The absolute best chocolate chip pumpkin cookies around! They are easy to make, soft, moist, and so delicious! Packed with chocolate chips, these cookies are the perfect pumpkin flavored sweet treat!
It's finally pumpkin season and that means it's time for fall baking and everything pumpkin spice. And these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are out-of-this-world delicious!
I've been working on fall baking recipes and making all kinds of amazing cinnamon and spice recipes, like these Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches, this Apple Pumpkin Spice Cake with Butter Rum Glaze, Homemade Pumpkin Bread, and these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Oh, and I love these Pumpkin Almond Waffles...they are perfect for breakfast in the fall season!
And if you're all about baking right now and looking for an amazing chocolate chip pumpkin cookies recipe, then look no further. These are super easy to make and a guaranteed crowd pleaser! I can't keep these around for more than about 6 hours. They are that good! My husband, kids, and all their friends snatch these up and leave me with the crumbs. Which is fine because I'll just make another batch! These chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are that easy to make!
Each batch yields 12 soft and slightly fluffy cookies. Not "cake like" cookies, but more like soft chocolate chip cookies. Not only are they great to enjoy in your home, but these cookies are perfect for a bake sale or if you are participating in a cookie exchange!
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ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
1. Both soft and fluffy, these easy to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies only take 25 minutes, start to finish!
2. They taste exactly like chocolate chip cookies with a subtle hint of pumpkin, cinnamon, and clove.
3. There is no need to chill the cookie dough or use a rolling pin. Just mix the ingredients, scoop, flatten with your hands, and bake!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour - use all-purpose flour, not self rising.
- Baking Soda - helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
- Butter - use either salted or unsalted butter that is softened or at room temperature. Salted butter helps cut some of the sweetness in the cookies since there is no added salt in the ingredient list.
- Brown Sugar - adds a rich flavor to every bite. Make sure the brown sugar is soft with no hard clumps. For more of a toffee flavor, use dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar also works well.
- Egg - both a binding and leavening agent.
- Vanilla Extract - enhances the flavor.
- Pumpkin puree - a key ingredient that adds the pumpkin flavor, as well as adds a ton of moisture making these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies soft and slightly fluffy.
- Spices - ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are incorporated to infuse the flavors of the fall season.
- Chocolate Chips - use semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
📋 Variations
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - You can substitute pumpkin pie spice instead of using ground ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pumpkin pie spice contains all of those ingredients with the addition of clove and allspice. This will slightly enhance the flavor.
- Flavored Morsels - try substituting the chocolate morsels with white chocolate chips, butterscotch, or dark chocolate morsels. If you want to a bit of mint flavor, try using mint chocolate morsels or cut up Andes mints. For even more chocolate, add chunks!
- Nuts - add pecan or walnut chips for an added crunch. Fold these in when you add the morsels. Macadamia nuts also work really well in this recipe.
- Cream Cheese Swirl - Incorporate a cream cheese swirl into the cookie dough to create pockets of tangy creaminess that balance the sweetness of the chocolate and pumpkin.
- Top with Extra Morsels - adding extra chocolate morsels on top after flattening the cookie really brings out the chocolate flavors.
👩🏼🍳 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with Parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with a handheld or standing mixer for 1 minute on low speed. Add the brown sugar and mix until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add in the egg and vanilla extract and increase to a medium speed until all ingredients are well combined, about 30 seconds.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tip: Use a room temperature egg and butter for smooth and well blended cookie dough.
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Step 4: Then, mix in the pumpkin puree.
Step 5: Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Step 6: Add the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix on low speed with a handheld or standing mixer until all ingredients are well combined.
Step 7: Gently fold in the chocolate chip morsels with a large spoon or spatula.
Step 8: Using a small cookie dough scoop, place a scoop of the cookie dough (about 2 Tablespoons) on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 9: Bake the cookies for 15 minute. Once done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and then allow the chocolate chip pumpkin cookies to cool on a wire cooling rack.
These soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are delightful served with a tall glass of milk, hot tea, or a cup of coffee! With just a hint of pumpkin spice, you'll enjoy every bite!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQs
Have you ever made cookies and wondered why they flatten and spread? It could be because the baking soda is no longer active. Laura over at Joy Food Sunshine advises, "even if the date on the container checks out, it still might not be good. Here's how you test if your baking soda is active:
- Combine ½ cup of hot water, ¼ teaspoon white vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
- When you add the baking soda, a reaction should take place immediately. If not, then you need new baking soda."
I don't recommend it. Fresh pumpkin puree lacks the sweetness and spices these cookies need. Canned pumpkin puree contains the perfect flavor and consistency this recipe needs.
Yes! Just make sure you bring the dough back to room temperature before baking the cookies. The same goes with freezing. You can freeze this cookie dough for up to 3 months. Make sure you bring the dough to room temperature before baking.
Yes! You can make these using a gluten free flour and no one will ever know they're gluten free. Just substitute 1 cup of gluten free flour instead of using regular flour.
💭 Expert Tips
- There is no need to chill the cookie dough. While some cookie dough recipes need to be chilled, this one doesn't. When you chill cookie dough, the fat becomes more of a solid. When you bake chilled cookie dough, it takes longer to melt the fat. The longer it takes the fat to melt, the less the cookies will spread. And you want these cookies to spread just a little.
- If you are using a standing mixer that accommodates different attachments, use the paddle attachment for mixing both the wet ingredients and then when mixing the wet and dry ingredients together. This method reduces the amount of air that gets into the cookie batter.
- Once you place the cookie dough on the cookie sheet, take your fingers and gently push down on the dough. These cookies are going to spread when baking so flattening them before helps keep that cookie shape in place.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Don’t grease the cookie sheet because the cookies will spread and brown too much. For easy clean up and less mess, parchment paper is best. Or, if you have a baking mat, use it.
- When the chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are finished baking, the centers will be soft to the touch. This is normal. They will continue to bake as they cool.
- Don't store leftover cookies in a container with a tight lid. They tend to get too soft and a bit soggy. Try storing these on a plate at room temperature with aluminum foil, saran wrap, or in a brown paper bag.
🍨 More Desserts You'll Enjoy
If you tried these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened or at room temperature
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix ¼ cup of softened butter with a standing mixer for 1 minute. Important Note: The butter needs to be softened just a bit so it mixes easily.
- Add ⅓ cup of brown sugar and mix on low speed until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the egg and vanilla into the mixture on medium speed until all ingredients are well combined. Then, mix in ¼ cup pumpkin puree.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon , and ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg with a whisk.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well combined. Fold in the ½ cup of chocolate chip morsels with a large spoon or spatula.
- With a cookie scoop, place about 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough on the baking sheet and flatten with your fingers.
- Bake for 15 minute. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Gluten free version - if you want to make a gluten free version of this cookie recipe, just substitute 1 cup of gluten free flour instead of the all purpose flour. Use the same measurements mentioned in the recipe card.
- Don't chill the cookie dough - while some cookie dough recipes need to be chilled, this one doesn't. When you chill cookie dough, the fat becomes more of a solid. When you bake chilled cookie dough, it takes longer to melt the fat. The longer it takes the fat to melt, the less the cookies spread. And you want these cookies to spread.
- Use the paddle attachment - if you are using a standing mixer that accommodates different attachments, use the paddle attachment for mixing both the wet ingredients and the wet and dry ingredients together. This method reduces the amount of air that gets into the cookie batter.
- Flatten the dough - once you place the cookie dough, take your fingers and gently push down on the dough. These cookies are going to spread when baking so flattening them before helps keep that cookie shape in place.
- Use parchment paper - it just makes your life easier when baking cookies. Easy clean up and no mess. There is no need to grease a cookie sheet. Plus, it helps preserve the life of your baking sheet. Or, if you have a baking mat, use it.
- Get creative - this recipe is super versatile. Add some nuts or use a white chocolate or dark chocolate morsel. I like to add extra chocolate morsels on top after I've flattened the cookie. I also like using chunks. Chocolate chunk cookies are divine. Have some fun!
- Storage - I don’t like storing these cookies in a container with a tight lid. The cookies tend to get soggy. My preference is storing these on a plate with aluminum foil or in a brown paper bag.
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Alice
Would it be the same with pumpkin spice?
Amanda Mason
Similar enough. If that is all you have, give it a go! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Jane Saunders
It's hard to go wrong with these cookies as your instructions are so clear. Perfection.
Amanda Mason
Thanks Jane!! Enjoy!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli
Pumpkin and chocolate, you definitely can't go wrong with this combo, plus they have a soft texture. Perfect!
Amanda Mason
Thanks Loreta! So glad to hear you loved the cookies!