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Browned Butter Pumpkin Pudding Cookies

Browned butter pumpkin pudding cookies with a thick, chewy texture and a butterscotch-brown hue. You’ll brown the butter, chill the dough for 1 hour, then bake until golden with flaky sea salt on top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
brown butter + chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 28 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
instant butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix (dry)
  • 3.4 oz instant butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix (dry)
baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking soda
pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
unsalted butter, browned and solidified
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, browned and solidified
brown sugar, packed
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
pumpkin puree (blotted dry)
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree (blotted dry)
eggs
  • 2 eggs
vanilla
  • 2 tsp vanilla
flaky sea salt for topping
  • 1 pinch flaky sea salt for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown butter and chill
  1. Brown the unsalted butter and let it cool until solid, then refrigerate until solidified, about 1 hour (brownbutter will look amber and smell nutty).
Prepare the dough
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets so the cookies bake evenly right after portioning.
  2. Blot the pumpkin puree dry.
  3. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, instant butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix (dry), baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Beat the solidified brown butter with the brown sugar, packed and granulated sugar until smooth.
  5. Add the blotted pumpkin puree (blotted dry), then beat in the eggs.
  6. Mix in the vanilla until the dough looks cohesive and thick.
  7. Fold in the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain (the dough should look thick and slightly speckled).
Bake and finish
  1. Scoop 2-tablespoon rounds onto the lined baking sheets, spacing them out for spread.
  2. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
  3. Sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after baking while the tops are warm and slightly tacky.

Notes

Pro tip: blotting the pumpkin puree helps the cookies stay thick and chewy instead of spreading. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. For a less-sweet version, use the vanilla pudding mix instead of butterscotch.