Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

Chewy, tender and filled with pumpkin flavor, these brown butter-iced pumpkin oatmeal cookies are going to be a new family favorite!

I recently rediscovered browned butter and now I'm on a full-blown browned butter kick with everything from brown butter frosted apple cake to cinnamon rolls.

And if you're new to browned butter yourself, let me tell you: You NEED this in your life.

At its core, browned butter tastes like toffee with a sweet, slightly nutty aroma.

Technically and chemically speaking, it's drool-worthy for the same reason a seared steak is delicious - A chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars known as the Maillard reaction, which gives all browned food its distinctive flavor.

And when paired with a chewy, fall-infused pumpkin oatmeal cookie, it's all the chef's kisses.

Ingredients

A full list of ingredients and measurements is available in the recipe card, but let's take a moment to talk about a few of the key ingredients as well as some of the things I learned after making this four times.

• Unsalted butter: High-quality butter works best for browning as they tend to be higher in fat, which caramelizes during the cooking process.
• Brown sugar: Adds moisture and gives the cookies their chewy texture.
• Granulated sugar: Tastes sweeter than brown sugar, so we're using both to get just the right amount of sweetness.
• Rolled oats: Add chew and retain their texture better than quick oats.
• Pumpkin puree: This recipe calls for canned pumpkin but you can also make your own pumpkin puree.

Watch the process

How to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies

First, make the dough.

Stir together the melted butter and sugar until dissolved.

Mix in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin.

Stir in the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt until just combined. Fold in the oats.

A note about the dough: The pumpkin puree in this recipe makes for a very soft dough, but don't worry if it seems loose; It bakes up to the perfect consistency.

Second, bake the cookies.

Scoop 3-tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350F for 11-12 minutes or until no longer shiny.

Cool completely on baking sheet.

Finally, make the icing.

In a small saucepan, cook the butter over low-medium heat until it browns.

Remove from heat and pour it into a bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar, whisking until all lumps have dissolved. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Storage

These cookies can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week or frozen (I like to individually wrap mine in plastic wrap) for up to 6 months.

Using leftover pumpkin

This recipe calls for ⅓ cup puree, which leaves you with about 1 ⅔ cup of leftovers.

That's enough to make almost two batches of buttermilk pumpkin waffles, pumpkin spice latte doughnuts, or pumpkin cheesecake pancakes.

Leftover pumpkin puree can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen for up to a year.

More fall desserts

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I regularly update these posts and feedback from wonderful readers like you help me make them better.