If you’re looking for the perfect pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with wonderfully chewy edges and gooey chocolate in every bite, you’ve come to the right place. These cookies are chock-full of comforting autumn flavors from pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Chocolate chips add just the right amount of sweetness to round out the flavor.
Be sure to read all my tips and tricks for the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that are never cakey. And don’t worry, achieving a perfectly chewy cookie is so much easier than you think! These egg-free cookies also freeze very well, so why not make a double batch and freeze half the cookie dough? That way, you can quickly bake yourself a sweet fall treat brimming with pumpkin flavor whenever the mood strikes. For more pumpkin recipes, try my pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin scones, and pumpkin donuts.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Pumpkin — use canned pumpkin puree that is 100% pure pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie filling (which has added sugar and spices).
Flour — all-purpose flour is all you need for chewy cookies.
Leavening — a little baking powder and baking soda helps the cookies rise just enough.
Spices — ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice add loads of autumn flavor to these cookies.
Butter — since salt is added to the cookie dough separately, use unsalted butter. Melt it and let it cool for a few minutes before you start baking.
Sugar — light brown sugar and granulated sugar add sweetness and moisture to the cookies.
Vanilla — use high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor possible.
Chocolate chips — I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use different chocolate chips or other mix-ins (see the Variations section for ideas!).
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Start by blotting away excess moisture from the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin puree on a double layer of paper towels, and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Then blot the top with another paper towel. Scrape the pumpkin off of the paper towels and measure out ¼ cup (this should be all of the puree).
2. While the pumpkin puree sits, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
4. Add the vanilla extract and the blotted pumpkin puree and whisk well.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until no dry streaks of flour remain.
6. Fold in most of the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Use a 1½ tablespoon-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop to form 1½-inch balls (that weigh about 38g each). Roll each scoop into a neat ball. Place the cookie dough balls about two inches apart on two silicone- or parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
8. If desired, fatten the cookies slightly to be about ½ to ¾-inch thick. (This is optional!) Place a few of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each unbaked cookie. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and the edges are set. (The tops will still look slightly wet and underbaked, but they will continue to set as they cool.) Let the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The Secret To Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
These simple tricks will produce perfectly chewy pumpkin cookies. (If you’re looking for a cakey pumpkin cookie, try my soft pumpkin cookies!)
- Blot the pumpkin puree to remove moisture. Pumpkin puree has a lot of moisture, and excess moisture will lead to cakey cookies. Blotting the pumpkin with paper towels will remove as much moisture as possible, leading to a nice, chewy texture. Alternatively, you can press the pumpkin against the sides of a very fine mesh strainer.
- Use melted butter. Melted butter hydrates the dough and causes it to spread more, leading to chewy cookies with crispy edges that spread just the right amount. Make sure you allow the butter to cool for at least 5 minutes after you melt it so it doesn’t melt the chocolate chips when stirred in.
- Let the cookies cool after baking. When you take the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, the middles will look a bit puffy and underbaked. This is good! While they cool, the residual heat will set the centers, and they will develop the chewiness you’re looking for.
Variations
- Different baking chips: Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips. You can also use a mixture!
- Use different mix-ins: Not in the mood for chocolate? Leave it out and use dried cranberries, golden raisins, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans instead.
- Use homemade pumpkin pie spice instead of store-bought using a combination of ground ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg.
- Add cardamom: Cardamom is one of my favorite baking spices and compliments cinnamon and pumpkin very well. Add up to ½ teaspoon to this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe for an elevated flavor.
How To Store
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. To prevent them from going stale, you can throw a slice of bread or large marshmallows into the container, too!
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies?
To freeze cookie dough: Scoop and shape the cookie dough into balls. Flash-freeze them until solid on a lined baking sheet. Store in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let the cookie dough thaw in the fridge for a few hours or at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. You can bake them from frozen, but they won’t spread quite as much.
To freeze baked cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, freeze them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let the cookies thaw and come to room temperature before enjoying them.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour is a common mistake. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. This will prevent you from over-packing your measuring cup.
- Skip chilling the dough. If you’re short on time, you can also scoop and bake these cookies straight from the bowl. However, I like to chill the dough slightly to let the flour hydrate, keeping the cookies from spreading too much and making the dough easier to work with. If you scoop without chilling, don’t roll the dough with your hands; just scoop the cookies directly onto the prepared baking sheets.
- If you don’t have a triggered cookie scoop, you can scoop with a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon before rolling with your hands. For even sizing, use can also a scale to weigh the cookies (about 38 grams per cookie).
- For thinner cookies, flatten the dough balls before baking. This will jump-start the spread so the cookies bake up a bit thinner. Use your fingertips, the palm of your hand, or a glass with a flat bottom that has been greased to flatten the dough into ½-inch thick discs.
- These cookies are great to serve to anyone with an egg allergy, as they are egg-free. Pumpkin is commonly used as an egg substitute and adds moisture to the dough. This is a great alternative to traditional chocolate chip cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions
Using too much flour will make the cookie more “bread-like” and cakey instead of chewy. Weigh your flour with a kitchen scale to prevent using too much.
Another culprit is moisture. If you do not blot the pumpkin puree, your cookies will end up puffy, domed, and cakey.
Yes, you can bake the cookies or make the cookie dough in advance. In fact, the flavors are more intense if the dough chills for at least 24 hours! However, I do think they are best eaten within 24 hours of being baked, so don’t bake them too far in advance.
Yes, however, you may need to blot the pumpkin more than once. Because fresh pumpkin puree will have significantly more moisture than canned pumpkin puree, it may fully soak the paper towels and still be a bit watery. I’d recommend using four layers or botting it twice.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Large baking sheets
- 1½-inch triggered cookie scoop
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree (80g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (170g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed (110g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (160g)
Instructions
- On a double layer of paper towels, spread the pumpkin puree in a thin layer and let it sit for 10 minutes. Carefully blot the top with another paper towel. Using a silicone spatula, carefully scrape the pumpkin off of the paper towels. You should have at least ¼ cup (65g) of pumpkin puree.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter and light brown and granulated sugars. Add the vanilla and the pumpkin puree, and whisk well to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir with a silicone spatula until no dry streaks of flour remain. Add most of the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful, and fold them in to distribute. (I like to reserve a handful to place on top of each cookie at the very end, but that’s optional.) Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a 1½ tablespoon-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop to form 1½-inch balls (about 38g each). Then roll each into a neat ball with the palms of your hands.
- Place the balls about two inches apart on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets. For less puffy cookies, you can flatten the cookies slightly to be about ½ to ¾-inch thick. (This will help them spread a bit more, but it is optional.) Place 3 to 4 of the reserved chips on top of each of the cookies.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and the edges are set. (The tops will still look slightly wet but will continue to set as they cool). Let them cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour is a common mistake. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. This will prevent you from over-packing your measuring cup.
- Skip chilling the dough. If you’re short on time, you can also scoop and bake these cookies straight from the bowl. However, I like to chill the dough slightly to let the flour hydrate, keeping the cookies from spreading too much and making the dough easier to work with. If you scoop without chilling, don’t roll the dough with your hands; just scoop the cookies directly onto the prepared baking sheets.
- If you don’t have a triggered cookie scoop, you can scoop with a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon before rolling with your hands. For even sizing, use can also a scale to weigh the cookies (about 38 grams per cookie).
- For thinner cookies, flatten the dough balls before baking. This will jump-start the spread so the cookies bake up a bit thinner. Use your fingertips, the palm of your hand, or a glass with a flat bottom that has been greased to flatten the dough into ½-inch thick discs.
- These cookies are great to serve to anyone with an egg allergy, as they are egg-free. Pumpkin is commonly used as an egg substitute and adds moisture to the dough. This is a great alternative to traditional chocolate chip cookies!
