This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is my forever fall favorite! They’re soft and chewy with crisp edges, not cakey or muffin-like.
author’s note
My Forever Favorite Pumpkin Cookie
Growing up, my mom made pumpkin cookies all the time in the fall, and they were always one of my favorite treats. Hers were the big, puffy, cake-like kind, and even though we called them cookies, I always thought of them more like muffin tops. I still love those to this day!
BUT, I’ll almost always choose a traditional cookie over any other treat. Give me crisp edges, a soft gooey center, and a really good chew throughout. That was exactly the texture I wanted for this recipe.
I spent weeks testing and tweaking this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe until I finally got that classic chewy cookie texture while still keeping plenty of pumpkin and warm spice flavor. They’ve become my favorite pumpkin cookies, and I come back to this recipe over and over every fall. I hope you love them too!
And if I can make one suggestion, use a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups. It’s so much more accurate and honestly faster. Just pop your bowl on the scale and add everything right in. It takes out the guesswork and helps you get that perfect chewy texture every time. I hope you love these cookies as much as we do!
Ingredients In Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| 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 | I LOVE milk chocolate with pumpkin, but any kind works! Use your favorite, whether that’s semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate. |
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 This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- 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, and bake!
Chelsea’s Tips
My Top Tips For Success
- Use good canned pumpkin: I have found Libby’s to be the most consistent and to deliver the best texture.
- Shape them tall: Roll dough balls slightly taller than wide to help create thick, chewy centers.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Bake just 6 cookies at a time so they have plenty of room to cook and spread evenly.
- Finish Them Off: Press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops right after baking. A sprinkle of sea salt is also a great finishing touch!
Storage
This pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe is best enjoyed the same day they are made. The moisture from the pumpkin softens the cookies and makes them gooier as they sit.
Instead of storing baked cookies, freeze the dough balls on a sheet pan for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–3 minutes to the bake time.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
Desserts
Pumpkin Cake Recipe (BEST EVER!)
Desserts
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Desserts
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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 see note 1
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt optional, for topping
Instructions
- TIP: If you have a food scale, I highly recommend switching this recipe card to METRIC and using the exact gram measurements for the butter, sugars, pumpkin, flour, and chocolate chips. Measuring spoons work perfectly for the spices, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Let it cool completely to room temperature before continuing. (Hot butter can melt the sugars and make the cookies greasy.)
- Add both sugars to the room-temperature melted butter. Whisk briskly until combined. Add in the large egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin. Whisk briskly until smooth and emulsified.
- Add salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and baking soda. Whisk until combined.
- Add flour and gently stir through. Add chocolate chips. Gently stir through until you have a thick and sticky dough. Scrape edges with a spatula if needed. 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 (weigh: 30 grams) of dough per cookie ball. Roll the balls so they are slightly taller rather than wider. Place 6 cookie dough balls on the sheet pan and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove and bake for 8–11 minutes or until no longer glossy on top. Remove from the oven and, if desired, press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies and a small sprinkle of sea salt. Let cookies stand on the sheet pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were amazing! I had made the “cake” ones the last few years. While I’d say those are more pumpkin-y, these are a more well rounded fall flavor due to the spices. I am making a second batch today after I roast up the porch pumpkins 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe!
So thrilled to hear these were a hit! 🙂 Thanks for the comment Jen 🙂
These cookies are absolutely delicious!!! I used coconut oil in place of butter and dairy free chocolate chips to make them suitable for a friend! They turned out chewy like you described! We enjoyed them so much I am making another batch tonight!
I’m so thrilled to hear that! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment Kylie 🙂
I made these today and they are prefect! A new Go To recipe! I will be doubling or tripling next time though since it ONLY makes two dozen ?
Haha 🙂 Yes, ONLY making two dozen is definitely a fault of this recipe 😉 Thank you so much Bethany! I’m thrilled you enjoyed these!
These look so great! Do you have any idea how long these could stay fresh? And how I could possibly ship them? Thank you, excited to try these!!
Thank you so much! I think these are best eaten by 3-4 days. I really have no idea on shipping these; I’ve never tried that. Wish I could be of more help, but hopefully someone else can chime in! 🙂
I made these when I got a pumpkin at a market, seeing how it is August and I have been waiting months to make something with pumpkin, I couldnt wait! But, because it is August, and its too hot to turn on my oven, I decided to make the batter the night before and freeze the balls of dough to pop in the oven early the next morning on one of the colder mornings of the week. I had to cook them for 5 minutes more, and they didnt quite spread like the picture, but they taste great! If you want them to spread out, I dont recommend baking from frozen. Happy that I now have some leftover dough balls in the freezer for when Im craving for more pumpkin cookies! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed these cookies. Thank you for the comment Ashley! 🙂
You put frozen cookie dough into the oven to bake? Frozen dough is very different from chilled dough. Typically you don’t have to chill a drop cookie recipe, but to actually freeze it.. not surprised they didn’t cook in the middle. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of baking a frozen cookie dough.
Could I form the cookies and then refridgerate overnight and bake the cookies the next morning? Or would that make it too chilled and affect the baking?
That should work great! Cover them tightly and note that you might need to bake a minute or two longer. Enjoy 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
I loved these just as much as your chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies, they are awesome! Not too spicey which is perfect for me, and awesomely chewy. Thanks for another great cookie recipe!!!
Robin
Hey Robin! So great to hear! I’m so happy you tried out these cookies too! Thank you 🙂
These look so perfect I wish I had one right now. Going to have to find some time to make these this week!
Thanks Samantha! 🙂
I love that this is a “non-cakey” recipe. I do love the cakey kind but I would love to try some that aren’t! I will have to try! Thanks!
These look amazing. And kudos to the ” exactly complete” intructions in the recipe! Nice, no mistaking that huh? =) Can’t wait to try them. I love pumpkin, and chocolate, yay!
Haha exactly 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much Lori!! I hope you LOVE these!