Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best ever! These cookies are soft and chewy with crisp edges instead of typical cake-like pumpkin cookies.
author’s note
These Disappear Faster Than I Can Bake Them!
I’ve made more batches of pumpkin cookies than I can count. And while I love a good fluffy pumpkin cookie, this year I really wanted to channel the texture and flavors of a classic chewy chocolate chip cookie with pumpkin flavor.
So I pulled out a can of pumpkin, melted some butter, and got to work testing. After a few rounds of tweaking, I landed on exactly what I hoped for: cookies that are chewy in the center, crisp at the edges, and filled with melty chocolate chips.
They’ve quickly become a family favorite, and now they’re the pumpkin cookies I’ll be making on repeat every fall.
Ingredients In Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Butter | Let it cool before mixing or the cookies can turn greasy. |
| Pumpkin Purée | Use 100% pure pumpkin (like Libby’s). Avoid pumpkin pie mix since it contains added sugar and spices. |
| Spices | You can use pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have on hand. |
| Egg Yolk | Using only the yolk (not the whole egg) keeps the cookies chewy instead of cakey. |
| Chocolate Chips | Semi-sweet works best here, but milk or dark chocolate are also delicious. |
Featured Comment
“I found your recipe a few years ago (2017)
– Jo
and have been making them ever since. My
Kids and Grandkids ask for these on a
regular basis. These are in my top 5 favorite
cookies to make. I have been baking cookies
for over 65 years! Every time I share them
everyone asks for the recipe. One of the best
cookies ever!”
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Melt butter & cool: Start with melted butter for chewy cookies.
- Mix wet ingredients: Combine butter, sugars, pumpkin, yolk, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients: Stir in flour, spices, soda, and salt.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Mix just until combined.
- Chill & bake: Refrigerate the dough, then shape into balls, bake, and top with extra chips.
Tips For Success
- Chill twice: Once after mixing and once after shaping into dough balls. This prevents spreading.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon & level to avoid using too much flour.
- Use pure pumpkin: Brands vary in water content. Libby’s is thick and consistent.
- Shape dough tall: This creates those chewy centers with crisp edges.
- No baking powder needed: These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies without baking powder rise perfectly with just baking soda.
Storage
Storing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cool cookies completely before storing.
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze dough balls on a sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
- Bake frozen dough balls directly, adding 1-3 minutes to bake time, or thaw in the fridge first.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
Desserts
Pumpkin Cake Recipe (BEST EVER!)
Desserts
Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
Desserts
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Shakes And Smoothies
Pumpkin Protein Shake
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10") lined
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg yolk discard whites or save for another recipe
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup pumpkin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Let butter stand until cooled to room temperature. Hot butter will melt the sugars and make greasy cookies.
- Add both sugars to the room-temperature melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add in the large egg yolk, vanilla extract, and canned pumpkin. Make sure the pumpkin isn’t watery; dab off excess moisture with a paper towel if it is. Stir until ingredients are combined.
- Add salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and baking soda. Stir until spices are well incorporated.
- Spoon and level (see note 1) to measure flour and add to the bowl. Add chocolate chips. Gently stir to form a dough. It will seem dry at first, but continue to stir until you have a thick and sticky dough. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Measure 1-1/2 tablespoons (or 30 grams) of dough per cookie ball. Roll the balls so they are taller rather than wider. Place 6 cookie dough balls on the sheet pan and place in the freezer for 8 minutes. Remove and bake for 8–11 minutes or until no longer glossy on top. I like them best at 9 minutes; slightly underbaking will yield super-soft and chewy cookies. Remove from the oven and let cookies stand on the sheet pan for 5 minutes. If desired, press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have been making these cookies since 2016 and they are always everyone’s favourite!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Brianne!
Chelsea,
I found your recipe a few years ago (2017)
and have been making them ever since. My
Kids and Grandkids ask for these on a
regular basis. These are in my top 5 favorite
cookies to make. I have been baking cookies
for over 65 years! Every time I share them
everyone asks for the recipe. One of the best
cookies ever! I always give you the credit for
this fabulous recipe! Thank you for sharing
with the world !I did not change one thing
from your original recipe! Perfection!!
This made my day!! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Jo! 🙂
Ive made this recipe every fall for years. However, I just noticed that the baking instructions are now different. I always place two balls on top of each other and bake for 11-12 minutes per instructions from years past. These are a favourite of everyone I know!
I made half these cookies GF using King Arthur Measure for Measure 1:1 and they came out delicious! Very very tasty. However, I used a bigger scoop than recommended (24), and I still baked them for 11 minutes as recommended. They came up chewy, borderline raw (I still love them like that but my husband had trouble with the cookie sticking to the roof of his mouth) I wonder how much longer do I need to bake them. “Under baking” is a new thing for me and I am not sure if is normal or not to have such chewiness. Thank you!
If you make bigger cookie balls, you’ll want to cook them for a couple minutes longer 🙂 I usually bake until they are set, no longer glossy on top! Glad the recipe worked with the GF flour!
I made these over the weekend and these have got to be some of the best cookies I’ve ever made! Definitely making a second batch this week just to have ready to go in the freezer and to share the love with others. Thank you for this killer recipe!
Thank you so much Michelle! 🙂