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Browned Butter Pumpkin Pudding Cookies

Browned Butter Pumpkin Pudding Cookies are thick, chewy, and golden, with butterscotch-brown flavor from instant pudding mix and nutty browned butter. The dough chills for about 1 hour, then baked at 375F for 10–12 minutes for soft centers and crisp edges.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
brown butter chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the butter (and chill)
  1. Brown the unsalted butter in a cast iron skillet and let it cool until it turns solid again, about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  2. Refrigerate the browned butter until solid so it creams properly later.
Mix and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets so they’re ready for scooping.
  2. Blot the pumpkin puree dry.
  3. Whisk the all-purpose flour, instant butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix (dry), baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
  4. Beat the solidified browned butter and both sugars until smooth.
  5. Add the blotted pumpkin puree, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until the dough looks thick and cohesive.
  6. Fold the flour mixture into the dough until just combined.
  7. Scoop 2-tablespoon rounds onto the lined baking sheets, spacing them apart.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F, until the cookies look set at the edges.
  9. Sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after baking so it adheres while the cookies are hot.

Notes

Pro tip: blotting the pumpkin puree dry helps the cookies stay thick and chewy instead of spreading. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 plant-based butter stick and brown it the same way (results may be slightly less rich).