Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies with Brown Butter Buttercream are the perfect Fall treat! The pumpkin cookies are soft, pillowy, and packed with cozy spices, delicious enough to stand on their own! But then, a brown butter buttercream is sandwiched between two of the pumpkin cookies for a flavor-packed bite that takes the cookies to the next level of deliciousness! I am not ashamed that I am all about pumpkin pie spice and these are right up there with my other favorite treat, my Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies! I love them both a cup of hot apple cider!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pumpkin: For the cookies, look for pure pumpkin (also known as pumpkin puree). (Do not use pumpkin pie filling.) Pure pumpkin is cooked pumpkin blended or mashed into a smooth texture. There should be no seasoning, spice, flavoring, or sugar added.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: To add to the pumpkin flavor, I used pumpkin pie spice. The spice, along with cinnamon and ginger, adds warmth and depth to each bite of the cookie. If you don’t have any on hand, make homemade pumpkin pie spice. Homemade spices pack the most flavor, and then you will have some on hand for more desserts like my Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake.
- Sugar: I used both granulated and brown sugar in the cookies. The brown sugar in the cookies adds sweetness with a hint of molasses, which complements the pumpkin and spices while keeping the cookies moist. Try not to eat all of the cookies on their own before adding the filling! The pumpkin cookies are SO GOOD!
- Butter: You will need a total of 3 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter for this recipe. 1 1/2 sticks are used in the cookie dough; the other 2 sticks are for the browned butter. Browning the butter for the buttercream adds so much flavor to the buttercream sandwich filling! And, you brown the butter up to 5 days in advance so it’s ready to go when you are ready to make the sandwich cookies!
- Buttercream: The brown butter buttercream is the perfect filling for these pumpkin sandwich cookies. It is worth it to take the time to brown the butter and let it chill in the refrigerator.
Why You Should Chill Browned Butter For The Best Buttercream Texture
Chilling the browned butter before making the buttercream is important because it helps get the right texture. When you brown butter, it melts down completely and becomes too runny to make a fluffy buttercream. By chilling it, the butter firms up enough to be whipped smoothly with the confectioners’ (powdered) sugar. This makes the buttercream creamy and easy to spread. Plus, chilling helps it hold more air, making it light and stable for filling the cookies! So, do not skip this step.
Delicious Mix-Ins to Elevate Your Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
I have to say that these sandwich cookies are pretty perfect as they are, but you can certainly add mix-ins to the pumpkin spice cookies. Here are some options you could try:
- Chocolate chips like semi-sweet or white chocolate chips
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, or chopped dried apricots)
- Toffee bits
- Coconut flakes
How To Store Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
If you plan to eat the pumpkin sandwich cookies within a day or two, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate the sandwich cookies for up to 5 days. Chilling the cookies in the refrigerator also helps the buttercream hold its texture, which I like. You can also freeze the cookies.
Freezing Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
To freeze pumpkin sandwich cookies with brown butter buttercream, first, wrap each sandwich cookie individually in plastic wrap. Next, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 2 months. Let the sandwich cookies thaw at room temperature before serving.
Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies with Brown Butter Buttercream
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 ½ cups (367.5 g) pure pumpkin
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons whole milk
Brown Butter Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the pure pumpkin into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Allow it to drain for at least 10–15 minutes to remove excess liquid.*
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the milk and strained pumpkin, then mix on high speed until combined. The mixture may look slightly lumpy—this is normal.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and sticky. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto the lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes, or until the edges appear set but the center is still soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool completely.
Brown Butter Buttercream
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and brown bits form at the bottom. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning. When the butter reaches a warm amber color and has a nutty aroma, remove it from heat.
- Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
- Once the browned butter is cooled, place it in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute.
- Gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Then, add the vanilla.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches a smooth and spreadable consistency. Whip the frosting on high speed for 1–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Assembly
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe a generous amount of brown butter buttercream on the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and buttercream.
Notes
- Layer four pieces of cheesecloth over a bowl.
- Place the pumpkin in the center of the cloths.
- Fold the cloths around the pumpkin and squeeze gently over the bowl to release as much liquid as possible.
- Discard the liquid.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
I usually don’t leave comments, but I just wanted to thank you for this. I made these and the browned butter buttercream was so good! It was life changing good. And my boys love them. I had to hide them so they wouldn’t eat them all, lol.
Yay!!!! I felt the same way about that brown butter… so happy to hear you liked it!!!!
I love how round and fluffy they are! So fun!!
I am confused by the directions for the cookie. You write mix cake mix and pumpkin. So do I follow instructions on cake box then add pumpkin or am I just taking the dry and mixing with wet? PS I have baked so many things from your site and taken pics to make a folder for myself. This site is EVERYTHING and so are ur FB posts
Can I make these pumpkin cookies without having to make them into a sandwich?
I just want plain pumpkin cookies.