Soft Pumpkin Cookies

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Super big, chewy and soft, muffin-top like pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies that taste like they are straight from a bakery! These bakery-style pumpkin cookies are made in ONE bowl! Recipe via chelseasmessyapron.com

Soft Pumpkin Cookies– reminiscent of a muffin top dotted with pools of melty chocolate! These cookies taste like they are straight from a bakery and can be whipped together in one bowl.

If you’re hoping for pumpkin cookies without chocolate chips, these Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting are every bit as soft and thick.

Soft pumpkin cookies on a plate with warm, melting chocolate chips, delicious and ready to be eaten.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Last year, I worked hard to perfect a pumpkin cookie recipe with the texture of classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. After much experimentation, I created Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. These offer the rich flavors of pumpkin pie in a cookie that’s soft and chewy with crisp edges.

These cookies stand out from the usual varieties. They’re thick, chewy, soft, and cake-like, much like a muffin top. This recipe echoes the Soft Pumpkin Cookies my mom made during my childhood. While they might not fit the traditional cookie definition, they’re one of my favorite fall treats. If you’re a fan of thick, soft pumpkin cookies with chocolate, this recipe is for you!

Measuring and mixing wet and dry ingredients, adding dry ingredients on top, stirring everything together, rolling out the dough, and baking.

Ingredients

  • Canned Pumpkin: Provides moisture and pumpkin flavor, contributing to the cookie’s soft texture.
  • White Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Both sugars sweeten the cookies. Brown sugar adds moisture and a slight caramel-like flavor.
  • Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture and helps create a tender crumb.
  • Egg: Acts as a binder, giving structure to the cookies.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances flavor.
  • Ground Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice: These spices add warmth and depth, complementing the pumpkin flavor.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents help the cookies rise and become fluffy.
  • White Flour: Provides structure to the cookies.
  • Chocolate Chips (Both Miniature and Regular): Add texture and chocolatey flavor.
  • Optional Food Dye: Enhances the color, making the cookies look more like pumpkins.

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!

Delicious soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack.

How To Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies

  1. Mix Wet Ingredients: Combine canned pumpkin, white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, an egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth. Add food dye if desired for a darker color.
  2. Add Dry Ingredients: Add ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and both types of chocolate chips. Mix until just combined; the dough will be wet and sticky.
  3. Chill Dough: Optionally, chill the dough for easier handling and enhanced flavor.
  4. Bake: Preheat the oven and line a baking tray. Scoop balls of dough onto the tray and bake.
  5. Add Chocolate Chips: Press extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the hot cookies.
  6. Cool and Enjoy: Let the cookies cool briefly on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. For a fudgy texture, chill the baked cookies. Enjoy your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Finished desserts fresh out of the oven with a bite taken out, revealing the fluffy interior with chocolate chips.

STORAGE

Storage Tips

Storing Baked Cookies: Freeze Soft Pumpkin Cookies instead of storing at room temperature. Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper layers for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for serving.

Freezing Unbaked Cookies: Freeze dough balls on a sheet pan, then store in an airtight container with parchment paper for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding extra time, or thaw in the fridge. This allows for quick, fresh baking.

Use Leftover Pumpkin In These

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Soft Pumpkin Cookies

5 from 13 votes
Soft Pumpkin Cookies, reminiscent of a muffin top dotted with pools of melty chocolate! These cookies taste like they are straight from a bakery and can be whipped together in one bowl.
Soft pumpkin cookies on a plate with warm, melting chocolate chips, delicious and ready to be eaten.
Print Recipe

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Soft pumpkin cookies on a plate with warm, melting chocolate chips, delicious and ready to be eaten.
5 from 13 votes
Soft Pumpkin Cookies, reminiscent of a muffin top dotted with pools of melty chocolate! These cookies taste like they are straight from a bakery and can be whipped together in one bowl.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Dough 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings 54
Chelsea Lords
Calories 120kcal
Cost $4.52

Ingredients

  • 1 cup canned pumpkin, not an entire can
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • ½ 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
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups white flour
  • 1 cup semi-sweet miniature chocolate chips, divided
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • Optional: red or orange food dye

Instructions

  • WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, add in ONE CUP of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling and not an entire can of pumpkin), white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, the egg, and vanilla. Mix until completely smooth. If desired, add in the food dye. This will give you a darker more "pumpkin-looking" cookie. (The photos in the post have 3 drops of orange food coloring.) Mix until completely smooth.
  • DRY INGREDIENTS: Without stirring in between these additions, add in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, ¾ cup miniature chocolate chips, and regular chocolate chips. Mix by hand or with an electric hand mixer until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough is wet, thick, and sticky!
  • CHILL DOUGH: Cover tightly and chill the dough for 30 minutes up to 10 hours. Chilling is not necessary but it makes the dough easier to work with and intensifies flavors.
  • BAKE: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large tray with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out balls of dough. Each cookie should be about 1 tablespoon in size. Once dough is in the tablespoon measuring spoon, use a small spoon to scoop it out of that onto the lined 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 the remaining 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips to press a few more chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies straight out of the oven.
  • ENJOY: Let cookies stand on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes before using a spatula to transfer the cookies from tray to cooling rack. Repeat the baking process with the rest of the 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 the cooked cookies in the fridge -- delish!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Spice: We like a mild amount of spice in these pumpkin cookies. If you'd prefer more, use another teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or an additional 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
 Storage: Soft Pumpkin Cookies do not store well at room temperature. Because of the canned pumpkin and the oil, these cookies tend to get wet and sticky when kept at room temperature for more than a day. We prefer baking what will be eaten the same day and then freezing the unbaked dough (see next note). However if there are baked cookies that won't be finished, I've found it's best to freeze them after the first day. Put the completely cooled (and baked) cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for 2-3 months and bring back to room temperature by warming one in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
Freezing the unbaked dough: Place the cookie dough balls on a large sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight container/bag separated by parchment paper (so they don't all stick together in one clump) and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: You can bake cookies straight from the freezer; just add 1-3 minutes onto the cooking time (or thaw the dough in the fridge and bake according to directions).

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 697IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




47 Comments

  1. 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!!

    1. 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!

  2. 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 ?!

    1. I haven’t tested other alternatives, but you could likely use another oil and get the same results. Enjoy!

  3. 5 stars
    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

    1. 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 🙂

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 5 stars
    I made these wonderful cookies tonight with a few substitutions you may be interested in… for the oil I used coconut oil softened/melted in the microwave. I doubled the cinnamon to 2 teaspoons… and instead of food coloring, I added 1 teaspoon of turmeric! It enhanced to color and added a nice spice note to the blend.

  7. 5 stars
    I made these the other day with my two little girls and we LOVE them. Even my husband, who doesn’t usually like sweets or pumpkin, ate a bunch of them. This is officially my go-to recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Thanks!

  8. 5 stars
    These were delicious! I especially liked the taste of milk and semi sweet chips in them, and even decided to add in some white chips, too! I loved them with the three kinds of chips (and every bite was full of them!) but white chip haters (like my daughter) will be happy with just the two other kinds. These were divine frosted with cinnamon cream cheese icing, which you can find on Chelsea’s Pumpkin Cupcakes recipe. Also, I wanted to make these really small to have along with several other desserts at a bridal shower. I needed them even smaller than my smallest cookie scoop would do, so ended up using a melon baller to scoop out the batter, then another spoon to get it out of the melon baller. It was a little tedious, as the dough is pretty sticky, but they were just the right size that way! I did wet my hands with cold water (you just want them damp so your hands don’t stick to the dough) to shape them a little rounder before I baked them, so they were more uniform in shape without jagged edges. They needed to bake for 8-9 minutes at that size.

  9. Has anyone tried to freeze these after they’re baked? Wondering if I can make these ahead of time and then bring them out day of. Thank you!

  10. 5 stars
    I literally cannot believe how amazing these cookies were! This was the first ever healthier alternative dessert I’ve had that actually tasted like real cookies. Recommend to everyone!

  11. 5 stars
    Love these cookies and have been making them for years!! Random question – Did the recipe change recently by chance? I was positive that these were large cookies and you scooped like 1/4 cup instead of 1 teaspoon. I have this saved on Pinterest so maybe it changed?

    1. Hey Brittany! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! I did update it after lots of testing and found they were the absolute best a bit smaller! 🙂

  12. Hey I love this recipe but always get a little confused because when I make it I’m not sure what flour you mean. Do you mean all purpose or am I supposed to use white whole wheat flour. If you could respond I’d really appreciate.

    1. 5 stars
      I just made these with whole grain Cup4Cup (gf flour), subbed applesauce for the oil & added 1/4 tsp additional pumpkin pie spice. Absolutely delicious & I’m not a big pumpkin fan!

  13. 5 stars
    I made these yesterday and they turned out awesome. I did make a few substitutions though, first I only had 3/4 of a cup of AP flour so I added 1/4 of almond flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour. Then I swapped the egg with a flax egg to make it vegan and used coconut oil as my oil. Then I added non dairy white chocolate and mini dark chocolate chips. I also didn’t chill the dough and my daughter had no problem working with it!

  14. 5 stars
    We LOVE this cookie! I made 5 large
    bakery style cookies for our son’s family and the grandkids (all teenagers that love a cookie store called Crumbles) raved about them and said my cookies were definitely good competition for Crumbles! That is their highest compliment!

  15. I followed the directions exactly and they turned out horrible, pumpkin does not belong in cookies. The texture was like a cake, very dense and disgusting will never make again or recommend anyone to make this awful recipe.

    1. Sorry you didn’t love this recipe June! These aren’t typical cookies, as described in the post and similar to what you ended up with (“These cookies aren’t your typical type of cookie. They are thick, chewy, soft, and cake-like– resembling a muffin top.”) Sorry this wasn’t for you!

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