This Pumpkin Filled Cookies recipe yields large brown butter cookies filled with pumpkin, topped with brown sugar oat streusel and drizzled with maple glaze. These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies are my go-to cookie to get in the fall mood.
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I developed these fall cookies for Minerva Dairy. I wanted to showcase the richness of their 85% butterfat butter, and what better way than with a decadent brown butter cookie. I adapted the base cookie dough recipe from Kroll’s Korner Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
We are now in the thick of pumpkin dessert season. My last recipe, Pumpkin Cheesecake Kolaches, was also pumpkin filled. But, if you’re looking for a no pumpkin fall cookie, I recommend my Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies, which are based off my favorite Halloween candy (Peanut Butter Kisses).
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- These cookies stay soft and chewy.
- The pumpkin filling keeps the cookies moist.
- This is a great recipe to use up pumpkin puree.
Ingredients
- Dark brown sugar adds molasses flavor to the cookie dough.
- Light brown sugar flavors the streusel.
- Oats add texture to the streusel.
- Pumpkin puree is the base of the filling.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the dough and pumpkin filling.
- All-purpose flour is the base of the cookie dough.
- Pumpkin pie spice flavors the pumpkin filling.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the glaze.
- Kosher salt and vanilla bean paste/extract balance the overall flavor profile.
- Eggs bind the dough and a yolk binds the pumpkin filling.
- Milk brings moisture back to the dough that was removed from browning the butter.
- Ground cinnamon flavors the streusel.
- Baking powder and baking soda give a bit of rise to the cookies.
- Heavy cream adds moisture and richness to the glaze.
- Unsalted butter gives a richness and moisture to the dough and the streusel.
- Maple flavoring (not pictured) flavors the glaze.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here’s how to customize these pumpkin filled cookies to your liking:
- No pumpkin pie spice — omit, or if you don’t have a blend, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, small pinch of cloves and allspice.
- No streusel — omit the streusel, if desired.
- No glaze — omit the glaze, if desired.
- Chocolate chips — mix 1 cup of semisweet or dark chocolate chips into the cookie dough before chilling.
- No oats — skip the oats in the streusel and add chopped toasted nuts, if desired.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make pumpkin filled cookies
Step 1: Add the butter to a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the milk solids brown. This can take 5-8 minutes. Keep a close eye as it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Promptly remove from the heat and transfer to a large heatproof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for five minutes. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract and beat again. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the whisked dry ingredients to the other bowl and fold just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. While the dough is chilling, make the other components.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the pumpkin filling ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine until crumbles form. Do not overmix. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the chilled dough. With the dough still in the scoop (facing you), make a deep divot in the middle for the pumpkin filling. Fill with the pumpkin filling. Top with some of the streusel. With the scoop still facing you, remove the dough from the scoop and place on the baking sheet (dough balls 3-inches apart). Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake each tray for 14-15 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven use a large glass, cookie cutter or spatula to scoot the hot cookies into a nice round shape. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple (or vanilla extract) and cream. Start with less cream and add more until you get a consistency you like. Drizzle over the cooled cookies with a spoon or piping bag.
Hot tips
- If you do not have a large cookie scoop, use a spoon and a ¼ cup measurement to portion out the dough, then make the divot on the baking sheet and stuff and top.
- For the glaze, start with less cream and add more until you get a consistency you like. You may want to add more powdered sugar too for a thicker glaze.
- I like to use a small cookie scoop to quickly fill the divots with pumpkin.
Recipe FAQs
The recipe will not be the same if you do not brown the butter. I recommend finding another cookie base recipe that does not use brown butter.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The unbaked dough balls can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.
Yes, omit without issue.
More recipes you’ll love
Lastly, if you make this Pumpkin Cheesecake Kolaches recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Filled Cookies
Ingredients
Brown butter cookie dough
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cut in tablespoon-size pieces (¾ cup, 161g)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (220g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (333g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Pumpkin filling
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree canned (187g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (10g)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Brown sugar streusel
- ⅓ cup quick oats (28g)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (227g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed (165g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted (170g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Glaze (optional)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar more as needed (86g)
- 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon maple extract or vanilla extract
Instructions
Do ahead
- The cookie dough can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Make the cookie dough
- Add the butter to a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the milk solids brown. This can take 5-8 minutes. Keep a close eye as it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Promptly remove from the heat and transfer to a large heatproof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for five minutes.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract and beat again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the whisked dry ingredients to the other bowl and fold just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- While the dough is chilling, make the other components.
Make the pumpkin filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the pumpkin filling ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
Make the streusel
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine until crumbles form. Do not overmix. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble and bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the chilled dough. With the dough still in the scoop (facing you), make a deep divot in the middle for the pumpkin filling. Fill with the pumpkin filling, about a tablespoon or so. Top with some of the streusel. With the scoop still facing you, remove the dough from the scoop and place on the baking sheet (dough balls 3-inches apart). Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake each tray for 14-15 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven use a large glass, cookie cutter or spatula to scoot the hot cookies into a nice round shape. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make the glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple (or vanilla extract) and cream. Start with less cream and add more until you get a consistency you like. Drizzle over the cooled cookies with a spoon or piping bag.
