These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are everything you love about a classic chocolate chip cookie– soft and chewy (not cakey), but loaded with cozy pumpkin spice flavor. You’ll love this no-chill, no-mixer cookie recipe for the fall season!
Working as a pastry chef, I had only ever had soft and cakey pumpkin cookies. I have spent countless hours perfecting the perfect pumpkin cookie that’s dense and chewy, without sacrificing any pumpkin flavor.
Based on my viral pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are just as chewy with gooey centers, but are packed with melty chocolate chips! Add these buttery cookies to your fall baking list ASAP– then thank me later!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Thanks to pumpkin puree and cozy autumn spices, they have a perfect pumpkin flavor! The chocolate balances the sweetness of the pumpkin, like in ​pumpkin chocolate cake.
- You only need one bowl and simple ingredients; there’s also no chill time required! (Try our butterscotch chip cookies or spiced apple cookies for more easy cookies!)
- Like miso chocolate cookies, these chewy cookies are dense and moist with crispy edges and gooey centers thanks to using melted butter.
- Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies can be served all pumpkin season long- this will be your new go-to cookie recipe for Christmas cookie swaps or Thanksgiving desserts.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pumpkin puree: Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling! Blotting the pumpkin is the secret to this recipe! While it’s an extra step, it removes excess moisture leaving just the pumpkin flavor. For best results, make sure it is at room temperature.
Pumpkin pie spice: These warm and cozy spices pair perfectly with the chocolate chips; just like in chocolate chip and pecan cookies.
Chocolate chips: Feel free to use any- semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks. I love using chopped chocolate (like in brown butter toffee cookies) or using a combination!
Egg yolk: To keep these cookies chewy instead of cakey, we are only adding egg yolks to the cookie dough. It will help bind the cookies without adding any extra moisture.
Butter: Browning the butter removes extra moisture which creates a chewy texture instead of a cakey texture.
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Before you start​, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
Step 1: Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is covered in amber-brown bits of butter solids.
Scrape all of the butter into a bowl and cool it in the fridge until it reaches 76°F. The image is what the butter will look like right before use.
Step 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 of the liquid has been absorbed.
It should be half the amount measured and will feel like soft Play-Doh.
Step 3: Whisk together the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for exactly one minute.
Step 4: Mix in the pumpkin. Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and dried pumpkin puree until combined.
Step 5: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips until just combined. Do not over-mix!
Tips for Chewy Cookies
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the “metric” button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card. If you do not have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup.
Brown the butter. If you’ve ever made brown butter espresso cookies, you know it gives the cookie dough a nutty depth of flavor. Make sure you let it cool to 76°F, otherwise, the cookies will spread in the oven.
Blot the pumpkin. This is my #1 baking tip for the best pumpkin cookie! Not removing the liquid from the puree will make your cookies more cake-like and not chewy.
Use a large cookie scoop​. Cookies that are scooped in smaller portions will melt differently in the oven. A large 3-tbsp scoop is the key to achieving soft gooey centers and crispy edges!
Use Libby’s Pumpkin. Libby’s is my go-to pumpkin brand for all of my pumpkin recipes! I highly recommend using this brand and not homemade pumpkin puree because the amount of liquid in the can is most consistent.
How to Store
The best way to store these gooey pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For maximum freshness, keep a slice of bread in the container!
To freeze, store the baked cookies in a freezer bag with parchment paper in between layers for up to 1 month. Thaw them at room temperature before serving!
FAQs
No, they should be left out at room temperature.
Yes! It’s best to scoop and roll the dough first, then place it on a baking tray covered tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough come to room temperature before baking, about 1 hour.
Did you blot the pumpkin to remove all of the excess moisture? The dried pumpkin puree should be soft and malleable but not wet. Also, double-check that you didn’t add too much flour to the dough!
This can happen when the oven temperature is too low or the flour isn’t measured properly (and it needs more flour). Also, double-check that your butter was cooled to the proper temperature (75°F).
I know having leftover pumpkin puree can be annoying but lucky for you I have plenty of recipes to use it! Try cream cheese pumpkin cookies or pumpkin bread with pecans!
Yes, first scoop and roll the cookies. Then flash-free them and store them in an airtight container. Let the dough thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.
More Delicious Fall Desserts
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams!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 tbsp all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 2 1/2 teaspoon 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. In my kitchen, this takes about 10-12 minutes.1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter
- When the bottom is covered in brown bits of butter and it smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat. You should have just slightly 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!
- 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 tbsp (220 g) all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoon 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!The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
I baked these cookies as a housewarming present to my best friend and as a way to comfort my mother while she was sick. The reviews I got were so great that I ended up writing a report for my technical writing class on this recipe! Your love for what you do is so clear in the way that you write about it, and the way that you demonstrate the process in the pictures and video that you include allows even the novice baker to share in that joy. I will definitely be using this recipe again and I am hoping to try the Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies as we approach the colder months. Thank you so much for sharing your gift and passion with the world!
Wow! Thank you so much for this super kind review, Lindsey. I’m so happy to hear they were enjoyed, I truly love my job and am so grateful for readers like you!