These are not your average pumpkin chocolate chip cookies… they’re chewy, soft, and absolutely packed with rich chocolate and warm spices. My secret? I start with nutty melted brown butter and blot the pumpkin, which keeps the dough dense and the texture perfectly chewy (never cakey).
If you’ve tried my viral chewy pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, you know I’m serious about texture, and these pumpkin cookies have that same gooey center, now with pockets of melty chocolate!
Best of all, they come together in one bowl, no mixer needed. Bake them once, and I bet they’ll earn a permanent spot on your fall bake list!
These cookies in cake form? Yep. My pumpkin cake with chocolate chips has the same cozy pumpkin flavor, brown butter richness, and melty chocolate just baked into a soft, shareable pan.
How to Make Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
1
Brown the butter. Cool the brown butter in the fridge, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 76°F. It will thicken but still be liquid, as shown above!
2
Blot the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin puree onto a plate and blot with a stack of paper towels, using a new stack each time until all liquid has been absorbed.
After blotting, it should be half the amount measured and will feel like soft Play-Doh.
3
Whisk together the wet ingredients. To completely emulsify the butter and sugar, whisk for exactly one minute. The mixture will resemble pale, wet sand.
4
Mix in the pumpkin. Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and dried pumpkin puree until combined.
If you’re loving the pumpkin-chocolate combo here, my pumpkin chocolate chip loaf version is just as moist, spiced, and super snackable!
5
Fold in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined, don’t overmix the cookie dough!
6
Scoop and bake! Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets and bake right away.
If you’re in the mood for something a little less rich, my pumpkin spice cheesecake cookies have the same soft texture but with a creamy pumpkin center instead of chocolate!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup Libby's Pumpkin Puree, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup finely chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Brown the butter in a large stainless steel pan. While it cooks, it will foam, pop, and crackle—this is normal! Stand nearby, watch, and stir it occasionally so it doesn’t burn. When the bottom is covered in brown bits of butter and it smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat. You should have just under 1 cup of browned butter (184 g). Scrape the butter into a glass measuring bowl and place it in the fridge for 50-60 minutes, stirring it every 10-15 minutes until a thermometer inserted reads 75°F. The butter must be cool but still liquid!1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter
- Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate. Press a stack of paper towels into it and soak up the extra liquid. Then, scrape the pumpkin into a pile and re-spread it around the plate. Continue doing this, using a new stack of paper towels to keep absorbing the extra liquid, until the pumpkin feels pretty dry, like soft playdough, and now measures roughly 1/3 cup (75 grams).2/3 cup (160 g) Libby's Pumpkin Puree
- When the butter is cool, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for exactly 1 minute. It will look like pale wet sand.1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla, and dried pumpkin puree until combined.2 (36 g) large egg yolks, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fold in the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips until just combined.1 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (220 g) all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 cup (125 g) finely chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips
- Scoop the cookie dough with a 3 tbsp cookie scoop, roll them between your palms, then place them on the prepared baking trays spaced 2-3 inches apart. You will have roughly 15 cookies. For pools of melted chocolate, chop the chocolate into larger pieces and press more on top before baking!
- Bake one tray at a time for 9-13 minutes or until the edges are golden brown but the middle is slightly underbaked. Straight out of the oven, use a large round cookie cutter to scoot the edges in to make them thicker and perfectly round. Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack completely then remove the cookies and enjoy!
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can refrigerate or freeze the cookie dough balls, just bring them to room temperature before baking. This can take about 1 hour for refrigerated dough and 2 hours for frozen dough.
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Cookies are great however as a B&P person myself I followed to a tee and still lightly cakey. Honestly I don’t mind it they are delicious so light and chocolatey but I also use fresh pumpkin puree instead of Libby’s. Wonder if that has something to do with it!
Made these with gluten free flour and they turned out great! Love this recipe, perfect for fall.
Hi! Will using dark brown sugar instead of light mess with the baking chemistry too much?
It shouldn’t be a problem!