Description
These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies combine the warm spices of pumpkin spice with rich browned butter and melty chocolate chips for a deliciously soft and flavorful treat. Perfectly moist with a tender crumb and slightly underbaked centers, these cookies offer a comforting autumn twist to a classic favorite. The use of browned butter adds a nutty depth of flavor while drying the pumpkin puree ensures a perfect cookie texture.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Butter and Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (160 g) Libby's Pumpkin Puree, room temperature (dried using paper towels)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large egg yolks (36 g), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Add-ins
- 1 cup (125 g) finely chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Brown the Butter: In a large stainless steel pan, melt the cold unsalted butter over medium heat. Allow it to foam, pop, and crackle while stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When the butter has brown bits on the bottom and a nutty aroma, remove from heat. You should have just under 1 cup (184 g) of browned butter. Transfer to a glass bowl and refrigerate for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes until the temperature reaches 75°F (24°C) and the butter is cool but still liquid.
- Dry the Pumpkin Puree: Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate. Press a stack of paper towels into the pumpkin to soak up excess liquid. Scrape the pumpkin into a pile and repeat with fresh paper towels until the pumpkin feels dry, like soft playdough and measures roughly 1/3 cup (75 g).
- Mix Sugars with Butter: Whisk the cooled browned butter with both sugars (granulated and brown) for exactly 1 minute until the mixture resembles pale wet sand.
- Add Egg Yolks, Vanilla, and Pumpkin: Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and dried pumpkin puree until fully combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Chocolate: Fold in the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, sea salt, and chopped chocolate until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Shape the Cookies: Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls between your palms. Place on the prepared baking trays spaced 2-3 inches apart. For extra melty pockets of chocolate, press larger chopped chocolate pieces onto the tops of the dough balls before baking. This yields roughly 15 cookies.
- Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 9-13 minutes or until edges turn golden but the centers remain slightly underbaked.
- Shape Edges: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot and shape the edges inward to create perfectly round, thicker cookies.
- Cool and Store: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking tray set on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days. Cookie dough balls can be refrigerated or frozen prior to baking; allow refrigerated dough to reach room temperature for about 1 hour and frozen dough about 2 hours before baking.
Notes
- Drying the pumpkin puree is essential to prevent excess moisture, ensuring the cookies maintain a chewy texture rather than becoming cakey.
- Measuring flour correctly by spooning and leveling helps maintain the cookie texture. Avoid scooping the flour directly with the measuring cup as this can result in too much flour.
- Browning the butter adds a nutty, rich flavor and enhances the overall depth of the cookie.
- It’s important to cool the browned butter to about 75°F so that it remains liquid but doesn’t cook the eggs or create greasy cookies.
- Scooting the edges with a cookie cutter immediately after baking forms aesthetically pleasing rounds and improves cookie thickness.
- Cookies are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored for a few days, whereas dough can be frozen for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
