Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are chewy, tender, full of fall flavor and infused with just the right amount of pumpkin, spice, and chocolate in every bite. They’re made without a mixer and there’s no chilling required!
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve made my chocolate chip cookie recipe, you already know what I aim for in a really good cookie. Soft, tender centers, just-crisp edges, and buttery depth of flavor. I wanted that same texture in a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, but pumpkin is notoriously tricky to incorporate into cookie dough, tending to make cookies puffy and cakey rather than chewy.
I’ve revisited this recipe since I first shared it and made a few changes that I think have made it even better. Here’s what to know before you start:
What to Know About These Cookies
- Chewy, not cakey. Blotting the pumpkin takes just seconds but removes extra moisture that could make the cookies cakey, while melted butter, an egg yolk, and a little extra baking soda help give the cookies the texture I was after. Save the cakiness for your pumpkin cake!
- Deep flavor. The pumpkin spice and pumpkin flavor actually shine through here. I increased the spice in this version and the dark brown sugar adds a richness and depth that work beautifully with the pumpkin flavor.
- Milk chocolate is my pick. You have some wiggle room here and can substitute semisweet chocolate, but after testing both my taste-testers and I all preferred the milk chocolate version, it just worked better with the pumpkin and spice.
What You Need
Several key ingredients come together to make these pumpkin cookies soft and chewy instead of cakey:
- Pumpkin puree. Pumpkin introduces a lot of moisture into the cookie dough, which is a huge drawback, as excess moisture makes cookies cakey and puffy rather than chewy and tender. For this recipe, you’ll need to blot the puree with paper towels before adding it to the dough (just as we do with my pumpkin scones). There are plenty of notes in the recipe card so you’ll know exactly how much to blot the pumpkin.
- Melted butter. Many cookie recipes first cream butter and sugar, but this step incorporates air into the dough, which causes puffier, cakier cookies. Using melted butter skips that step and helps give the cookies a chewier texture and better spread (and a more buttery flavor!).
- Pumpkin pie spice. I increased the amount in the updated recipe so the spice comes through even with all the chocolate chips. You can typically find this blend of spices in the store (sometimes just called “pumpkin spice”), or you can make your own with my pumpkin spice recipe. It makes a fair-sized batch, so save the extra to make pumpkin muffins!
- (Dark) brown sugar. In the earlier version of this recipe, I used light brown sugar or a blend of light and dark. When I went back to tweak it, I tried a version with all dark brown sugar and it was an immediate hit with everybody. The richer, molasses flavor of the dark brown sugar added incredible depth and suited the pumpkin flavor beautifully.
- Egg yolk. We use just the yolk, since egg whites contain a lot of moisture and we need to combat the added moisture from the pumpkin already. It’s another small tweak that keeps the cookies tender and chewy.
- Chocolate chips. Milk chocolate is my favorite choice here (surprising, since it isn’t what I typically reach for in my cookies!) and what I feel works best with the pumpkin spice.
Sam’s Tip
Don’t try to get every last drop of moisture out of the pumpkin. You want to blot away the excess but not dry it out completely. The recipe card gives you both a volume measurement and a weight to aim for after blotting.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Melt the butter and add the pumpkin spice. Melt the butter, then immediately add the pumpkin spice to the warm butter (which helps “bloom” the pumpkin spice and will ultimately give you a more deeply spiced flavor.
- Blot the pumpkin. Pumpkin is mostly water, which can make cookies cakey and bland. In order to include pumpkin flavor but reduce the excess water, we’ll use paper towels to firmly pat the pumpkin and remove some of that water. Blot out the excess moisture with paper towels until you’ve reduced the pumpkin down to about 1/2 cup or 130 g.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Add the blotted pumpkin, sugars, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to your butter then stir everything together until you have a uniform mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Whisk the dry ingredients separately and fold them into the wet ingredients in three or four parts. Then fold in the chocolate chips. No chilling required for this recipe (though you could chill it if you want to) so move right on to the next step!
- Scoop and bake. I use a 1 1/2 Tablespoon-sized scoop and do two level scoops for fair-sized cookies. The dough is a bit soft, so while it can be rolled between your palms for a smooth ball, that can be a bit messy and I usually don’t roll the dough. I just drop one scoop on top the other and then gently press the cookies down (to help encourage spread). Bake until the cookies are slightly darker golden around the edges, and the centers still look just a touch underdone.
Sam’s Tip (For Pretty Cookies!)
Reserve a few extra chocolate chips, then immediately after the cookies come out of the oven, gently press a few on top of each cookie, carefully nestling them into the surface. It makes them look like polished, bakery cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Pumpkin puree is full of water and moisture. If you add all of that moisture to your cookies, you’ll end up with cakey (and, ironically, perhaps even dry) cookies that don’t spread and lack flavor. Blotting the pumpkin removes excess moisture and concentrates the pumpkin flavor so you get cookies that spread properly, have just the right chewiness, and have excellent flavor.
This recipe is carefully developed to spread some while still remaining tender and soft. If you follow the techniques and use the ingredients listed without substitution or variation, you shouldn’t have any problem. Do make sure you measure the flour properly (preferably with a kitchen scale). Accidentally using too much flour is the most likely way you’ll end up with cookies that don’t spread.
Yes! This dough can be prepared, covered tightly, and chilled up to 4 days in advance. You may also chill and scoop the dough, individually wrap the scoops, and freeze it for up to several months — just note that the cookies typically take a bit longer to bake from frozen and don’t spread as much this way.
More Recipes for Pumpkin Lovers
It’s fairly well documented that I’ve never been the biggest pumpkin dessert person, but these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have won me over. The pumpkin lovers in my house were already fans of the original, and every one of them loved this updated version even more. I hope you do, too!
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (recommended)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, (click the link for instructions to make homemade pumpkin pie spice)
- ⅔ cup (165 g) pumpkin puree, (165 g before blotting/130 after blotting)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups (405 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) milk chocolate chips, Or substitute white chocolate, or do a blend of both!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat the butter in 20-second intervals (stirring in-between) until completely melted. Immediately add the pumpkin spice and whisk to combine. Set aside for butter to cool slightly so it is no longer hot (about 10 minutes).1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- Blot the pumpkin. While the butter cools, blot the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate and press folded paper towels into the pumpkin to absorb the extra moisture. Continue to blot until you have reduced the pumpkin puree to ½ cup (130 g).
- Add the blotted pumpkin, sugars, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter/pumpkin spice and whisk until well-combined.1 ½ cups (300 g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅔ cup (165 g) pumpkin puree
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until well-combined, then gradually stir these into the wet ingredients.3 ¼ cups (405 g) all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon table salt
- Fold in chocolate chips until well distributed.1 ½ cups (255 g) milk chocolate chips
- Scoop dough by 3 Tablespoon-sized scoops and, if desired, roll between your palms to form a smooth round ball. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake in center rack of preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are still soft.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Blotting Pumpkin
Blotting the pumpkin is an important step that keeps these pumpkin cookies nice and chewy and not cake-y. If you skip this step, the cookies will be more cakey and less flavorful.Chocolate chips
Use your favorite chocolate in these cookies. I like milk chocolate chips, but chopped milk chocolate bars are even better. My sisters prefer white chocolate.Storing
Cookie dough can be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days before scooping and baking (cookies may take a bit longer to bake when cold). To freeze, see my instructions on how to freeze cookie dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Recipe updated
This recipe was originally published in the fall of 2022. I wanted to give it a better flavor, chewier texture, and slightly better spread and have updated it to achieve this. If you are looking for it, you can find the original recipe here.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Can you swap 1:1 gluten free flour in this delicious recipe?
Hi Lezlee! I haven’t personally tried it, but I think it could work. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂
These are delicious. Full of flavor. Great instructions, easy to follow! Will definitely be making again!
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Brenda! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
I prefer your old recipe. These came out a little too rich for me, but I did use a very dark brown sugar. But still amazing.
I actually still have the original linked in the notes section below the recipe. 🙂
Delicious 💕
Hi Sam! I was wondering if it’d be possible to brown the butter for this recipe? I’ve made this recipe and your brown butter chocolate chip recipe many times. They both were enjoyed and highly complimented by my family and friends!
Thank you so much for trying my recipes, Lucina! I haven’t personally tried browning the butter. It’s going to make the cookies a lot thicker and you may need to use a little bit less flour. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂