These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy with loads of pumpkin flavor! Pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree work together to create an amazing pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s just perfect for the holidays!
Craving pumpkin treats? Make sure to try my Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle and Pumpkin Muffins!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
About a month ago I was working on creating a new video and pics for my chocolate chip cookie recipe and was simultaneously working on my pumpkin cake recipe. I had this crazy thought: what if I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?
It sounded like a great idea but my first go at it didn’t turn out the way I wanted them too at all. I kept tweaking the recipe and over a dozen batches later, I had the perfect pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
You guys, they are AMAZING.
Soft and Chewy, Not Cakey
I have had lots of pumpkin cookies in my time and they have all been soft, puffy pumpkin cookies because that’s what pumpkin does when you bake it. It has a lots of moisture in it. Great for cakes and pies, not so great for cookies – if you want them to be chewy that is.
Baking With Pumpkin
Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture to cakes and muffins which makes them amazing. However,I knew that I needed to get rid of a lot of that moisture for these cookies and tried a number of different tactics:
- I tried microwaving the pumpkin puree, stirring at intervals, basically evaporating that extra moisture. It took a long time and I wasn’t overly happy with the results.
- The next thing I tried was absorbing the moisture with paper towels. I was about a half a roll into this process before I realized it just didn’t make a lot of sense.
- I then realized that I should do what I do with my favorite pumpkin pie recipe and cook the pumpkin puree down on the stovetop. It takes about 10 minutes and the results were perfect for these cookies. Not only does it eliminate a lot of the moisture, it almost caramelizes the pumpkin pulling out it’s natural sweetness. Exactly what I wanted!
- Eliminating the egg as I did with my Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodles recipe helped too. The pumpkin basically replaces the egg in this recipe.
- Reversing the brown sugar and granulated sugar amounts. Again, it all has to do with moisture. Brown sugar holds a lot more than granulated sugar does.
Perfect Pumpkin Flavor
I think if you try my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe you will notice they actually taste like pumpkin. That’s because of two things:
- I packed as much pumpkin flavor as I could in these cookies, testing the heck out of them to make sure I was making actual pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and not just chocolate chip cookies with a little bit of pumpkin. An entire cup of pumpkin puree goes into this recipe!
- Cooking the pumpkin down actually intensifies the pumpkin flavor. Not only does it eliminate moisture from the pumpkin puree, it makes the puree even more pumpkin-y.
Can These Cookies Be Made In Advance?
Make these cookies ahead of time. I found that the pumpkin flavor just got better with time. I tasted one a day for 7 days straight and my favorites were days 3 and 4. This is a great recipe to make in advance.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Empanadas
- Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodles
- Easy Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Scones
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
What You’ll Need
As always, you can find the full printable recipe with complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need:
- pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling.
- unsalted butter – if using salted butter reduce salt to one quarter teaspoon.
- brown sugar – adds a lovely flavor and adds to the sweetness.
- granulated sugar – for sweetness.
- vanilla extract – I use a full tablespoon for flavor.
- all-purpose flour – provides the structure needed in these cookies.
- cornstarch – for a tender cookie.
- baking soda – our leavening agent.
- salt – for balance and flavor.
- pumpkin pie spice – homemade or store bought.
- semi-sweet chocolate chips – you can also use milk chocolate or dark chocolate if you prefer.
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cook pumpkin puree. Place the pumpkin puree in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes making sure to stir frequently. Remove and let cool.
- Wet ingredients. Cream butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the cooled pumpkin puree and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
- Dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Combine. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop and freeze. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. Cover the cookie dough balls with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 350F. Place cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. If you would like flatter cookies, press the dough balls down slightly before baking.
- Let cool. Cookies will appear slightly under-baked. Gently press additional chocolate chips into the top of the cookies if desired. Let cookies cool for several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Let the pumpkin cook for the full 10 minutes to eliminate as much moisture as possible.
- Scoop and roll cookie dough before chilling. It’s so easy to just pop the balls on a baking sheet and bake.
- Give the cookie dough 30 minutes in the freezer for the best results. You can also refrigerate for an hour.
- The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies don’t spread much during baking so if you want a flatter cookie, press down on the cookie dough balls just before baking.
- Press a few more chocolate chips into the top of the cookies, if you want, fresh from the oven.
- DO make these cookies ahead of time. Delicious straight from the oven, but irresisitble for the next several days. I found that the pumpkin flavor just got better with time. I tasted one a day for 7 days straight and my favorites were days 3 and 4. So this is a great recipe to make in advance.
- Use homemade pumpkin pie spice for the best flavor in these easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
More Pumpkin Recipes To Try
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes
- Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Bars with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy with loads of pumpkin flavor! Pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree work together to create an amazing pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that's just perfect for the holidays!
Servings 24
Calories 220kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin puree in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes making sure to stir frequently. Remove and let cool. (The pumpkin should be reduced down to somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 cup.)1 cup pumpkin puree
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the cooled pumpkin puree and vanilla until thoroughly combined.1 cup pumpkin puree, ¾ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. Using a cookie scoop helps to keep the cookies a uniform size. Place cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all dough has been used.
- Cover the cookie dough balls with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. If you freeze overnight, let cookie dough balls sit at room temperature for 10 minute before baking. (You can also transfer to a ziploc bag and bake as needed.)
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. If you would like flatter cookies, press the dough balls down slightly before baking.
- Cookies will appear slightly under-baked. Gently press additional chocolate chips into the top of the cookies if desired. Let cookies cool for several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Video
Notes
Tools Needed
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer | Mixing Bowls | Baking Sheet | Cookie Scoop | Silicone Baking MatChip Options
Try different flavored chips instead of chocolate. Butterscotch, cinnamon, vanilla – all would be good options!Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1772IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg
Originally published November 16, 2019.
Meziah says
Good cookie recipe. Some advice for other bakers: If you don’t have pumpkin puree in a can, you can steam some slices of pumpkin. You will know it’s done when you can peel off the skin. Take the slice of cooled pumpkin in your hand, and using a large spoon, just scrape it from the skin. After you’ve done that, use a hand mixer to puree the pumpkin. To get the moisture out, just put the puree in a steel mesh strainer. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so, then transfer to a container with a lid and put in the refrigerator. While it is sitting, any excess water will separate itself from the pumpkin. Just pour it off. I am using fresh pumpkin all the time in my cookie and pie recipes because canned pumpkin is not available in Ukraine. But that don’t matter. It’s far better than the canned stuff, and easier to deal with when getting rid of that extra moisture.
Kayla Grandinetti says
Can you use salted butter in this recipe I just wanted to know
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Sure! Just omit the salt from the recipe.
Dawn says
I made the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies today. They turned out great and absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Dawn!
Adrienne says
This is the new family favorite. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Turned out amazing.
Michelle Fru says
Excellent recipe! Had to add a tad bit more flour because of the humidity level in the south and living near the ocean. Also needed a little longer cook time. This will be a favorite for years to come.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I’m so glad you gave them a try Michelle! These cookies are one of my favorite things to bake in the fall. I’m glad you took the humidity into consideration!
Adriana says
Delicious. light and fluffy!! I grew in So Ca., I would buy chocolate chip pumpkin cookies from Ralphs during the fall. These cookies remind me of those!! I used Pamela’s GF pancake and Baking Flour so I added 2 t xanthum gum, and 2 eggs then I doubled the recipe and let it sit in the refrigerator since it was a big batch. Great recipe, thank you for sharing!!