These soft and chewy brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a fun, flavorful, and satisfying fall cookie recipe. To simplify the entire process, brown the butter for both the cookies and the icing at the same time. This recipe has a HUGE fanbase!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added some new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips. You’ll also find this recipe in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
There is no question that fall is the best baking season. We’re talking homemade pies, warm and cozy spices, comforting desserts, and of course, a few pumpkin treats. Pumpkin pie is always top of the list, but I usually like to kick off the fall baking season with cookies—I’ve done maple brown sugar cookies, apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies, pumpkin snickerdoodles, apple spice whoopie pies, pumpkin crumb cake cookies, and the constant favorite… brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies. You’ll love the double dose of brown butter… in the cookies and the icing.
One reader, Brittany, commented: “The absolute best cookie recipe ever. I’ve made this recipe twice and both times people have obsessed over them. It’s child and husband approved. I leave a few without the glaze for those who don’t like sweets and even they still taste fabulous. It makes a lot of cookies, so I always share with family and coworkers. Everyone raves about them! ★★★★★“
These are by far one of the best cookie recipes to come out of my kitchen. Let’s get started!
Tell Me About These Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Texture: We love the soft, yet dense centers and chewy crisp edges. You’ll appreciate that this is a CHEWY pumpkin cookie as opposed to a cake-like pumpkin cookie. If you love the texture of these, you’ll also love these pumpkin oatmeal cream pies. Or if you’re looking for a cakey pumpkin cookie, try these soft pumpkin cookies.
- Flavor: Brown butter is a massively underused ingredient. Browning butter takes about 5–10 minutes and the result promises extra flavor. And not just regular flavor—a deep toffee-like, toasty, nutty flavor that pairs wonderfully with pumpkin and fall spices.
- Ease: This simple recipe makes fall baking quick and easy. (With big flavorful results!) Browning the butter takes a little extra time, but there’s no dough chilling or mixer required. Here are more cookie recipes that don’t require chilling; shortbread cookies are another quick favorite.
I include directions for browning the butter below, but feel free to review my How to Brown Butter page, which includes a helpful video. You can also go ahead and prepare a batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice, because you WILL be making these on repeat.
The Secrets to Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin is a really moist ingredient, which makes it useful in cakes, pumpkin muffins, and quick breads. But it poses a texture problem when we’re trying to make dense and chewy oatmeal cookies.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
Blot the pumpkin. More moisture = cakier cookies. To prevent overly cakey cookies, blot some of the moisture out of the pumpkin. I know it sounds odd, but gently soaking liquid out of the pumpkin puree with paper towels is a trick that works. Take a look at the difference below.
- Left: Blotted the pumpkin—the cookie is denser and chewier.
- Right: Did not blot the pumpkin—the cookie is cakey.
Use only an egg yolk. Pumpkin acts like an egg in cookie dough and this is something I learned when testing pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Testing today’s pumpkin oatmeal cookies, however, proved that an egg—or at least part of an egg—is necessary. The cookies were a little dry and crumbly without it because of the oats in the dough. Use just 1 large egg yolk in the dough because that little extra bit of fat makes a difference.
Use a cookie scoop. I like to use a medium cookie scoop for this cookie dough. Why? This is a sticky dough, and a cookie scoop makes things a little more manageable. Once you scoop the dough, slightly flatten the tops of the dough mounds. The cookies don’t expand much but flattening them first encourages spreading, which helps seal in that chewy texture. Just like this:
Overview: How to Make Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before getting started.
- Brown the butter. You’ll use browned butter in both the cookie dough AND the icing, so it’s helpful to brown the butter all at once. When you’re finished browning the butter, set aside 2 ounces for the glaze topping. Use the rest in the cookie dough.
- Whisk dry ingredients together. This includes whole oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Whisk the brown butter you need for the dough with granulated sugar and brown sugar. Then whisk in the egg yolk + vanilla extract.
- Blot the pumpkin, then whisk it into the wet ingredients. (By the way, here’s a list of recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree!)
- Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Combine to form a thick and sticky dough.
- Scoop & flatten. As noted above, scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets using a medium cookie scoop. Slightly flatten each cookie dough ball before baking.
- Bake until cookies are lightly browned and set on the edges.
- For the icing, whisk the reserved brown butter and the remaining icing ingredients together until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie into the icing.
Because it’s made with butter, which is solid at room temperature, the icing eventually sets, making the cookies a little easier to stack, store, and transport. This brown butter icing is also delicious on peach Bundt cake, apple blondies, pecan sugar cookies, and pistachio cookies. Or try it on pumpkin scones or apple cinnamon scones!
I love seeing all of your photos of these popular cookies. Thank you for sharing!
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft and chewy brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a fun, flavorful, and satisfying fall cookie recipe. To simplify the entire process, brown the butter for both the cookies and the icing at the same time. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (285g) canned pumpkin puree*
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
- 2 cups (170g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 and 2/3 cups (208g) 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 (200g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Brown Butter Glaze
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for garnish: sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Blot the pumpkin: Line a medium bowl with a double layer of paper towels. Place the pumpkin puree in the bowl. Using another paper towel, press down to blot excess moisture from the pumpkin. You may need to repeat a couple of times with new paper towels. After blotting, you will have about 1 cup (225g) of pumpkin. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: Brown the 16 Tablespoons of butter for the cookies together with the 4 Tablespoons for the glaze. Place all 20 pieces of butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. (Light-colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning.) Stir or whisk the butter constantly as it melts. 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. As soon as the butter has browned, immediately remove from heat and pour it into a large heat-safe glass bowl or liquid measuring cup. Scrape up the browned solids at the bottom of the skillet and add them as well. Divide and set aside 2 Tbsp (28g) of the brown butter to use for the glaze in step 8. The rest of the brown butter will go in the cookie dough in step 5. Allow to slightly cool while you continue.
- Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In another large bowl, whisk the brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined, then whisk in the blotted pumpkin. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be soft and sticky.
- Scoop the cookie dough, about 2 Tablespoons (45g) of dough each, and arrange them 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Give the brown butter you reserved for the glaze a quick stir. If it’s no longer thin and liquid, warm it on the stove or in the microwave. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Lightly dip the top of each cookie into the glaze. Sprinkle a pinch of pumpkin pie spice on top of each glazed cookie, if desired. Return the cookies to the cooling rack and let sit until the glaze has set. Store covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Iced cookies stay fresh covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 6. Baked and frosted or unfrosted cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Here are my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls | Light-Colored Skillet or Stainless Steel Skillet (for browning butter) | Stand Mixer | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat | Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and an extra 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Do not leave out the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon that is also called for in this recipe.
- Pumpkin: Make sure to use the can labeled “pure pumpkin puree,” not “pumpkin pie filling.” Blot as much of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree as you can before using it in the cookie dough. I simply squeeze the puree with paper towels and repeat with new paper towels until I can’t get any more moisture out. See photo in the post for a visual. This will help produce a less cakey cookie. Less moisture is a good thing in these cookies!
- Chocolate Chips: Instead of icing (or in addition to!), you can add 1 heaping cup of chocolate chips to the cookie dough. Or 1 cup of chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, white chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, etc.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this recipe because I had extra pumpkin puree.This is the first recipe of yours that didn’t ‘wow’ me. I did’t glaze the cookies, so that may be part of it. The cookies are perfectly fine but nothing exceptional.
I had a bumper crop of pumpkin this year and needed ways to use it. I made my own purée and blotted up the excess liquid as described. I love the flavor of these cookies but they flattened out much more than what was described, making a really large cookie using two heaping tablespoons. I’m at a higher altitude so next time will try adding a bit more flour.
I’m making these with roasted butternut squash instead of pumpkin tomorrow! We’ll see how it goes!
Can you use whole wheat flour in this recipe?
Whole wheat flour will yield dry cookies, we don’t recommend it.
So good! Perfect cookie for Fall!
These are absolutely delicious. I made Sally’s pumpkin roll and had enough pumpkin left over to make these. Very soft and the browned butter lends that nutty aroma and taste.
These cookies are amazing! Sally hasn’t let me down yet!
such an easy and delicious recipe!! ive been using only this website for cookie recipes for years, and not one recipe has disappointed me. this one in particular is so simple to make yet yields amazing results, and it really captures the taste of fall in my opinion!! i made these today for my family, and they loved them of course!! thank you sally!!
Seriously amazing! I’m a recipe tinkerer–this one was PERFECT! I truly cannot rave about these cookies enough.
The flavors are balanced without any one thing being over the top. They are soft, while still keeping their structure. I did end up baking the cookies longer than the suggested time, but still to the suggested appearance.
These cookies do not disappoint! The brown butter makes them amazing. The instructions and tip are great. They turned out perfectly.
This look delicious. How long will they stay good for? Can I make them Sunday for a Wednesday party?
Certainly! See the recipe notes for make-ahead instructions.
I am delighted to find a non-cakey pumpkin cookie recipe. Making these right now. I weighed out the pumpkin, did the paper towel thing the after a while squeezed – so much liquid came out. I only had about 125g of purée left so added the liquid back to get to 225g. (I probably should have measured to see if I had a cup.) I’ve crossed my fingers they’ll still turn out.
I have dough in fridge right now so I can take a break.
Excellent flavor – especially the frosting! But recipe took at least 2 hours. And I bake cakes and cookies exclusively from scratch, so I’m very familiar with baking.
Absolutely delicious. I added some chocolate chips in those that I iced and butterscotch chips in the non iced cookies. Love the brown butter taste. I didn’t realize there is so much water in pumpkin
Hi! I see this recipe appears to have overwritten an old recipe that I have made the past few years. It has become a family favorite. It was oatmeal cookies with a cream cheese pumpkin filling. Do you still have that recipe because I can’t find it.
Hi Erin! Those were our Oatmeal Pumpkin Creme Pies. We were no longer satisfied with the outcome of that older recipe, so we unpublished it. We still have it, so send us an email and we can forward it to you. sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
Hi there! Can I have the oatmeal pumpkin cream pies recipe as well? We loved them! They are a tradition in our home.
Hi Lori, so glad you love these! Please send an e-mail to sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com, and we’d be happy to send you the older recipe. Here are our Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies if you’d like to give those a try!
These are insanely good. Seriously. The perfect amount of sweetness and pumpkin flavor. I used a whole egg as well as the whole can of pumpkin and it still came out super chewy and not cakey at all. Definitely will be made every fall from now on!
Every time I make something of yours I say this is my new favorite BUT this hands down is my favorite cookie ever!!! The flavors are soooo on point. It is the perfect fall cookie!
These were so good. No improvements necessary, though some observations: 1. I probably needed to cook these longer than the recipe recommended, especially since even the ones that I felt were cooked appropriately were still really soft and bendy (a good thing!), the slightly underdone cookies were REALLY hard to handle
2. I think I would probably spoon the glaze onto hot cookies rather than dip because I definitely lost some in the glaze and it was tricky to gauge how generous/stingy I needed to be with the glaze in order to get them all covered.
I took these cookies to my family reunion and 3 people asked for the recipe…then came back and gave me their phone numbers so I could send it right then! My cousin asked if he could take home any cookies that weren’t eaten. He got 4. I left one on my plate and went to get more tea. When I came back, my cookie was half eaten. For real y’all, someone ate it off my plate! So, I’d say they were a huge hit. I’m bringing these everywhere from now on. They’re delicious!
Has anyone made these gluten free using a cup for cup gluten free flour blend?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you!
These are 11/10!! I made them subbing gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill) for the normal flour, and they were amazing. So so good! The brown butter flavor just takes them over the top. Thank you!!
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I’ve made the iced gingerbread and oatmeal cookies with Better Batter brand flour with excellent results. It’s a bit pricier but consistently works well on the oatmeal cookie recipes. Cup 4 cup is my second choice.
I just made these with Cup4Cup brand (my go to) and they are superb! I am going to bring to work, I bet no one will even notice they are GF. Don’t skip the glaze, I think it really makes the cookie!
These were fantastic. i never browned butter before and it took a lot longer but once it browned, it was obvious and really adds a lot to the flavor. Turned out great.
Sally- help! I’ve tried browning butter several times and have been unable to do it, I just give up after 15 minutes, looks nothing like your video, which I did watch before even trying-seemed easy enough- I’ve made the cookies and I do really like them and want to get this butter thing correct as I’m sure they will be even better. Any other help, tips or tricks!? Thanks
Hi Jennifer, have you checked out the post: How To Brown Butter? You may find some helpful hints there!
I had pureed pumpkin in my freezer from last year – I strained/squeezed it through a cheese cloth and got a ton of moisture out, so that part worked out well. The bake time was maybe a minute too long in my oven, so I adjusted on my second cookie sheet and that worked out well. Here’s the thing that surprised me most – I liked them much better after they had completely cooled and the icing firmed up – I didn’t love them while they were still warm. I will make them again and I think I’ll add raisins and walnuts on the next go.
Hi Sally,
What are thoughts on using Pumpkin Butter in lieu of puree? Technically, the moisture content would be lower I think because it’s reduced. Would this still be too cakey?
Hi Jim, we don’t recommend pumpkin butter in place of the puree. Pumpkin butter usually has other added ingredients, so the taste of the cookies will be off. It’s best to stick with pumpkin puree, with pumpkin as the only ingredient. We hope you enjoy these cookies!
Your recipes are always a go to for me (and my lab at work who demolishes everything I make from your site). Big thanks! I am recently struggling with food intolerance and am trying to switch to wheat flour where I can. Have you tried this recipe with wheat flour or have any recommendations for my experimenting with it? Thanks again for your amazing recipes!
Hi Hannah, We haven’t tested these with whole wheat flour but fear that they would be very dense and hearty. If you wish to try it, start by swapping out only part of the flour with white whole wheat instead of all of it. Let us know what you try!
With subbing one cup of whole wheat flour and 2/3 all purpose the texture still feels like an oatmeal cookie to me! Still soft and chewy and delicious! I added pecans and dark chocolate to some without the icing and they are all fantastic! Next time I will probably try a half batch using all whole wheat flour and see how they turn out
The texture, flavor, and ease of preparation are absolutely perfect! Know what’s the best about these cookies? The SMELL!!! Oh my goodness, my house has NEVER smelled more like fall! I followed all of your advice to the letter and even weighed the pumpkin. They’re perfect! And they hold together extremely well, not cakey, they’re chewy yet soft! Excellent recipe!
The brown butter frosting was the best part! IMO they were too soft and cakey. It’s kind of hard to squeeze water out of pumpkin purée. Too me it seemed like the oatmeal didn’t really add much other than a noticeable uncooked oatmeal chew. They had a great flavor though, especially with the frosting!
Hi Lorie, thanks for giving this recipe a try! Did you follow the instructions to remove some of the moisture from the pumpkin? I always line a bowl with several paper towels, then use several more on top to really soak up a lot of liquid.
You can lightly squeeze the ball of pumpkin within the paper towels to remove a great deal of moisture. If your moisture balance was off, you wouldn’t have gotten the experience of this cookie as it turned out for most of us. They’re not cakey, they’re chewy – I’d encourage you to try again and really get that pumpkin as dry as you can. They’re one of the best cookies I’ve ever made!
Sooo yummy!! This will be a new fall baking staple for sure!! The right amount of pumpkin with the texture of oats, and the brown butter… delicious.
Hi, how long would the brown butter icing on its own keep in the fridge? Was thinking to use it for a different recipe- thank you!
Hi Pam, the icing should last for a few days covered in the refrigerator.
Substituted pumpkin with butternut squash puree since these are in abundance in garden. Followed recipe exactly and turned out great. Nice and soft cookie texture. I will not be putting icing on so I wonder if they still would need refrigeration ?