When fall flavor cravings roll around there’s nothing better than these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are the perfect marriage of chocolate and pumpkin flavor in the best pumpkin cookies! No need to wait for fall. These easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are great any time of the year!
Most pumpkin cookies are soft and cakey. Instead of soft cookies these have the texture of traditional chocolate chip cookies (chewy texture) thanks to a little trick with the pumpkin purée (the dough does not need to be chilled either!). It’s a favorite fall cookie during pumpkin season.
Move over pumpkin bread; there’s a new sweet treat in town to satisfy a fall sweet tooth! Pumpkin spice lattes aren’t the only way to enjoy pumpkin spice flavors and these delicious cookies prove that.
The chewy pumpkin cookies have lots of chocolate chips with an option to add extra chocolate chips on the tops of the cookies. All the ingredients are available at the grocery store (no fussy ingredients). As soon as pumpkin puree is available you need to make these best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
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Recipe Ingredients Notes
Pumpkin Puree. Use 100% pumpkin puree from a can (not pumpkin pie filling). Normally we’d say homemade pumpkin puree could be swapped in but it tends to be thinner with more moisture which won’t give this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe the desired texture. You’ll start with 3/4 cup puree cooked down to 1/2 cup.
Unsalted butter. Start the recipe with room temperature butter.
All purpose flour. Regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend can be used. We use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour for gluten-free baking.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are the classic chocolate chips for chocolate chip cookies with just the right amount of sweetness. Reserve some extra chips to add to the top of the cookies if desired.
Light brown sugar. You’ll use 1 cup brown sugar packed (pressed down in the measuring cup).
Kosher salt. This type of salt is less salty tasting and our recommended type to use.
Pumpkin pie spice. Two teaspoons pumpkin pie spice are used for these chewy cookies.
How to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (photo 1).
STEP 2. Reduce the pumpkin puree
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, simmer the pumpkin puree for 10 minutes stirring periodically until most of the water is cooked out (photo 2). It will measure out ½ cup after it has reduced (if it doesn’t keep simmering it until it does) (photo 3). Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
STEP 3. Make the cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (photo 4).
Add the egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Stir in the cooled pumpkin puree (photo 5). Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed during mixing. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (photo 6). Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until combined (photo 7). Stir in the chocolate chips (photo 8).
STEP 4. Bake & Cool
Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons in volume), scoop cookie dough balls and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart (photos 9-10). Add a few extra chips to the tops of the cookies for presentation (optional) (photo 11).
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely (photo 12).
Expert Tips
Important to remove water from the pumpkin puree. Because of the moisture content in pumpkin puree if left in the cookies will not have the texture of a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Without removing the moisture the cookies will be cakey.
Use cooled baking sheets. If making a double batch or rotating the same baking sheet, allow the baking sheet to cool before adding more cookie batter for baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe we recommend canned pumpkin puree which is thicker. The moisture content of homemade puree is difficult to reduce to the consistency to ensure a chewy cookie consistency.
How to Store
Store in airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (it will be cooked down to ½ cup; instructions included below)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + extra to top cookies if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook the pumpkin puree for 10 minutes to reduce it, until most of the water is cooked out. Stir periodically while it cooks.It should measure out ½ cup after cooked down. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Stir in the cooled pumpkin puree. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add the flour mixture into the first bowl of wet ingredients and mix until combined and a dough is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons in volume), scoop cookie dough and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Top with a few extra chips for presentation (optional).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.
- Serve warm or cooled. Store in airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months.
Donna Lassig says
The second time I made these I microwaved the pumpkin and it worked much better for me for removing the moisture. They turned out much better and chewier. I also rolled them in cinnamon sugar like snickerdoodles, my family loved them! Thanks for a great recipe!
Toni Dash says
Great tip Donna! Thanks so much for leaving your comment. So happy your family loves this recipe too!
KandZ says
These came out great! Perfect taste and texture.
Teresa F says
My kids ask me to make these cookies all the time, they are THAT good! Thank you for the yummy recipe!
Shari H says
I am so happy I found this recipe because I am so ready for pumpkin season! These cookies are AMAZING! I just had one with my coffee!
Ksenia says
A true classic adapted for fall. My family loved them!
Kelley says
These were so good! A huge hit in our house thank you!
Tara says
Such delicious cookies and perfect for fall! The texture is absolutely incredible with the addition of the pumpkin puree.
Dana says
YESSSS pumpkin everything, please and thank you. I’ve decided to not wait until October to indulge in this goodness. made these yesterday and they are a HIT.
Linda French says
Pumpkin and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations! These cookies are the perfect combination of the flavors. I love the texture of the cookies too.