These pumpkin spice latte cookies are a chewy browned butter pumpkin cookie filled with espresso powder and toffee bits and topped with an espresso glaze. They're the cookie version of everyone's favorite cozy fall drink.
Pumpkin spice latte cookies are perfectly spiced and lightly sweet, with just the right balance of pumpkin, coffee and caramel. If you have a love for a pumpkin spice latte these cookies are sure to win you over after one bite!
For more fall cookie recipes, try my oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies or my cinnamon roll cookies.
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Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Chewy Cookies: By blotting the pumpkin and only adding an egg yolk you can get a pumpkin cookie that is chewy instead of cakey.
- Espresso Browned Butter: Adding the espresso powder to the browned butter gives it the warmest coffee flavor.
- Glaze: I love the taste and visual that a glaze adds to a cookie.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter: You will start by browning your butter and then allowing it to completely cool off and thicken up a bit.
- Espresso Powder: This is a very fine espresso flavored powder you can find this on the baking aisle.
- Sugars: You use a combo of both brown sugar and granulated sugar in these for the perfect chewy center, crispy edge texture.
- Pumpkin: What makes these cookies chewy and not cake like is blotting most of the liquid out of the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin Spice: I usually just buy mine at Trader Joes, but you can easily make your own if needed.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Start by browning the butter. You'll take ½ cup of butter (one stick) and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour all of it into a bowl and allow to cool. Once cool stir in 1 tablespoon of espresso powder.
- Step 2: Measure out ⅓ cup of pumpkin and place on a paper plate. Using some paper towels, blot the pumpkin, removing liquid until the paper towel wipes clean. When done the pumpkin should measure more like ¼ cup (60g).
- Step 3: Place browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and mix together. Add pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and mix again.
- Step 4: Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and flour to the bowl and mix on low, being careful not to over mix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in toffee bits.
- Step 5: Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Press down slightly on the cookie ball so it's not quite so tall. Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. You don't want to see any shiny dough in the middle of the cookie, but make sure not to over bake these.
- Step 6: Mix together all the ingredients for the espresso glaze. You can add a bit more water or powdered sugar if needed to get desired consistency. Brush or drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cookies.
Expert Baking Tips
- Blotting the pumpkin beforehand is what helps these cookies to become less cakey and more chewy.
- With browning the butter and blotting the pumpkin, everyone will have slightly different results. If your dough feels crumbly before scooping, add 1-2 tablespoon extra pumpkin in until it feels like a smoother cookie dough consistency.
- These are also delicious rolled in a cinnamon spiced mixture instead of the glaze like I did in these browned butter pumpkin snickerdoodles.
- I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.
FAQ
Why didn't my cookies spread out?
If your cookies didn't spread out the reason is most likely that you added too much flour. I always suggest weighing ingredients if possible.
Do I have to brown the butter?
No, you can use 7 tablespoons of melted cooled butter instead.
Is espresso powder the same as coffee granules?
No, espresso powder a very fine powder made for baking. Coffee granules are larger and might give the cookies a grainy texture.
Storing & Freezing
These pumpkin spice latte cookies can be stored in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for 2-3 days at room temperature.
You can freeze your cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 months with them remaining fresh. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls if you would like to bake them one at a time, or as needed, just allow to thaw before baking.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies
These pumpkin spice latte cookies are a chewy browned butter pumpkin cookie filled with espresso powder and toffee bits and topped with an espresso glaze. They're the cookie version of everyone's favorite cozy fall drink.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter browned and cooled
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (73.33 g) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (81.67 g) pumpkin puree blotted to become ¼ cup (60 g)
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (59.15 g) toffee bits
Espresso Glaze
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter. You'll take ½ cup of butter (one stick) and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour all of it into a bowl and allow to cool. Once cool stir in 1 tablespoon of espresso powder.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Measure out ⅓ cup of pumpkin and place on a paper plate. Using some paper towels, blot the pumpkin, removing liquid until the paper towel wipes clean. When done the pumpkin should measure more like ¼ cup (60g).
- Place browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and mix together. Add pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and mix again.
- Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and flour to the bowl and mix on low, being careful not to over mix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in toffee bits.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Press down slightly on the cookie ball so it's not quite as tall (or leave as is if you prefer a thicker cookie). Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. You don't want to see any shiny dough in the middle of the cookie, but make sure not to over bake these.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the espresso glaze. You can add a bit more water or powdered sugar if needed to get desired consistency. Brush or drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cookies.
Video
Notes
Blotting the pumpkin beforehand is what helps these cookies to become less cakey and more chewy.
With browning the butter and blotting the pumpkin, everyone will have slightly different results. If your dough feels crumbly before scooping, add 1-2 tablespoon extra pumpkin in until it feels like a smoother cookie dough consistency.
I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 256mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 1648IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sandy
Such a great cookie with the spices and hint of coffee flavor! Perfectly chewy too!
Megan
What can you substitute the espresso powder with?
Brooke Homec
You can just skip it!
Lynzee l
The coffee pumpkin cookie I didn’t know I needed in my life. Absolutely amazing.
Patty Z
A recipe that is really delicious!!! I’m usually skeptical about most recipes online and specially from Instagram, but this one is definitely worth the try and you it’s hard not to eat them all in one day🫣 Thank you!🩷
Natalie
Another winner. By now I know I can never go wrong with your recipes! Full transparency: I completely intended to make the glaze as I know the finished product would be 11/10, but true to form I got lazy. Even without the glaze, a great fall cookie and what I appreciate here is that neither the pumpkin nor coffee flavor is overstated. One of these days I’ll add the glaze, too!
Erin m.
Very unique cookie! I left off the glaze and rolled them in a sugar/spice mix and they ur ed out delicious!
Lonna S
Another winner, Brooke! The pumpkin and espresso were not overwhelming at all. Reminds me of my Gram’s secret recipe for gingersnap cookies! My husband requested adding extra toffee pieces to the top glaze! So good!
Alvy
These cookies werethe perfect chewy texture and had so much flavor! tasted just like a pumpkin spice latte!
Alvy
Such a delicous cookie! They were the PERFECT chewy texture, and had so much flavor - tasted just like a pumpkin spice latte!
Vicky
I don’t have toffee bits. Is there anything else I can use?
Brooke Homec
you can skip them!
Kim
Everyone loves this cookie! The glaze was tasty, but we’d gladly eat these without it too.
Adrienne
Another great cookie! The pumpkin and the espresso work so nicely together and you can taste them both without one overpowering the other. I did just a drizzle with the glaze and it was perfect for me! Yum!
Andrea
The flavor combination is this cookie is perfect. I baked them then had to run to the store-so glad I tried one before I left because when I came home from the store there was not a cookie to be found. My family loved them!
Shauna Phillips
Fall in a cookie. Everyone in my book club loved these!