Amazing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve been looking for the perfect pumpkin cookie, look no further! Soft and chewy, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are simple and delicious!
I’m a pumpkin cookie fanatic. There’s no doubt about that. Even though I threatened to boycott pumpkin this year, I could only hold out so long.
All because of the pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips, no less. They are my weakness.
I have many favorite pumpkin cookies recipes. Of note are these soft batch iced pumpkin sugar cookies. Totally different than today’s cookie but oh my glorious.
I love them. And my fall back pumpkin chocolate chip cookie is a winner, too. It falls in the soft and fluffy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie camp.
There’s a time and a place for all the pumpkin cookies in the world, but I must say that today’s pumpkin cookie is the one I love to make the most when someone says “hey, do you have a great recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?” and follows it up with “will you make it for me?” (ahem, I’m looking at you, children).
These cookies are like a delicious, chewy chocolate chip cookie…just pumpkin-ified a little bit.
They shine, because instead of being thick and soft and cakey, they are thinner, a little more decadently dense and a bit chewy.
Or in other words, totally irresistible.
If you want to really, really make sure your cookies will turn out as described, read through the notes of the recipe, and whatever you do, don’t overflour the cookie dough.
That will be death, right there, to the perfect texture of these wonderful chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.
It’s certainly not a complicated recipe, but you know me, in the interest of always being wordy, I want to give you as much direction as possible.
If you are looking for an amazing pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, you’ve got to try this version and let me know what you think. I hope you love them as much as we do!
One Year Ago: Video Tip: How to Make Perfect Pie Crust
Two Years Ago: Crunchy-Topped Swiss Chicken Bake
Three Years Ago: Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 g) pumpkin puree (see note)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 ½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (see note above about oven temperature). Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla, pumpkin, and water, and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- The dough will be very soft. Use a spoon or cookie scoop (I use my #40 cookie scoop) to drop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are set but the middles are still a little bit soft. When the cookies come out of the oven, lightly tap or drop the cookie sheet on the counter (this helps the thinner/chewy factor of the cookies but you won’t get fired if you don’t do it). If the cookies were taken out while still soft in the center, they’ll flatten more as they cool. Let them cool 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- These cookies taste great the day of, even better the next day, and they freeze great!
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
80 Comments on “Amazing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies”
I have made these year after year and always have fantastic feedback. I love them because they aren’t cakey and are still moist and delicious!
Yes Mel these are THE ones! They came out like regular chocolate chip cookies, not the usual cake like pumpkin texture. Followed the recipe exactly with homemade pumpkin purée. Perfection..
These went flat on me and weren’t the texture I was hoping for. I have been wishing I could find a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with the texture of a regular chocolate chip cookie. Bummer. I’ll have to just keep my pumpkin in cakes
Yum! These are dangerously addictive.
I made these with leftover sweet potatoes and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. They were very tasty!
These cookies are perfect. I’ve never liked pumpkin cookies till now. Can I make this into cookie bars? Is there anything I should change in the recipe? (besides baking in a 9×13)
Yes, it’ll probably work – I modeled these pumpkin snickerdoodles off this recipe and they work great in bar form.
BROWN THE BUTTER and make these as fast as you can. Best cookies I have ever eaten.
We browned the butter and added a dash of ginger. Otherwise made as written above.
These cookies really are amazing. So much so that my DH, who has never liked pumpkin cookies, couldn’t stop eating them. The pumpkin flavor is mild, which is part of their appeal. And they aren’t cakey. Right out of the oven, they taste good. Once cooled, they are delicious. The next day, they are addictive. Thanks, Mel!
I doubled this recipe right out of the gate cause I knew it’d be a hit! I actually substituted coconut oil for the butter and they still turned out delicious 🙂
I just made these for the first time and they turned out delicious. I used gluten free flour and did the 1:1 method and they turned out perfect.
I made these cookies yesterday – half with white chocolate chips and half with dark chocolate chips. I was surprised by the absense of eggs in the receipe, but they turned out perfectly. They are soft and cakey, with wonderful flavor. Thanks for a great recipe!
these cookies are really good
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
I haven’t made them gluten free but you could try subbing in a 1:1 gluten free baking flour.
Mel.
I’m seriously throwing out all my other online pumpkin cookie recipes! Especially the ones that claim they will have crispy edges with a nice chewiness and they come out like mini muffins. Why didn’t I come to your site in the first place??? You’ve never let me down. I literally made a different recipe yesterday, TWICE, to see if it was too good to be true: A real, pumpkin chocolate chip cookie that looks like a regular chocolate chip cookie. They came out like muffins both times.
Then inspiration hit me and I checked your site to see if you had what I was looking for. Of course you did! From here on out I will always check your site first, pinky swear!
Your recipe is wonderful, perfectly seasoned and INGENIOUS that you left out the eggs which would have caused them to rise too much.
Thank you!
And, your buttery pull apart bread is divine. It tastes like a European croissant.
I just made this cookie and absolutely loved them. I had all the ingredients and it was super easy to make. I have devoured 4 or maybe 5 cookies. Thank you so much for sharing.
So happy you loved them!
These were crumptious and perfect for the upcoming fall weather (yes, I’m a month early– I just couldn’t wait!). I did multiply the ingredients by 1.67 to use the whole 15 oz can of pumpkin (which made about 5 dozen cookies– lots to share and freeze!).
I did need to bake them about 5 minutes longer to get the consistency described (used a rimmed baking sheet with silicone mats).
Thanks so much for the yummy recipe! It’s added to our rotation of cookie recipes– of which 90% come from this site!
YUM YUM YUM!!! These are perfect.
These cookies are ridiculously good. THANK YOU!
Delicious! These really hit the spot on this rainy fall afternoon!
Hi Mel…just checking in to see what you think about using dark brown sugar in this recipe. I have a bag I’m trying to use up, and it’s taking forever. 🙂 Thanks!
Yeah, I’d say go for it!
sub in half of the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips! LOVE these.
Are there reslly no eggs in this recipe?
Correct, there are no eggs.
Hi Mel –
I’ve probably asked you this on multiple occasions (Mom brain here!) but do you use unsalted butter?
Thanks!
Patricia Pines
That’s ok! I use salted butter.
Can I make the dough and freeze it to bake another time? I’m trying to get all my cookie doughs made ahead. I also found pumpkin chips- I think I may use half pumpkin and half chocolate chips!
Yum, that sounds awesome! I’ve only ever frozen these after they’ve been baked, but I suspect the dough would freeze just fine.
I made these a few weeks ago and they were fantastic! Loved the flavor and texture. I am wondering if anyone has made them with coconut oil instead of butter. I have a friend I’d love to share them with but she cannot have the dairy.
I have something I’m hoping you can help me with. I made this recipe once measuring my flour with the fluff, scoop, and level method- they turned out pretty close to your description. Delicious! Then I got my scale (yay!) and decided to make them again weighing my flour. Here’s where my question comes in… I made sure I was on the right unit and tested my measuring before I began. When I measured my flour it took 3 1/4 cups of very lightly measured flour to get to the 12.5 ounces on the recipe. My cookies were more cakey and I was so frustrated. My pumpkin and chocolate chips were pretty close to the cup measuements when I weighed them so I don’t know what went wrong with my flour. Now I’m nervous to use my scale again. Any insight would be great. I have the same brand scale as you, just a different model. Btw, I love your recipes and expertise!
That is odd, Bonnie! I don’t want you to be fearful of using your scale – it’s the only way to go! But I’m baffled how you could get a whole cup extra flour in there with only 12.5 ounces. Did you use the fluff, scoop and level when you weighed the ingredients, too? Any chance you accidentally hit the tare button somewhere in there?
I did fluff, scoop, level twice cause I thought I messed up. I only pushed the tare button after I put the empty bowl on the scale. I know it’s totally weird! Maybe I’ll return the scale and try a different one.
I made these tonight and they were an instant hit! They are my new favorite pumpkin cookie! Thanks!
These really were amazing! I followed the directions exactly and they turned out perfect. Just wishing I hadn’t made half a batch…..will be making them again soon!
I made these cookies over the weekend and they were wonderful! Froze part of the batch, and then got them out a couple of days later since the Hubby and I ate our way thru them. I did share with my youngest son, and he loved them also. Know I will make them again this weekend and I will try to share more!
Pumpkin puree comes in 15oz cans -what do you do with the excess puree not used in the recipe?
Save it for another recipe (it seems like this time of year I’m cooking a lot with pumpkin). You can also freeze it – or double the cookie recipe and use it up. 🙂
Loved these! Good thing we doubled them 🙂 they are great right out of the freezer a for better or for worse 🙂 I love Fall and Fall food. Thanks Mel!
We made these yesterday and wow. Just wow. That’s all I have to say.
I made three batches of these this past weekend. OH MY GOSH! One was as written, one was a combo of dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, and one was with extra dark chunks and sub rum extract for vanilla. Seriously addicting. Thank you for making a delicious chewy pumpkin recipe! The extras went in my freezer, but I will be making more this coming weekend!
I was just going to ask about the #20 cookie scoop. I used my #24 scoop and they took a lot longer than 11 min to cook. They are still delicious, but I was wondering if I had done something wrong. I am so relieved it was just a typo. It was kind of fun, actually. I made some with my #24, #30 and #40 scoop to see what we liked best. For myself I prefer the #40 cookies, so I can have more, but we like to make giant cookies to give to friends and neighbors. Mel, I love you and your website!! Thanks for another winner!
Is there anything better than pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in the fall? I’m going to have to make these when we get home from vacation next week!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I love the video !!
Mel,
Is it a typo in the recipe to use a #20 cookie scoop? I used mine and it made some really jumbo cookies that I’ve already had in the oven for almost twenty minutes trying to get them to cook all the way through. I just watched your video and it doesn’t look like a #20. Thanks.
Hey Jessica – oh man, I’m SO sorry about that! I just double checked and you are right…it should be the #40 cookie scoop. I hate it when that happens…I hope it didn’t mess up your cookies too badly. I just fixed the recipe. Again, I apologize!
Thanks, they still turned out good.
I made these yesterday and the flavor was wonderful but mines were very soft and puffy. I measured the flour but it could have been due to the sugar I used. I didn’t have enough granulated sugar ,so I used 1 cup of light brown sugar and half cup of white sugar. Still delicious! And the kids devoured them in less than 24 hours!
We loved these!!! I did have to bake them much longer to get the texture you described, but it was worth it! Thanks for all the delicious recipes!
Mel, I made these cookies yesterday with my 4 year old and they were so delicious!!! Bonus, there are no eggs in them (she has an egg allergy), so she got to eat them too! Great recipe!
Mel! Thank you so SO much! My daughter has an egg allergy and it’s been difficult to find yummy egg free chocolate chip cookie recipes, but this is definitely a winner (esp with pumpkin). You’re so awesomeeeeee!
No egg….that is awesome for me as my youngest is allergic to eggs!! He’s also allergic to wheat so I’m going to try it with a wheat/gluten free flour blend. If it works this could be a great cookie recipe for people with food allergies. It doesn’t hurt that I love anything with pumpkin in it :). Keep up your great work Mel. I’ve loved every recipe that I’ve made from your website. Also, even though I know it’s not your intention, since you don’t use highly processed ingredients, I can easily adapt many of your recipes for my child with multiple food allergies. Thank you!!
I’m crossing my fingers this cookie is perfect for your child! I bow down to any mom who works around food allergies on a daily basis!
Just wanted to let you know, I used the Gluten Free Girl flour blend and subbed exact for weight. It worked like a dream. Chewy and crispy cookies (I overbaked just a tad) and they were fantastic. Just make sure to ziploc them or something. The ones I didn’t put in a ziploc turned into little rocks, but the rest were still just as crisp/chewy.
For a child with food allergies, I made these with King Arthur’s multi-purpose gluten free flour, 1/2 t of xanthan gum, Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips and Farmer’s Market organic pumpkin. I did not add the water. They turned out great and are still chewy three days after being made.
Making these for my daughter who has an egg allergy! Thanks for the recipe!
Sooooo……I know I’ve never met you and probably never will. But I feel like we are FRIENDS! I am on your website, or talking you up to my friends and other people who cook (pretty much everyone!!) and I just have to say that I have so grateful for your website! You have changed my life. You have turned the drudgery of motherhood “what’s for dinner” into a favorite part of my family’s day! Let’s see what awesome flavor combinations you came up with today! EVERY SINGLE recipe I have ever tried has turned out exactly like you said, and I anticipated. I am so so so so thankful for you! I feed 4 growing and hungry teenagers and I feel like time at the kitchen table should be something they look forward to. They are always so gracious and grateful, and I love it! I love all your side notes and antics, it is what makes me feel like we are friends. I LOVE to talk to you up to my friends. THANK YOU
Julie! That was the nicest comment ever and means so much that you took the time to let me know. Seriously! Thank you, thank you. Totally makes the work of blogging worth it.
I doubled the recipe and only used the 15 oz can because i didn’t want to open a new one just for 3 oz , so my cookies turn out puffy . I didn’t change anything else. Should i decrease the flour probably? Would that be a reason?
Yes, with the decreased pumpkin, even the 3 ounces, I bet the flour needs to be reduced (or maybe a couple tablespoons of additional water used). It’s a little annoying that a double batch doesn’t use just one can of pumpkin but this is the best ratio I could get for a perfect cookie.
Even though they were puffy, they are The Best punpkin cookies ever!!! I don’t like how the other cakey kind gets mushy on top after a day or two. This ones, not a problem. I found my favorite one! Thanks Mel!!!
How easy would it be to adjust the recipe to use a full 15 oz can of pumpkin puree? I hate to throw the rest away because I know I won’t get around to using it somewhere else.
Hey Danielle – I know it’s kind of a pain to just use 1 cup of pumpkin…I have made this recipe dozens and dozens of times and the ingredient lineup is the best way to get that perfect texture. You could try doubling the recipe to use the whole can but you’ll want to decrease the flour or add additional water. I haven’t tested it that way but Jocy, in the comments, did that – her cookies turned out puffy so that’s why I suggest reducing flour, etc.
I have had success adding a little applesauce to make up for the scant second cup of pumpkin in those 15 oz. cans. I haven’t tried that in this recipe, but I’ve used it in pumpkin pancakes and don’t notice the difference. It could possibly affect the texture in these cookies though, but it’s such a small amount it might be worth a try! You might also try reducing the water by a tablespoon or so.
And Mel, I made these today and they were delish! I loved the texture, especially after they were completely cooled! I took them to a party (because trying new recipes is always best when you’re planning to give them to other people…….) and they were all gone by the end! I also love Laurie’s pumpkin cookie recipe from Simple Scratch–she uses oats and flax seed and they are so good! They also have less of the cakey texture. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Danielle– I also wanted to use the whole can, so I experimented a little. I emptied the 15-oz can into a saucepan and stirred over low heat to cook out some of the moisture (I managed to get it down to about 12oz before I lost patience). I also replaced 1/2 cup of the flour with coconut flour, which is “thirsty” and absorbs extra moisture. They turned out really good! I also think using the full can packed some extra pumpkin flavor into the dough.
These were so good! Mine were a little puffy (maybe too much flour?) but the flavor was amazing. I may never make the traditional pumpkin cookies again. Thanks, Mel!
Glad to hear it Sherry! Did you weigh the ingredients by any chance? If not, it might have been too much flour – even a couple tablespoons extra flour will make these cookies a bit puffy (although I agree, the flavor is delicious!). Also, make sure they don’t overbake!
Haha, not only did I not weigh the flour, I let my 3-year-old help measure it, so that was probably a contributing factor. I’m trying to be less of a control freak when it comes to letting my kiddos help in the kitchen. How do you handle things when Cam’s helping you? Is she able to actually measure things at her age, or does she just get to dump in what you measure out? My life goal is to have my kids bake me cookies someday, so eating some slightly-puffy but still delicious cookies is a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
Haha, we have the same life goals! I agree that letting go of control is important. When I’m testing a recipe for the blog, cam helps stir but I do the specific measuring but when we’re all cooking together, I do a lot of internal self talk about how the finished product doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s not always easy but I want my kids to build confidence in the kitchen…hard to do with a control freak mom like me.
I’ve never been a fan of the fluffy cakey pumpkin cookies so these are right up my alley! I can’t wait to try them! Loved the video too.
Ooh, yum! I bought some from Aldi’s the other day and they were so soft and chewy! This came at the right time; can’t wait to make it. Your recipes never disappoint! Nice editing on the video!
These are already out of the oven… so yummy! I love the texture. I’m not a huge fan of puffy pumpkin cookies, which is why I tried these right away. Thanks, Mel! Also making your Curried Lentil Soup for tonight’s dinner. Thanks for the awesome recipes!
I love how quick you are, Alicia! Glad they worked out for you (and oh my, that soup is one of my faves).
No eggs!?
Yep, no eggs! That’s what helps them avoid a lot of the puffy, cakey texture so they are softer and thinner.
Love the video. How did you know cooking videos are the only thing that make laundry folding sufferable. Lol
“Cookie Dough Rebels.” Hilarious. That is me with every single cookie dough recipe. Thanks for the validation 🙂
These look so good! I already have about a dozen pumpkin recipes on my baking list for this fall. I clearly have to make room to add these too. Can’t wait to try them!