Pumpkin Tangzhong Cookies

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re finally in the full swing of fall recipes (!!), and these Pumpkin Tangzhong Cookies might be the recipe I’m most excited to share. They’re soft, chewy, loaded with warm fall spices, and have crispy edges and melty pools of chocolate that would make any cookie completely irresistible.

The tangzhong is what gives these cookies their texture and helps them stay that way for days. Instead of making a traditional tangzhong with milk or water, we’re using an entire can of pumpkin, which adds even more fall flavor while helping the dough hold onto all that moisture. It’s one of those little baking techniques that makes such a big difference in the final cookie.

And then, of course, there’s brown butter. But we’re taking this brown butter one step further by blooming the cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg directly in it. This makes the spices incredibly fragrant and brings out all those warm, cozy flavors. Between the pumpkin tangzhong, spiced brown butter, crispy edges, chewy centers, and melty chocolate, these are truly the overachiever pumpkin cookies. And needless to say, I am obsessed.

What is tangzhong and how is pumpkin tangzhong different?

Tangzhong is a Chinese term for a fantastic baking technique that cooks down flour and a liquid (typically water or milk) on the stovetop so that it gelatinizes into a paste. In a tangzhong, the flour is cooked up to 150°F which causes the sugars and starch in the flour to gelatinize. A few things happen when this is added to a dough. It helps the cookie dough hold moisture, but it also stalls crystallization, so it makes the cookies last longer while keeping a soft, chewy texture.

The only difference between a classic tangzhong and this pumpkin tangzhong is the liquid. Instead of milk, we’re using an entire can of pumpkin to infuse all of that fall flavor.

Ingredients you’ll need for these cookies

For the pumpkin tangzhong

• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour

For the cookies

• 1 cup (226g) salted butter
• 3 tablespoons (40g) milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 180 grams granulated sugar
• 180 grams brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (175g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (35g) rye flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 9 ounces milk or dark chocolate, reserve 2 ounces for topping

Ingredient substitutions

• Pumpkin – feel free to use canned butternut squash purée instead.
• Butter – you can swap it for vegan butter – I recommend using Miyokos Creamery, as it’s the only one I’ve found that actually browns.
• All-purpose flour – can be swapped for King Arthur’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, if needed.

Tips on making, storing and using a tangzhong

The key to using a tangzhong is that you want it to be done before you start your dough so that it has time to cool. I pop it in the fridge to speed this up, but it also can come to room temperature on its own while you brown and cool the butter.

This recipe will only use half of the amount of pumpkin tangzhong made but it stores really well in the fridge for up to two weeks. After you try the cookies, I have no doubt you’ll be using the leftovers well before then. You could make another batch or use it in either this vegan brioche or honey butter milk buns.

The big tip is that the closer you can get this to room temperature, the better. So if it has chilled for a long time, give it an hour to warm up before you mix it in!

How to make these pumpkin cookies

1. Make the pumpkin tangzhong: Add the pumpkin purée and flour to a pot. Place the pot over medium heat and mix into a paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes. You’ll see the pumpkin mixture go from a loose paste to a thick paste, almost like drying glue, and the pumpkin will start to cling to the bottom in a film and get one shade darker in color. Turn off the heat and set this aside.
2. Brown the butter and bloom the spices: In a separate pan, add the butter and milk powder. Brown these together, stirring constantly because the milk powder has a tendency to scorch. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.
3. Chill the brown butter: Pour the browned butter mixture into a bowl and surround the bowl with ice water, whisking until the butter firms up to softened-butter texture, around 3-4 minutes.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients: Once the butter has firmed up, add it to a stand mixer with the sugars and beat for 9-10 minutes (really!) until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix again for 2-3 minutes until it looks whipped.
5. Add the dry ingredients and tangzhong: While the wet ingredients are mixing, whisk together all-purpose flour, rye flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Then add 200 grams of the pumpkin tangzhong and mix on the lowest setting until combined.
6. Add the chocolate and chill: Fold in most of the chopped chocolate. The dough will be incredibly soft, so cover it with cling wrap and chill overnight or up to 48 hours.
7. Bake: Scoop the dough into 3-ounce balls. You should get 16-17 cookie dough balls. Dot them with the remaining chocolate. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350°F convection or 375°F standard. They will spread a ton and look a little underdone in the center.
8. Shape and cool: Give them a big smack on the counter, then use a bowl to swirl around the cookie’s edges when it’s still warm, forming them into crispy-edged, gooey-center perfect circles. Let these cool for at least 45 minutes (they’ll be too tender to eat before then), then enjoy!

Can I bake these as smaller (or bigger) cookies?

Absolutely! Just be aware that the texture will change depending on the size you decide to bake. If you make them smaller, the texture will be a bit more cakey. If you make them bigger, it’ll get you the really cookie dough-like center with crispy edges.

Storage tips

Here’s the best way to store these cookies, based on each method:

To store the baked cookies in the fridge: These will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like to wrap each cookie in a layer of wax paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.

To store the cookie dough in the freezer: Scoop the dough into individual 3 ounce balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze until solid for about an hour, and then transfer them to a freezer gallon bag. These will freeze well for up to 3 months. You can bake them straight from frozen, I would just recommend adding 2-3 minutes to the bake time!

To store the baked cookies in the freezer: These will freeze well for up to three months. I like to wrap them with wax paper so they don’t stick to each other, then place them in a freezer gallon bag. To thaw, remove the cookies from the bag and let them sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Then they should be ready to eat!

Why is this recipe in grams?

Grams are always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.

I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.

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And that’s it for these Pumpkin Tangzhong Cookies!

If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions

And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Pumpkin Tangzhong Cookies

5 from 1 review

Ah yes, I'm back with another crazy pumpkin cookie. But when my classic recipe is so good, I have to do something really excellent to top them! Enter scene: these. They are a labor of love, they do benefit from you being pretty particular, but the result is a fully baked cookie that tastes soft and sticky like a pumpkin cookie dough. A fall-spiced delight, I'll always say.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Chill Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings: 16

Cook mode:Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  1 small pot
• ▢
  1 small sauté pan
• ▢
  1 stand mixer
• ▢
  2 half sheet pans

Ingredients

For the pumpkin tangzhong

• ▢ 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
• ▢ 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour

For the cookies

• ▢ 1 cup (226g) salted butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (40g) milk powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 180 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 180 grams brown sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (175g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup (35g) rye flour
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 9 ounces milk or dark chocolate, reserve 2 ounce for topping

Instructions 

1. Add the can of pumpkin purée and 70 grams of all-purpose flour to a pot. Place the pot over medium heat and mix into a paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes. You’ll see the pumpkin mixture transform into a thick paste, almost like drying glue, and the pumpkin will start to cling to the bottom in a film and get one shade darker in color. Turn off the heat and set aside.
2. In a separate pan, add 226 grams of butter and 40 grams of milk powder. Brown these together, stirring constantly because the milk powder has a tendency to scorch. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.
3. Pour the brown butter mixture into a bowl. Place the bowl over an ice bath and whisk until the butter firms up to softened-butter texture, around 3-4 minutes.
4. Once the butter has firmed up, add it to a stand mixer along with 180 grams of granulated sugar and 180 grams of brown sugar. Beat for 9-10 minutes (really!) until fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Mix again for 2-3 minutes until it looks whipped.
5. In that downtime, whisk together 175 grams of all-purpose flour, 35 grams of rye flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix. Then add 200 grams of the pumpkin tangzhong and mix on the lowest setting until combined. Make sure to scrape down the bowl well during this time, dough can sneakily get stuck at the bottom of the mixer.
7. Mix in 7 ounces of chopped chocolate. The dough will be incredibly soft, so cover it with cling wrap and chill overnight up to 48 hours.
8. When you are reading to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F convection or 375°F standard.
9. Scoop 16-17 cookies into 3 ounce balls (don't go any larger or they may not set in the center). Dot with the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate.
10. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, the will spread a ton and look a little underdone in the center. Give them a big smack on the counter, then use a bowl to swirl around the cookie’s edges when it’s still warm, forming them into crispy-edged-gooey-center perfect circles.
11. Let these cool for at least 45 minutes (they’ll be too tender to eat before then), then enjoy!

Notes

This recipe will only use half of the amount of pumpkin tangzhong made but it stores really well in the fridge for up to two weeks. With the leftovers, you could make another batch or use it in either this vegan brioche or honey butter milk buns.

 

***Confused about the tangzhong? Watch my YouTube video for more visuals for it!

Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 14g