The specific epithet kauffmanii honors American mycologist Calvin Henry Kauffman.

[1] The cap of the fruit body is convex, sometimes with a central depression at maturity, and measures 4–15 mm (0.16–0.59 in).

The mushroom has thin, cream-colored flesh with an indistinct odor and a taste that is initially mild before becoming slightly bitter.

[2] Xeromphalina campanella is a lookalike species that grows on rotting conifer wood.

[2] Xeromphalina kauffmanii fruits in dense groups or clusters on rotting hardwood logs and stumps.