Browned Butter Pumpkin Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

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This recipe for browned butter pumpkin cake cookies with cream cheese icing epitomizes fall flavor. The warm, comforting pumpkin and spice flavors and the browned butter’s rich nuttiness create an irresistibly cozy gourmet cookie you’ll want to make time and again.

The fall flavor trend of pumpkin spice isn’t going anywhere soon so get on board and enjoy these tasty, cakey treats, and maybe impress your friends too.

Try out our other pumpkin recipes like Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Maple Pumpkin Custards, or Simple Pumpkin Seeds.

The Magic of Browned Butter

Are you wondering what browned butter even is? Let me tell you, it is a game-changer for recipes you want to take up a notch, and easier than you might think. It is basically reduced butter. You cook down the butter until it loses most of its water content and becomes nuttier in flavor. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes, so don’t feel locked into just this one recipe to use browned butter in.

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Tools

• Stand Mixer
• Hand Mixer
• Silicone Baking Mat
• Baking Tray
• Spatulas
• Saucepan or small pot
• Grain Mill

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cake Cookies

Dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks; 227g) Unsalted Butter, browned 
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tsps Baking Soda
• 2 tsps Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tsps Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tsps Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2 Eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
• 425g (or 1 can) Pumpkin Puree
• 3 cups (about 575g) Soft Wheat Berries (you can use 575g whole wheat flour as a sub)

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tbsp Heavy Cream 

Making Browned Butter Pumpkin Cake Cookies

Browning Butter

1. Add butter to small saucepan
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat (it will foam a bit)
3. Lower heat to medium-low
4. Continue cooking, stirring frequently and keeping an eye on it
5. Cook until the butter foam has mostly dissipated and butterfat solids have turned a golden brown in the bottom of the pan (about 10-15 minutes)
6. Butter will be reduced to about 180g
7. Let browned butter cool to room temperature

Making Pumpkin Cake Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Once butter is cool, beat together with sugar, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and mix until well combined
4. Beat in flour, baking soda and baking powder
5. Scoop heaping teaspoons of dough and gently roll into balls
6. Place on baking mat, then flatten down a bit
7. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are set
8. Set cookies aside to cool
9. When done baking make cream cheese icing

Whipping up Cream Cheese Icing

1. Beat cream cheese, vanilla, heavy cream, and butter together on high with hand mixer
2. Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time
3. Mix until icing is smooth
4. Frost cookies they are completely cool. 

Notes:

• Recipe makes about 36 cookies 
• You can keep the dough rolled in balls and bake for a rounder shape
• Store dough covered in the fridge in between batches while baking
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
• You can pipe the icing onto cookies, or you can just spread it on with the spatula or knife 
• Sprinkle iced cookies with a dash of pumpkin spice or cinnamon for extra flavor
• You will have some leftover icing – store in the refrigerator and use for something else like topping cinnamon swirl toast or carrot cake oatmeal! 

Instructions for Browned Butter Pumpkin Cake Cookies

Add butter to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat (it will foam a bit). Lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring frequently and keeping an eye on it.

Cook until the butter foam has mostly dissipated, and butterfat solids have turned a golden brown in the bottom of the pan (about 10-15 minutes). Butter will be reduced to about 180g. Let browned butter cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Once butter is cool, beat together with sugar, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice.

Add eggs, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined.

Beat in flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Scoop heaping teaspoons of dough and gently roll into balls.

Place on a baking mat, then flatten down a bit with your fingers.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. Store dough covered in the fridge in between batches. Set aside to cool.

When done baking make cream cheese icing.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla, heavy cream, and butter together on high with hand mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.

Mix icing until smooth.

Frost cookies when they are completely cool.

There you have it – the perfect recipe for Browned Butter Pumpkin Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing! These little bites of autumn bliss are sure to become your new fall favorite. Happy fall baking!

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