Looking for the greatest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie ever to hit the internet? You're in luck; this is the recipe, people. Even before this recipe was published, over a dozen taste testers unanimously gave it a 10 out of 10, asked when the recipe was coming out... and then asked for seconds. Get ready to put these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies on repeat all fall long!
Sure, we love a fluffy, cake-like pumpkin cookie, but this is not that kind of cookie. These pumpkin cookies actually have the texture of a good, old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie... yes, these cookies are irresistibly soft, but unlike our fluffy, Snickerdoodle-style Pumpkin Spice Cookies, they have a buttery, chewy interior that's somewhat doughy (yet fully baked), and the perfect balance of melty chocolate and pumpkin flavor. Not to mention a seriously delicious cinnamon-sugar topping that adds absolutely amazing texture to this fall treat!
We tested this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe no less than four times before we landed on the most amazing rendition ever. There are no crazy ingredients, no unnecessary steps like blotting pumpkin, and no chill time. This recipe is easy to make and turns out perfect every single time!
Whether you're trying to cure pumpkin cravings, get some fresh inspiration for fall baking, or spice things up at your next party, this recipe is great for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and everything in between! It has enough pumpkin spice vibes to last you all season long.
So, if you're in a cozy blanket, grab a cup of cocoa kind of mood, we've got you covered. And not just with this recipe, we've got a whole slew of fall-flavored favorites! Our Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies, Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies, and Ginger Molasses Cookies are great places to start.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
The first thing you want to do for this pumpkin cookie recipe is preheat your oven to 350°F and have ready a baking sheet (or two) lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Using a silicone baking mat or parchment paper as a barrier between the cookies and the baking sheet will keep the bottom of your cookies from darkening too quickly and also help with an easy release!
Once your oven is preheated, you can begin mixing up your dry ingredients! We will create our own homemade pumpkin pie spice tailormade for these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!
It's really simple: all you need is ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. These simple spices make a huge difference in these cookies' fall vibes! 2 ½ teaspoons may seem like a lot of cinnamon, but rest assured it is just right.
Add the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and fine sea salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the dry ingredients aside and move on to the wet ingredients.
If you are an avid baker, you might have noticed there are no chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda in this recipe. We found in recipe testing, that any amount of baking powder or baking soda made these cookies far too cake-like. For a soft and chewy pumpkin cookie, no chemical leaveners are needed!
For the wet ingredients, you will begin with unsalted butter that has been melted and slightly cooled. Don't add piping hot butter to the bowl. The temperature of the butter affects how far your cookies spread. If you don't want your Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies to be flat as pancakes, be patient when it comes to the butter cooling off!
You might find vegetable oil a tempting substitute for melted butter, but you won't get the same great flavor butter adds to cookies! Using butter requires a tad bit more patience, but -- we promise -- it is totally worth it!
Once your butter is close to room temperature and no longer hot, add it to a large bowl with light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed using a handheld mixer. When the time is up and the mixture appears somewhat paste-like, you can add the remaining wet ingredients.
You will need canned pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract for the remaining wet ingredients. Make sure you are using pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling!
Mix your wet ingredients together; don't worry if the mixture appears somewhat curdled. That is from the pumpkin; everything will come together just fine as soon as the dry ingredients go in!
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low. As soon as the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and mix to combine. Spacing each dough ball about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart, drop them onto the cookie sheet. Your dough balls should consist of about a generous tablespoon-worth of dough.
Take note that there is quite a bit of moisture in the canned pumpkin, which causes this cookie dough to be a little stickier than most. This problem is easily solved by using a cookie scoop! Don't try rolling the dough in your hands for perfectly shaped cookies; it won't work out in your favor.
Another thing that really sets these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies apart is the cinnamon-sugar topping. This topping is extremely easy to make adds an irresistible crunch to an otherwise soft and chewy cookie. Not to mention, it's cinnamon...and sugar. How could that not be a good thing? You'll combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and stir to make it. That's it! Then, sprinkle the top of each dough ball with about a ½ teaspoon and that's all there is to it.
Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack.
One more little bonus task that makes these cookies extra tempting to the eyes is the studding of chocolate chips post-bake! This is a pro baker secret; now, you're officially in the know! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, ready about a ⅓ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and begin placing them across the tops of your cookies. Be sure not to press too hard; you still want to be able to see the tops (or sides) of the chocolate chips protruding from the cookies. Yum!
All that's left is to allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
To save leftover Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, seal them up in an airtight container and store them at room temperature. They should maintain their freshness for 3-4 days like this.
If you'd like to be the hostess with the mostest even when your company turns up unexpectedly, make a batch of these ahead of time and freeze them until you need them!
For best-freezing results, allow the cookies to cool completely. Once cool, transfer them to an air-tight, freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and pop them into the freezer. When stored this way, they should maintain their amazing flavor and texture for up to 2 months.
6 MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Pumpkin Mousse
- pumpkin ice cream
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Pumpkin Mousse
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you love a classic chocolate chip cookie, these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are going to be a Fall dream come true!
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Generous ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree from a can (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus ⅓ cup reserved for topping
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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Preheat the oven to 350° and have ready a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
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Add the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed for no less than 2 minutes, until it begins to look like a paste.
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Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again briefly.
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Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until evenly incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again and mix briefly. Add the chocolate chips and mix once more.
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Drop large mounds of rounded dough balls (a generous tablespoon-worth) on the baking sheet, spacing each cookie about 1 ½ - 2" apart.
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For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping mix together ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Lightly sprinkle about a ½ teaspoon of topping over each dough ball.
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Bake for 14-16 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carefully and gently press the remaining chips into the tops of the cookies. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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