These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. They're perfectly sweet with just the right amount of cozy fall spices! These chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are easy to make, and will become your new favorite fall cookie recipe!
My son says he likes these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies better than our famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. And not just once, but every time I've made them he exclaims they are his favorite cookie, which is a big deal coming from the pickiest eater in our house.
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are perfectly sweet and have just the right amount of cozy fall spices. They're easy to make, and while the dough does require some chilling time it's totally worth it because these pumpkin cookies are sure to become your new favorite fall cookie recipe!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
Let's chat about the ingredients in this easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter also works well, you may just need to increase the amount of sea salt.
- Granulated sugar. I usually use organic cane sugar, but regular granulated sugar works great.
- Brown Sugar. I recommend light brown sugar for this chocolate chip pumpkin cookie recipe. However if you like a little bolder, molasses taste then you can use dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree. I use canned pumpkin puree, but if you're using homemade I recommend straining the water out of it so it is not too moist.
- Egg. I have not made this recipe with an egg substitute, so if you do let me know in the comments below!
- All-purpose flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these cookies. A 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour works well too, to make these cookies gluten-free.
- Chocolate chips. You can use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips or any kind of chocolate (milk, dark, semisweet, white, etc.).
- Cinnamon. Choose your favorite ground cinnamon. The higher the quality, the better it will taste!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. Use store bought or make your own with this recipe: homemade pumpkin pie spice. Use 1 tsp of the mixture (and use the rest in some of our other pumpkin recipes like pumpkin pie, Pumpkin baked oatmeal, pumpkin bread, etc.)
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let's walk through how to make this easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video!
Combine dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream butter & sugars
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
Add pumpkin, egg & vanilla
Add vanilla, pumpkin puree and egg and beat until combined and light and fluffy.
Combine wet & dry ingredients
Add dry ingredients and beat, starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high. Pause, scrape down the sides and beat again until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Stir in Chocolate Chips
Add chocolate chips and stir on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Chill Dough
Transfer the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
Preheat Oven & Portion
After chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets (do NOT use parchment paper).
Use a 1.5-2 TBS cookie scoop to measure out a portion of cooking dough, roll it into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Bake & Cool
Bake In the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until cookies look set and slightly puffed. Remove the cookie tray from the oven and tap it on the counter to release some of the air from the cookies. This is a unique step, but results in chewy (not cakey) cookies!
Let the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes then transfer them from the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before eating. The cookies “deflate” as they cool and achieve the chewy texture you see pictured in this post.
Enjoy!
I like to eat these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies slightly warm. Note, they get chewier as they cool and my family thinks they're even better the second day!
How to store pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
To freeze:
You can freeze these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 2 ways:
- Freeze the dough. After the dough is chilled, roll it into balls and place them on a large baking sheet to flash-freeze. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to an airtight container to store. When you're ready to bake them, remove the dough balls from the freezer, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap while they thaw to room temperature, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked cookies. Let cookies cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
These cookies are chewy and not cakey because of sugars, egg, and using less flour than usual and chilling the dough. They are just like yummy chocolate chip cookies only with a pumpkin & fall spice flavor. Also, tapping the baking sheet on the counter releases some air and helps make them chewy.
You can freeze these cookies 2 ways:
1) Freeze the dough. After the dough is chilled, roll it into balls and place them on a large baking sheet to flash-freeze. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to an airtight container to store. When you're ready to bake them, remove the dough balls from the freezer, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap while they thaw to room temperature, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
2) Freeze baked cookies. Let cookies cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
These pumpkin cookies are done when they are slightly puffed and the tops look set.
These cookies last for up to 4 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, and 2 months in the freezer if stored in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add vanilla, pumpkin puree and egg and beat until combined and light and fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients and beat, starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high. Pause, scrape down the sides and beat again until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
- Add chocolate chips and stir on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Transfer the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
- After chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets (do NOT use parchment paper).
- Use a 1.5-2 TBS cookie scoop to measure out a portion of cooking dough, roll it into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Bake In the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until cookies look set and slightly puffed.
- Remove the cookie tray from the oven and tap it on the counter to release some of the air from the cookies.
- Let the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies from the cooking sheet to a wire cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before eating. The cookies “deflate” as they cool and achieve the chewy texture you see pictured in this post.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substituions
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter also works well, you may just need to increase the amount of sea salt.
- Granulated sugar. I usually use organic cane sugar, but regular granulated sugar works great.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste then you can use dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree. I use canned pumpkin puree, but if you're using homemade I recommend straining the water out of it so it is not too moist.
- Egg. I have not made this recipe with an egg substitute, so if you do let me know in the comments below!
- All-purpose flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these cookies.
- Chocolate chips. You can use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips or any kind of chocolate (milk, dark, semisweet, white, etc.).
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. Use store bought or make your own with this recipe: homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp allspice
To freeze:
You can freeze these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 2 ways:- Freeze the dough. After the dough is chilled, roll it into balls and place them on a large baking sheet to flash-freeze. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to an airtight container to store. When you're ready to bake them, remove the dough balls from the freezer, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap while they thaw to room temperature, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked cookies. Let cookies cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, you will love these:
- The BEST pumpkin bread ever (feel free to add chocolate chips too)!
- Pumpkin Pie! Try this pumpkin pie from scratch or this dairy-free pumpkin pie.
- Pumpkin baked oatmeal is one of our favorite fall breakfasts!
- Baked pumpkin donuts are another yummy breakfast for special days!
- Make a batch of this pumpkin coffee creamer. It's healthy and delicious!
- Cookies! Who doesn't love a great cookie recipe?! Try these chocolate chip cookies (the best ever), double chocolate cookies, oatmeal cookies, cut-out sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, etc.!
- This pumpkin smoothie tastes like a liquid pumpkin pie but it's so much healthier and only takes 5 minutes to make!
- This literally the best pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting I've ever had - ever.
- Make this giant chocolate chip chocolate chip cookie cake - better than store-bought and perfect for any occasion!
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Abby
Made these yesterday and they not only appealed to the pumpkin lovers but also to teenage boys. Did I claim they were a "new chocolate chip recipe" and not disclose pumpkin as the secret ingredient at first? Yes...but they loved them and so did I! I give these 4/5 stars because the flavor and texture are great. I only wish the recipe called for more Pumpkin Pie spice (I'll add more next time) and that the cookies flattened a bit more for presentation.
Meg Dean
I made these last night and they were fantastic. Great recipe. Definitely one to save and make again!
Laura
Thank you Meg! 🙂
Jolene
Our family has some gluten and sugar sensitivities, so I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour in stead of the flour, monk fruit sugar instead of the granulated sugar, coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and Lilly’s chocolate chips. They turned out really yummy, which doesn’t always happen when you make so many substitutions .
jenna
Just wondering if i wanted to sub chocolate out for oatmeal to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies, could i do that?
June
I always use parchment paper. Why not with these cookies?
Laura
I prefer the texture with the bottoms more browned and that happens without parchment paper!
Clova Neil
Yummy cookies