These Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with cozy fall flavor. Made with nutty brown butter, pumpkin puree, warm spices, and melty dark chocolate.
- Brown the butter– In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the butter. Stir constantly until it foams, then turns golden brown with a nutty aroma (5–7 minutes). Remove from heat and pour in a heatproof large mixing bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Make sure to scrape in the browned milk solids at the bottom of the pan—they hold the most flavor!
- Whisk butter + sugars – In a same large mixing bowl that the cooled brown butter is in, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and looks like wet sand. For at least 2 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients – Whisk in the egg yolk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Mix dry ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom (if using).
- Combine mixtures – Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate – Gently stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Chill the dough – Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes to allow flavors to meld and dough to firm up.
- Preheat oven – Set oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough – Using a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons per cookie), place dough balls on prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Gently flatten each dough flat with the palm of your hand before baking.
- Bake – Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. Cookies will firm up as they cool so they don’t overbake.
- Cool – Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baking Notes & Tips
- Bake Time: These cookies are best when baked for 10 minutes. The edges will be set, but the centers should still look slightly soft. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
- Sweetness Level: These cookies are not overly sweet—the dark chocolate balances the warm pumpkin spice flavors perfectly. If you prefer a sweeter cookie, you can swap in semi-sweet chocolate chips or add an extra 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Pumpkin Spice Shortcut: If you don’t want to measure out multiple spices, you can substitute 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Chilling the Dough: Don’t skip this step! Chilling prevents excess spreading and allows the browned butter and spices to infuse deeper flavor.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: The dough can be scooped and frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F (177°C), adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.
- Make-Ahead: The dough can be made up to 48 hours ahead and kept chilled in the refrigerator.
How to Brown Butter
Browning butter is the key to these cookies’ rich, nutty flavor. Here’s exactly how to do it:
- Use a light-colored pan – This makes it easier to see the color changes. A stainless steel or enamel saucepan works best.
- Melt the butter – Place unsalted butter in the pan over medium heat. Stir or swirl the pan often to keep it cooking evenly.
- Watch for foam – The butter will first melt, then start to bubble and foam. This is the water cooking out.
- Smell the aroma – After 4–6 minutes, the butter will shift from a creamy yellow to golden brown, and tiny browned milk solids will appear at the bottom of the pan. You’ll notice a nutty, toffee-like aroma—this means it’s ready.
- Pull it quickly – Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the butter turns golden brown (before it becomes too dark, which can make it bitter).
- Cool it down – Pour immediately into a heat-safe bowl to stop the cooking. Let it cool for 10 minutes before mixing into the cookie dough.
