice cracks and crevices on the surface.
Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion these cookies for even baking and roll the dough portions into smooth balls for a uniform shape. Otherwise, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.

stack of chewy pumpkin cookies on cooling rack with bite

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make this recipe without brown butter?

If you do not brown the butter, then the liquid:flour ratio will be higher in the recipe and the cookies will be slightly more cakey instead of chewy. They will also have a milder flavor. Browning the butter adds rich flavor, and it also drives off the water content to account for the added moisture coming from the pumpkin puree. However, if you are fine with softer and slightly puffier cookies, you can use regular melted butter.

Can I use salted butter for these chewy pumpkin cookies?

Yes! Salted butter will be fine. In this case I would suggest to use a level ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of a heaped ¼ teaspoon.

Can I use fresh pumpkin for chewy pumpkin cookies?

I use canned pumpkin puree for baking for two main reasons: 1). Consistency - if I buy the same brand all the time then I am guaranteed to have the same results. Homemade pumpkin puree will vary in moisture content depending on how long you cook it; and 2). Ease! - it's so much easier to use canned pumpkin and the quality is just as good.

Do I need to dry the pumpkin puree for chewy pumpkin cookies?

Blotting away excess moisture from the pumpkin puree allows us to add more pumpkin to the cookie dough for more flavor without affecting the chewy texture. If you are really pressed for time, you can make these cookies without drying the pumpkin, and in this case you can use ¼ cup (60ml) of pumpkin puree.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

I highly recommend chilling this cookie dough since it will help with the texture and it will improve the flavor even more. Nonetheless, you can still bake these cookies right away.

Why didn't my cookies spread?

If your cookies didn't spread much, it is likely that you added too much flour. Be sure to measure your flour accurately with a kitchen scale to get the right amount. If you prefer thinner cookies than shown in the photos, you can use ¾ teaspoon of baking soda. I have tested this and it works well.

How do I store these cookies?

These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They stay nice and soft and chewy!

Can I freeze pumpkin cookies?

Yes, you can freeze these cookies. First let them cool completely, then place them in a resealable freezer bag. You can keep them frozen for up to 3 months, and if you want them to keep longer, wrap them individually in plastic wrap before placing in the freezer bag.

If you love baking with pumpkin, check out these recipes:

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