Description
Soft, pillowy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with warm autumn spices and melty chocolate chips. These bakery-quality cookies have crispy edges and tender centers, staying fresh for days. Perfect for fall gatherings, holiday treats, or cozy afternoons.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if using. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
4. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Whisk until completely smooth with no lumps.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together until just combined. Don’t overmix—stop as soon as no dry flour streaks remain.
6. Fold in chocolate chips, distributing evenly throughout the dough. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
7. Let dough rest for 10 minutes while oven finishes preheating. If dough seems very wet, chill 15-20 minutes.
8. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake one sheet at a time on middle rack for 12-14 minutes. Cookies are done when edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look slightly underdone.
10. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
11. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Cookies stay soft for up to 5 days.
Notes
Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Check labels carefully.
Drain pumpkin puree if it seems watery to prevent soggy cookies.
Don’t overbake—remove when centers still look slightly soft. They’ll firm up as they cool.
Measure flour using spoon-and-level method to avoid adding too much.
Don’t overmix the dough. Stop as soon as flour is incorporated.
Chill dough 20-30 minutes if it’s too soft or sticky to scoop.
Store in airtight container with a slice of bread to keep cookies soft.
Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months or unbaked dough balls up to 3 months.
For gluten-free, use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Don’t use single-grain flours.
Try white chocolate chips and dried cranberries for a festive variation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, fall cookies, autumn dessert, soft pumpkin cookies, easy cookie recipe