Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best ever! These cookies are soft and chewy with crisp edges instead of typical cake-like pumpkin cookies.
author’s note
These Disappear Faster Than I Can Bake Them!
I’ve made more batches of pumpkin cookies than I can count. And while I love a good fluffy pumpkin cookie, this year I really wanted to channel the texture and flavors of a classic chewy chocolate chip cookie with pumpkin flavor.
So I pulled out a can of pumpkin, melted some butter, and got to work testing. After a few rounds of tweaking, I landed on exactly what I hoped for: cookies that are chewy in the center, crisp at the edges, and filled with melty chocolate chips.
They’ve quickly become a family favorite, and now they’re the pumpkin cookies I’ll be making on repeat every fall.
Ingredients In Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Butter | Let it cool before mixing or the cookies can turn greasy. |
| Pumpkin Purée | Use 100% pure pumpkin (like Libby’s). Avoid pumpkin pie mix since it contains added sugar and spices. |
| Spices | You can use pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have on hand. |
| Egg Yolk | Using only the yolk (not the whole egg) keeps the cookies chewy instead of cakey. |
| Chocolate Chips | Semi-sweet works best here, but milk or dark chocolate are also delicious. |
Featured Comment
“I found your recipe a few years ago (2017)
– Jo
and have been making them ever since. My
Kids and Grandkids ask for these on a
regular basis. These are in my top 5 favorite
cookies to make. I have been baking cookies
for over 65 years! Every time I share them
everyone asks for the recipe. One of the best
cookies ever!”
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Melt butter & cool: Start with melted butter for chewy cookies.
- Mix wet ingredients: Combine butter, sugars, pumpkin, yolk, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients: Stir in flour, spices, soda, and salt.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Mix just until combined.
- Chill & bake: Refrigerate the dough, then shape into balls, bake, and top with extra chips.
Tips For Success
- Chill twice: Once after mixing and once after shaping into dough balls. This prevents spreading.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon & level to avoid using too much flour.
- Use pure pumpkin: Brands vary in water content. Libby’s is thick and consistent.
- Shape dough tall: This creates those chewy centers with crisp edges.
- No baking powder needed: These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies without baking powder rise perfectly with just baking soda.
Storage
Storing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cool cookies completely before storing.
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze dough balls on a sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
- Bake frozen dough balls directly, adding 1-3 minutes to bake time, or thaw in the fridge first.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
Desserts
Pumpkin Cake Recipe (BEST EVER!)
Desserts
Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
Desserts
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Shakes And Smoothies
Pumpkin Protein Shake
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10") lined
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg yolk discard whites or save for another recipe
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup pumpkin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Let butter stand until cooled to room temperature. Hot butter will melt the sugars and make greasy cookies.
- Add both sugars to the room-temperature melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add in the large egg yolk, vanilla extract, and canned pumpkin. Make sure the pumpkin isn’t watery; dab off excess moisture with a paper towel if it is. Stir until ingredients are combined.
- Add salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and baking soda. Stir until spices are well incorporated.
- Spoon and level (see note 1) to measure flour and add to the bowl. Add chocolate chips. Gently stir to form a dough. It will seem dry at first, but continue to stir until you have a thick and sticky dough. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Measure 1-1/2 tablespoons (or 30 grams) of dough per cookie ball. Roll the balls so they are taller rather than wider. Place 6 cookie dough balls on the sheet pan and place in the freezer for 8 minutes. Remove and bake for 8–11 minutes or until no longer glossy on top. I like them best at 9 minutes; slightly underbaking will yield super-soft and chewy cookies. Remove from the oven and let cookies stand on the sheet pan for 5 minutes. If desired, press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi there,
I don’t quite understand the stacking process. Could you explain with a tiny bit more detail?
Thanks.
Hey Carol! Check out the 2nd photo in this post: https://axis-framework.live/best-snickerdoodle-cookies/%3C/a%3E that’s the shape and size 🙂
These are so great!!! My husband and I both loved them! Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy to hear it!! Thank you for the comment Mallory 🙂
These are very delicious! I love how all the ingredients like the spices can be adjusted and your encouraged to adjust to your preference! I used the stove top for the butter because i don’t have a microwave any longer. These filled my house with a delicious fall aroma! Thanks for the recipe! Happy Fall Ya’ll!!
I’ve made many cookies but I’ve never found a recipe as good as this one! I’ve already passed on the recipe a couple of times it’s that good! I really love how this is a non-cakey pumpkin cookie. Thank you!
LOVE hearing that! Thank you so much for the comment and passing along my recipe Jenna 🙂
Someone I know made this recipe. The cookies were soo delicious I asked her for the recipe! Her cookies were cakey but still delicious. Please will you post a pic of the rectangle stack or draw it out even? It would be sooo helpful! I see that others have asked the for the same thing. Thank you!
I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed these cookies! 🙂 Here’s a good visual (different cookies I’ve made, but same shape! :)) https://axis-framework.live/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Cookie-Dough.jpg%3C/a%3E Enjoy!
I made these tonight for my sister’s Halloween party and they turned out perfectly! The detailed instructions helped a lot. Most of my cookies turned out perfectly round, but a couple were a little more oval-shaped because of the way the rectangular stack decided to melt. I was a little confused at first about what the stack was supposed to look like so a picture of that might help. But no complaints, they look and taste great! Thank you.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies and the instructions were helpful 🙂 I’ll work on getting a process picture up on these 🙂 Thanks Renee!
My four year old and I are making them as we speak they are currently chilling. I cannot wait for the final product!! However I feel silly that I do not understand the “stacking” method… any help!?
I could not wait the full hour for chilling these because I was just too excited to eat them!!! I have never been able to get a cookie to be cakey, and I didn’t have that problem with these either. Oh my gosh these cookies are good!!!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment Dana 🙂
Would it be possible to just use pumpkin pie spice in place of the seasonings?
Sure 🙂
These were excellent, wonderful flavor, and simple, although mine still came out cakey on two different batches. The second time I followed the instructions more about chilling, but either way, they were a taller cookie, unlike the photo, still moist and cakey, but delicious! Would have liked to have seen a photo of the stacking method of placing them on the pan. I don’t mind them cakey, I would make them again!
I’m happy you enjoyed these overall Erin! They may have come out more cakey than desired due to too much flour; did you spoon and level the flour when you measured it? Glad to hear you’d make these again though! I’ll be working on getting a video tutorial up for these 🙂
Chelsea, instead of rolling two balls of dough per cookie, what would happen if you just rolled one larger ball of dough per cookie? I haven’t made them yet, but am getting ready to, right now. But, I’m omitting the chocolate chips, I just want a pumpkin cookie. I always omit chocolate chips and usually use raisins and nuts, in chocolate chip recipes, but these will just be pumpkin cookies w/ no added ingredients. Aren’t they awfully sweet, w/ 1 cup of sugar to 1-1/2 cups of flour, plus chocolate chips?
Yes that’s fine; just make sure it’s taller rather than wider 🙂 I don’t find them overly sweet, but if you’re worried you could likely leave out some of the sugar! Enjoy!