Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are an extra soft and moist, almost cake-like, cookie with lots of chocolate chips.
The addition to pumpkin makes baking extra moist in pumpkin bread, muffins, and more. These cookies have the perfect amount of pumpkin, a big dose of chocolate and a little pumpkin spice and everything nice.
You’ll Love These Extra Soft Cookies
- They’re made with simple pantry ingredients and a can of pumpkin puree.
- Super soft and extra moist, these are almost cake-like. Perfect for snacking or with a coffee or tea.
- Make the dough and freeze it to bake them fresh anytime you’d like.
Ingredients
DOUGH: The basic ingredients for the cookie dough are just like most cookies with butter, flour, baking powder and sugar.
PUMPKIN: Pumpkin puree can be found in the bakery aisle or with the canned fruits. It is sold as pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin. (Be careful not to buy pumpkin pie filling.)
Pumpkin Puree can also be made from scratch. If making homemade, be sure to allow time for it to drain well as homemade tends to have more moisture.
SPICE: The basic ingredients for this spice is nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. This spice can be purchased at the store or make homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
EVERYTHING NICE: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips but milk chocolate or chocolate chunks are great in these cookies too.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
When taken out of the oven, they should be just slightly underdone in the center and lightly browned on the bottom. This will produce a softer cookie.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla in a bowl (per the recipe below).
- Mix in pumpkin puree and egg. Add dry ingredients.
- Fold chocolate chips into the pumpkin mixture.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop onto an ungreased baking sheet.
- Gently press the cookies and bake.
Perfect Pumpkin Cookies
- Drain the pumpkin well by placing it in a strainer, this produces a better texture.
- Ensure the cookies don’t overcook or they won’t be moist.
- Fold the chocolate chips just until mixed.
- Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before eating.
Storing Cookies
Once the cookies have finished cooling, place them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Just like in a Banana Cookie, pumpkin adds moisture to these. It is important to keep in mind that these cookies will change texture to be a little bit more cake-like if stored in an airtight container (similar to Banana Bread that gets moister after it sits).
Place parchment paper between the layers in the container so they don’t stick together. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies can be frozen either before or after baking, making this the perfect cookie for make-ahead treats!
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
- The Best Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes – Like eating dessert for breakfast!
- Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins – Perfect with coffee.
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Dip – Reader favorite
- Creamy Pumpkin Oatmeal– healthy and so delish!
Did you love these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup butter slightly softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line a strainer with paper towel and place pumpkin in the strainer to drain any moisture, about 5 minutes.
- While pumpkin is draining, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice in bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Add drained pumpkin puree and egg and mix well.
- Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture then add the chocolate chips until fully incorporated.
- Using a 1 ½ tablespoon scoop, drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Press cookies down slightly then bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cookies, Dessert, Party Food
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This cookies are light and fluffy and addictive. Everyone in my family loved them and they are critics. Not a strong pumpkin flavor just a hint and not sweet at all. Its a cross between a cookie and a cake. Everyone that tasted it gave it ten stars and want them back for Thanksgiving( its the first day of Autumn here in NY thats why I made them!) A perfect ten.
We are so happy your family loved the cookies, Sophia! Thanks for leaving a review :)
Could this recipe be used for a cookie cake!?
I’ve only made the recipe as written. Sounds delicious, please let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Absolutely love these they are delicious thanks for the recipe!
Hi! Can I use salted butter? If so should I skip the salt or still add it?
If you use salted butter I would suggest skipping the additional salt.
I love this recipe, easy to make. I only added a cup of chocolate chips. My husband loved. My aunt made pumpkin puree and I was excited to find a recipe for. I came across this site. My first time. I will be back “Thank You” can’t wait to make another double batch.
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies Deb!
Hi Holly,
Sorry if this is a silly question but how big are your cups? I’m used to working with ounces.. thanks!
1 cup = 8 liquid ounces Anna. Hope that helps!
Can these cookies be frozen after they are baked?
Hi Irene, you can freeze Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies either before or after baking!
My cookies are abit dry and not chewy in center. Used less choc chips and used Sugar in the Raw. Would these factors be a contributor? Also live at 4500 feet in SLC utah?? Anyway still taste great!
Sorry to hear that Barbara, glad you still enjoyed them. I have never baked with Sugar in the raw so I am not sure if that is what is causing the issue.
Just finished making these cookies and WOW! Forgot pumpkin spice and all I had was cinnamon and nutmeg. These cookies turned out great and are delicious! Thank you!!! Mmmm!!!
So happy to hear that Stephanie! We love these cookies too.
I don’t have any pumpkin spice. Can I sub nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon that I would use in a pie?
You sure can! You can just add a little of each or use this homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe.
I think next time I will use less salt. I’m used to an 1/8 of a teaspoon. This was a little too much for my liking, but Overall a very DELICIOUS Cookie!!! I used extra spices as well it really made a difference.
I am so glad you enjoyed it Becky despite being a little saltier than what your palette prefers!
We had a beautiful fall day here last weekend in Portland and I just had to have all the things fall… bought a PSL at the Starbucks, slow cooked a beef bourgignon stew in the crockpot and I just needed a pumpkin/cinnamon/spice dessert and I thought cookies would be easy and delicious. Stumbled on this recipe. BOY HOWDY am I glad I did. I have since (6 days!) made 5 batches of these cookies and take them to work or other meetings and they don’t last 15 minutes. I mean, when I get in a baking kick, I bake a lot of cookies and cakes, etc. They’re always well received, but these FLY out of whatever container they’re in… and not just into my belly! I skip the referigeration and the press-down steps, use a cookie scoop and plop straight into the oven for 11-12 minutes. They are perfect, and cakey, and have that pumpkin tang with a bit of cinnamon, ginger, and clove that leave your mouth dancing. THANK YOU. My favorite cookie recipe… and for me that’s HIGH praise. Cheers from the Pacific Northwest!
I think you just described my perfect fall day Joshua! PSL’s, a delicious fall meal, and all the pumpkin baking!! So happy to hear everyone is loving them, including you! Thanks for sharing! Happy Fall!
Can I make these cookies with fresh pumpkin?I live in Europe and Have no access to canned pumpkin puree .
Thanks
Fresh pumpkin should work perfectly Benny! You can follow this homemade pumpkin puree recipe to make your own!
How long can the dough go in the freezer before spoiling?
The dough should last 4-6 months in the freezer. It may last even longer if well packaged. Enjoy Charity!
I added some dried sweetened cranberries (craisens ) for the last few cookies that didn’t get chocolate chips mixed in. Wow, these taste great. May substitute that next time for all the chocolate chips!
Delicious! I had some extra Libbys pumpkin pie filling left over from making a pumpkin loaf, cookies turned out perfect. I really like how fluffy they turned out.
I’m so glad you loved them Donna!
I made these cookies six years ago when my son was a baby and they were delicious then. I was a little worried they wouldn’t taste the same as I am not an avid baker, but my son and I made them last night and they were exactly the same. I absolutely Love them. I want to make more but I am out of butter, can I substitute vegetable oil? I really really love these.
I’ve never tried it, but I’d suggest trying shortening or or coconut oil. Let us know how it works out for you!
My cookies turned more into cookie puffs that tasted like muffins instead of the chewy cookies that show in the pictures I was hoping for. The taste is great but the texture is disappointing. I would recommend doing half the amount of baking powder and baking soda to get the chewy goodness.
Because of the moisture in the pumpkin, that is the texture that is expected. I do mention in the post that they can become more cake like.
OMG the best cookies I have ever made. Seriously. Do you have a similar Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe?
So glad you loved it Cassandra! Yes, you can find my Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe here!
375 degrees for 15 minutes was too long. Try lower temperature for longer (-:
Agreed. Will try for 10-12 minutes