Caramelized pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Caramelized Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy, tender and decadent lightly spiced cookies full of gutsy, caramelized pumpkin flavor and semi-sweet chocolate chips. The addition of brown butter offers a deeper, toasty depth that always pairs so well with brown sugar. These cookies are an absolute Fall must-bake.
pumpkin, spice & everything nice
Caramelized pumpkin is one of my favorite Fall baking ingredients (and I don’t even like pumpkin all that much, fyi).
Caramelization reduces any unwanted excess moisture, leaving you with pure, intense and concentrated pumpkin flavor that can be added to pretty much anything. It also reduces the risk of super cakey and fluffy cookies, which is just not my personal preference (give me that dense, give me that thique).
These cookies are lightly spiced with cinnamon (I’m partial to Ceylon cinnamon), grated nutmeg and a touch of pumpkin spice, which are bloomed in the brown butter while still warm. I add just enough to highlight the natural notes of pumpkin without overpowering the flavor. The cookie dough is then rolled in cane sugar and more cinnamon just before baking.
If you want a spice level that better matches a Bed, Bath and Beyond scented candle, I recommend doubling the spices. These are your cookies, after all. <3
ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ground cinnamon
- pumpkin pie spice
- grated nutmeg
- salted butter
- pure pumpkin puree do not use spiced pumpkin pie filling.
- cane sugar may be substituted with granulated.
- light brown sugar
- large egg
- pure vanilla extract
- kosher salt
- flakey sea salt
step by step: the process
Caramelize the Pumpkin Puree
Place 15 ounces of pumpkin puree in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook the puree while stirring frequently to prevent burning. As the puree cooks, it will become drier and visibly darker in color.
The pumpkin is caramelized and ready when it’s thickened, dry and spreadable, and steaming has slowed tremendously, about 15-20 minutes.
Allow the pumpkin to cool until just warm to the touch. You will be left with about 8 ounces of caramelized puree, or 1 measured cup.
Pumpkin Puree Tip: Refrain from using organic pumpkin puree for this recipe, as the puree tends to be much thinner, and too wet. My two preferred brands of pumpkin puree are Libby’s, followed by Target.
Brown the Butter
Add the ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and grated nutmeg to the warm brown butter. This will allow the spices to activate and infuse the butter.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda together and set aside.
Whisk together the browned butter, brown sugar, cane sugar and kosher salt. Stir in the vanilla extract and combine well.
Add in the egg and whisk until fully combined and glossy.
Whisk in 8 ounces of caramelized pumpkin puree, stirring until no visible streaks or clumps of pumpkin remain.
Add in half of the flour mixture and fold in gently using a rubber spatula. Add in the remaining half, along with all of the chocolate chips. Fold until everything is just combined and the chips are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
Using a medium ice cream scoop (about 1.5 ounces), portion the dough directly onto a parchment lined sheet pan. The dough doesn’t need to be spaced out as we are preparing it to chill.
Cover the cookie dough securely and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Chilling the Dough
While the dough is resting, you have time to contemplate two options: to chill overnight, or to not chill overnight. Isn’t that the always ever-so-obnoxious cookie dough question?
For this particular recipe, I do prefer to chill the dough overnight. The flavors have time to marinate and mingle, and the flour soaks up those warm spices and pumpkin flavor. The cookies bake beautifully, espeically if you like them thick and chewy.
That being said, if you plan to chill overnight, leave the cookies alone in the fridge and follow the next steps the following day. If you want to enjoy the cookies same day, chill for at least 30 minutes, and proceed with the next steps.
Sugar Coat the Cookie Dough
In a small bowl, combine a third of a cup of cane sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Optional: Remove the cookie dough from the fridge, and press each piece between your palms gently just until they’re disc shaped. I do this so the cookies bake into a more traditional cookie shape, rather than maintaining their dome-like structure.
Roll each piece of cookie dough in the sugar, coating all sides and edges, and place the dough onto parchment lined 13″ x 18″ cookie sheets.
9-12 cookies will fit per sheet pan.
Glamour Shot Tip: For aesthetically pleasing chocolate chip cookies, place a few spare chocolate chip morsels into the surface of each cookie. This will give your cookies that classic chocolate chip look as they bake.
Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in a 375 F/190 C preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, depending on your oven. For my oven, 13 minutes is the sweet spot. Rotate the cookies halfway through baking.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before transferring them – they will be quite soft before cooling. Sprinkle cookies liberally with flakey sea salt while they’re still warm, and enjoy!
Cookie Storage Tips: Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To store cookie dough, line each piece of dough inside of an airtight plastic bag. Secure the bag and place inside of another plastic bag for extra protection. Freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months.
Caramelized Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Large Whisk
- 1 Large Rubber Spatula
- 2 13" x 18" baking sheets
- 1 Medium Ice Cream Scoop 1.5 ounce capacity
- Bowls for Mixing and Preparing various sizes
- parchment paper or silptas
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree 8 ounces after caramelizing
- 226 grams salted butter 185 grams after browning
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 50 grams cane sugar may sub with granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 320 grams all purpose flour* *spooned and leveled for measured baking
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 320 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sugar Coating for Rolling
- 75 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- flakey sea salt optional
Instructions
Caramelize the Pumpkin Puree
- Place 15 ounces of pure pumpkin puree in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the puree while stirring frequently to prevent burning. As the puree cooks, it will become drier and darker in color.
- The pumpkin is caramelized and ready when it’s thickened, dry and spreadable, and steaming has slowed tremendously after 15-20 minutes of cooking.
- Allow the pumpkin to cool until just warm to the touch. You will be left with about 8 ounces of caramelized puree, or 1 measured cup.
Brown the Butter
- To a medium saucepan with tall sides, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted fully and begins to bubble, begin stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or whisk.
- As the butter begins to foam and grow in size, stir continuously. You’ll notice streaks of browned milk solids throughout the foam as you stir, along with a toasty aroma.
- As the foam subsides, you will see the butter underneath has become a dark amber color. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool. You will have roughly 180-190 grams worth of browned butter, or roughly .8 of a cup.
- Add the ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and grated nutmeg to the warm brown butter. This will allow the spices to activate and infuse the butter.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda and set aside.
- Whisk together the browned butter, brown sugar, cane sugar and kosher salt. Stir in the vanilla extract and combine well.
- Add in the egg and whisk until fully combined and glossy.
- Whisk in 8 ounces of caramelized pumpkin puree, stirring until no visible streaks or clumps of pumpkin remain.
- Add in half of the flour mixture and fold in gently using a rubber spatula. Add in the remaining half, along with 2 cups of chocolate chips. Fold until everything is just combined and the chips are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
- Use a medium ice cream scoop (about 1.5 ounces) to portion the dough directly onto a parchment lined sheet pan. The dough can touch as we are preparing it to chill.
- Cover the cookie dough securely and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Sugar Coat the Cookie Dough
- In a small bowl, combine a ⅓ cup of cane sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Optional: Remove the cookie dough from the fridge, and press each piece between your palms gently just until they’re disc shaped. I do this so the cookies bake into a more traditional cookie shape, rather than maintaining their dome-like structure.
- Roll each piece of cookie dough in the sugar, coating all sides and edges, and place the dough onto parchment lined 13″ x 18″ cookie sheets, fitting 9-12 cookies per sheet.
Bake the Cookies
- Bake the cookies in a 375 ℉/ 190 ℃ preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Rotate the cookies halfway through baking.
- The cookies will have browned slightly, and will fill your kitchen with the warmest, spiciest aroma when they are ready.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before transferring them. Sprinkle cookies liberally with flakey sea salt while still warm, and enjoy