Bake a batch of soft, chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies—packed with warm pumpkin spice and pockets of melty chocolate. These easy fall cookies are cozy, comforting, and perfect for sharing.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
There’s nothing like the scent of pumpkin and cinnamon drifting through the kitchen on a crisp autumn day. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies combine that classic pumpkin spice flavor with the familiar comfort of a chocolate chip cookie. They bake up thick with soft, chewy centers, lightly crisp edges, and pockets of melted chocolate for each bite.
Unlike cake-like pumpkin cookies, this recipe yields dense, chewy cookies that hold their shape and offer a satisfying texture contrast between the tender middle and the slightly browned edges. They’re quick to prepare, deliver a wonderful fall aroma while baking, and are ideal to serve with milk, coffee, or hot tea.
If you want an uncomplicated, reliably delicious fall cookie that will disappear fast at parties and family gatherings, this is a great recipe to keep on hand.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft and chewy texture — intentionally dense, not cakey.
- No chill time required — mix and bake the same day for fast results.
- True fall flavor — pumpkin puree with a warm pumpkin spice blend of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Make-ahead friendly — both dough and baked cookies freeze well for busy days.
- Crowd-pleasing — great for Halloween, Thanksgiving, bake sales, and casual get-togethers.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Blot the pumpkin puree. Pumpkin contains a lot of water, which can make cookies cakey. Place the puree on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, then squeeze lightly to remove additional liquid before adding it to the dough.
- Use a cookie scoop. A uniform scoop ensures even baking and consistent cookie size.
- Top with extra chips. Press a few chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball before baking for an attractive, bakery-style finish.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
- No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake — a creamy, spiced dessert that sets in the fridge for effortless entertaining.
- Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies — rich, chocolate-forward cookies with pumpkin folded into fudgy dough.
- Pumpkin Pudding — silky, spoonable pumpkin dessert that tastes like pumpkin pie without the crust.
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake — moist and fluffy, topped with cream cheese frosting for a crowd.
- Pumpkin Roll — a classic rolled pumpkin cake filled with sweet cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Video
A short video demonstration can be helpful to see dough consistency and portion sizes. If you follow the instructions below, your cookies should look like the photos above: golden at the edges with a soft, slightly underbaked center that firms as it cools.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the pumpkin puree on a stack of paper towels and let it sit to draw out moisture. Transfer to a fresh paper towel and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the pumpkin, egg yolks, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Fold in half of the chocolate chips gently.
- Using a 2-tablespoon (1-ounce) cookie scoop, portion dough and place scoops 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press some of the remaining chips into the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are slightly darkened and the centers look puffed and a touch underdone. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining dough.
Notes
- Storage: Cookies are freshest the day they are baked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. To freeze dough, scoop onto a lined tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
Serving size: 1 cookie — Calories 241; Carbohydrates 32 g; Protein 2 g; Fat 13 g; Saturated Fat 8 g; Sugar 22 g; Fiber 1 g; Sodium 99 mg; Vitamin A 1318 IU.
UPDATE INFO: This post was originally published in September 2017 and was updated with new photos, tips, and video in September 2025.