Soft Pumpkin Cookies with a muffin-top texture and soft, gooey chocolate pockets! They’re bakery-worthy and come together in just one bowl.
For pumpkin cookies without chocolate chips, try these soft and thick Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.
author’s note
Easy One-Bowl Soft Pumpkin Cookies!
Every fall, I can’t resist making all the pumpkin treats. Last year, I spent weeks testing pumpkin cookie recipes because I wanted one that reminded me of the cookies my mom used to bake. They weren’t crisp or chewy like a classic chocolate chip cookie. Instead, they had a fluffy, muffin-top texture with melty chocolate throughout.
After several rounds of testing (and plenty of pumpkin cans later), I finally nailed the version I now make every year. These Soft Pumpkin Cookies strike the perfect balance of fluffy, spiced, and chocolatey. They bring back the flavors I loved growing up, but with a little upgrade in texture and flavor.
If you’re after a cookie that feels like the very best part of a muffin top, this is it.
Featured Comment
“I can’t believe it has taken me this long to write a review because I have been making this recipe for years and it is the most requested recipe among all of my family and friends. Seriously, no matter the season and what other great recipes I make, everyone keeps asking for these.”
– Jan
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips / Swaps |
|---|---|
| Canned Pumpkin | Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pat the pumpkin with paper towels if it looks watery. |
| Vegetable Oil | Keeps the cookies soft. Swap half with melted butter for richer flavor. |
| Brown & White Sugar | The combo creates sweetness and a soft bite. |
| Pumpkin Pie Spice | Pre-blended for ease, or make your own with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. |
| Chocolate Chips | Semi-sweet balances the sweetness, but milk chocolate or even white chocolate also work beautifully. |
Quick Tip
Pumpkin pie spice is a delicious combination of warming spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice). Find it with the other spices in the grocery store, or you can make your own!
How To Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Wet: In one bowl, stir pumpkin, both sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Dry: Stir in spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and chocolate chips. Mix gently. Don’t overwork.
- Optional Chill: Pop the dough into the fridge for easier scooping.
- Bake: Scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until just set.
- Finish: Press extra chocolate chips into the tops of warm cookies and let cool.
Storage
- Baked: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze and warm before serving.
- Unbaked Dough: Scoop dough balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a container. Bake from frozen and just add a couple of minutes.
Use Leftover Pumpkin In These:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
- Parchment paper or silicon baking mat
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin not an entire can, not pumpkin filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice see note 1
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- Red food coloring or orange food coloring, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup canned pumpkin (not entire can), granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix until completely smooth. If desired, add in food dye—this will give you a darker, more “pumpkin-looking” cookie. (The photos have 3 drops of orange food coloring.) Mix until completely smooth.
- Without stirring between these additions, add in cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, and regular chocolate chips. Mix by hand or with an hand mixer until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough is wet, thick, and sticky!
- Cover tightly and chill dough for 30 minutes up to 10 hours. Chilling is not necessary, but it makes dough easier to work with and intensifies flavors.
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out balls of dough onto the sheet pan. Try to smooth or round the balls, but it’s okay if they’re a bit bumpy; the dough is messy to work with. Bake for 8–11 minutes and remove. Use remaining 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips to press a few more chocolate chips on the tops of the cookies straight out of the oven.
- Let cookies stand on the sheet pan for 3–4 minutes before using a spatula to transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat baking process with remaining dough, keeping dough in the fridge until it’s scooped into cookies (colder dough = easier to work with!) For a fudgy pumpkin pie-type cookie, chill cooked cookies in the fridge—delish!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In the recipes do we use sweetened or unsweetened can pumpkin?
Regular canned pumpkin so it should be unsweetened. Make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling 🙂
Ok I just found this recipe today, so I hope you can still respond since it’s been a long time since you posted it. I made the dough and it’s kind of runny. Not dough like most cookie dough. Is this normal? I added all of the ingredients just like it said to do. Looks so good. I can’t wait to bake them.
Totally normal 🙂 Enjoy!
Great recipe I will definitely add more cinnamon and nutmeg next time too!
These cookies were so yummy! I ended up putting them in the oven for 11 minutes and they turned out delicious.
Thanks so much for the comment Elizabeth! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
I tried this recipe last night, as I don’t like hard cookies and substituted the oil for applesauce.
These cookies are amazing, they keep soft and chewy, my whole family loves them.
Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy these were a hit with the whole family! Thanks so much for the comment Sylvia 🙂
Can I just say Oh My Goodness, I followed this recipe to the letter, except for leaving it in the fridge for at least an hour, I only had mine in there for 40 minutes. I had to keep them in for the full 15 minutes, but they came out soooo yummy, the 1st 6 were gone before I have the next 6 on the cookie sheet to go back in the oven! and these are supposed to get better after a few days??? I won’t have any left for the Holiday Party in 2 days! lol
thanks for a yummy, easy recipe
Wahoo!! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed these Lynn! 🙂 And yes, I seriously love them on day 2 straight out of the fridge – YUM! You are so welcome, thanks for the kind comment 🙂
Can I substitute something for the vegetable oil? Thanks!
I haven’t tested other alternatives, but you could likely use another oil and get the same results. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe exactly, then put the batter in the fridge for 3 hours while I went to run errands. The batter came out perfect! My husband & I loved these cookies ?!
So wonderful to hear!! I’m so glad these cookies were enjoyed by you both 🙂 Thank you!
I have several pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes I always use but I saw this one and had to try it!!!
Love, love, love!! This is my new go to recipe.
They were delicious and turned out perfectly. My picky kids loved them too!
Thank you for this recipe. I will be making these several more times this season!!
Oh YAY! I’m so thrilled to hear this is your new go to and that they turned out perfectly for you 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment Melissa!
Great recipe! I just tried these out. I love soft, chewey cookies and these were great!
I’m so thrilled to hear these were a hit! Thank you for the comment Dylan! 🙂