Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted Sep 16, 2020, Updated Oct 20, 2024
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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 (also try pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, maple cookies and apple cookies).
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 is a good substitute.
- Granulated sugar. use regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best result.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree. I use canned pumpkin puree. If using homemade pumpkin puree, I recommend straining the water out of it so it is not too moist.
- All-purpose flour. Use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to make these pumpkin cookies gluten-free.
- 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 2 teaspoons of the mixture (and use the rest in some of our other pumpkin recipes like pumpkin pie, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bread, etc.)
- Chocolate chips. You can use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips or any kind of chocolate (milk, dark, semisweet, white, 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!
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
Then, 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.
Next, add the vanilla, pumpkin puree and egg and beat until combined and light and fluffy.
Then add the dry ingredient mixture and beat until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Chill the Dough
Once the dough is finished, transfer it to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
Bake
After chilling, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets or line them with silicone baking mats (do not use parchment paper).
Use a 1.5 to 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out portions of cookie dough, roll them into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, evenly spaced. 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. 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.
Serve
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.
Store
Store pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze
- 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.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie 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.
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 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon 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.
- Then add the dry ingredient mixture and beat until combined.
- 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 or line them with silicone baking mats (do not use parchment paper).
- Use a 1.5 to 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out portions of cookie dough, roll them into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, evenly spaced. 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 forcefully.
- 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
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter and coconut oil are good substitutes.
- Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar works well.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste then 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.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these cookies. Make them gluten free by using gluten free flour.
- 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
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why no parchment paper that is all I have or plain old butter on the sheet
Yes I would butter the baking sheet!
These are wonderful. Thank
You for the fabulous recipe. I will make these again and again.
My son’s friends were doing workouts at the gym, found out was baking cookies and followed him home. These 14 yr olds were not too interested in Pumpkin anything…BUT…they finished off an entire batch and I had to make more! These are super easy and yummy!!!
So yummy! My 5 year old had so much helping me bake these cookies. My family devoured them after the cookies finished baking. Definitely going to be making them again!
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.
I made these last night and they were fantastic. Great recipe. Definitely one to save and make again!
Thank you Meg! 🙂
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 .
Just wondering if i wanted to sub chocolate out for oatmeal to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies, could i do that?
I always use parchment paper. Why not with these cookies?
I prefer the texture with the bottoms more browned and that happens without parchment paper!
Yummy cookies