Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe tastes like a cozy slice of pumpkin pie collided with a soft chocolate chip cookie in the best way possible, and it suits busy bakers who want a fall treat on the table in about 35 minutes. This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe works well for after-school snacks, bake sales, or late-night “just one more cookie” cravings. I tested this version so many times that my neighbors now judge seasons by when my kitchen starts to smell like pumpkin spice.

Why You Should Try This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies bake up soft, thick, and cake-like with chewy edges and melty chocolate pockets in every bite. Warm spices highlight the pumpkin flavor without turning the cookies into spice bombs.

You mix the dough in one bowl, skip the mixer if you want, and chill time stays short. The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, so you probably own most of what you need already.

“These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies taste like fall in every bite and stay soft for days, which made my family suspicious of how fast the batch vanished. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Use a standard unbleached flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal for consistent texture.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • Use real butter, not margarine, for best flavor.
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s works great, but any thick brand works.

Mix-ins

• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • Use mini chips if you want more chocolate in every bite.
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
  • Nuts add crunch, but you can skip them for nut-free cookies.

Optional finishing touches

• Extra chocolate chips to press on top before baking
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on warm cookies

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Cookie scoop or tablespoon
• Cooling rack

Tips & Tricks

• Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture and keep the cookies thick and chewy.
• Melt the butter, then let it cool until just warm so it does not scramble the sugars or make the dough greasy.
• Whisk dry ingredients thoroughly so the baking soda and spices distribute evenly.
• Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes so the cookies hold shape and do not spread too much.
• Use a cookie scoop for even sizes, which helps every cookie bake at the same rate.
• Press a few chocolate chips on top of each dough ball before baking for that bakery-style look.
• Pull the cookies from the oven when the edges look set but the centers still look slightly soft, since they continue to firm up on the pan.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before moving them to a rack so they do not fall apart.
• If you want less cake-like cookies, reduce pumpkin puree to 1/2 cup and add 1 egg yolk.
• Use mini chocolate chips and smaller scoops for kid-size lunchbox cookies.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Prep the pans and ingredients

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set them aside.
Measure the pumpkin puree, then pat it with paper towels to remove some moisture.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, then let it cool to just warm.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt.
Break up any spice clumps with the whisk so everything blends evenly.
Set this bowl aside so you can add it in one go later.

Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture looks smooth and slightly thick.
Add the vanilla and whisk again.
Stir in the pumpkin puree until the mixture looks uniform and silky.

Step 4: Bring the dough together

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until no dry flour streaks remain.
Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using, until they spread evenly through the dough.

Step 5: Chill the dough

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
This short chill time helps the flour hydrate and keeps the cookies thick.
If the dough chills longer and feels very firm, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.

Step 6: Scoop and shape

Preheat your oven to 350°F while the dough chills.
Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Gently mound the dough into tall scoops rather than flat discs to encourage thicker cookies.

Step 7: Add toppings

Press a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of each dough ball.
If you like a salty-sweet contrast, plan to sprinkle flaky sea salt after baking, not before.
Work quickly so the dough stays cool.

Step 8: Bake the cookies

Place one baking sheet in the center of the oven.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set and the tops look slightly dry but the centers still look soft.
Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven heats unevenly.

Step 9: Cool and finish

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt over each cookie, if using.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so they firm up.
Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely, or eat one warm while the chocolate still melts.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Serve these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with a cold glass of milk, oat milk, or almond milk for a classic combo. A mug of hot cocoa, chai latte, or spiced herbal tea pairs nicely with the warm spices in the cookies. You can crumble a cookie over vanilla or pumpkin ice cream for a quick dessert that tastes like a fall sundae. Kids also love these cookies tucked into lunchboxes with apple slices or a banana on the side.

Storage Options

• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days; slip in a slice of bread to keep them soft.
• Keep the container in the fridge for up to 1 week if your kitchen runs warm, and let cookies sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before eating.
• Freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months, with parchment between layers to prevent sticking.
• Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray until firm, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies taste like a cozy slice of pumpkin pie collided with a soft chocolate chip cookie, perfect for quick fall baking, after-school snacks, or late-night cravings.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings: 24

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, blotted to remove excess moisture
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
• extra chocolate chips, for topping
• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on warm cookies

Instructions

 

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Measure the pumpkin puree, then pat it with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Melt the butter and let it cool until just warm.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and slightly thick. Whisk in the vanilla, then stir in the pumpkin puree until the mixture is uniform and silky.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together just until no dry flour streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using, until evenly distributed.
5. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes to help the cookies stay thick. If the dough chills longer and becomes very firm, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.
6. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gently mound the dough into tall scoops rather than flat discs.
7. Press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each dough mound. Work quickly so the dough stays cool. Reserve flaky sea salt for sprinkling after baking, if using.
8. Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges look set and the tops appear slightly dry while the centers still look soft. Rotate the pan halfway through baking if needed.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if desired, sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt over each warm cookie. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely or enjoy warm while the chocolate is still melty.

Notes

Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 1 week and let sit at room temperature before serving, or freeze baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months.

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 cookie (24 cookies total): 150–170 calories; fat 8 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 22 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 14 g; protein 2 g; sodium 85 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients, brands, and portion size.