Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft, spiced, loaded with chocolate chips, uses the whole can of pumpkin, no mixer. 

This pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe is the easiest crowd pleaser you can bring to your pumpkin season events. If you've ever made my chocolate chip pumpkin muffins or pumpkin coffee cake, you know the pain of a half-used can of pumpkin sitting in the fridge.

Not here. This recipe uses the entire can, and all you need is a whisk and one bowl. No electric mixer, no leftovers, and five dozen cookies to show for it.

Why These Pumpkin Cookies Aren't Cakey

Most cookie recipes ask for creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This is to create aeration and lift in the oven. To avoid a cakey structure, this recipe uses melted butter instead of creaming. I've also eliminated extra moisture by only using an egg yolk for its richness.

Ingredients

• Semisweet chocolate chips because pumpkin and chocolate were made for each other.
• Pumpkin puree is the star, and you'll use the entire 15 ounce can. Make sure it's 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
• All purpose flour gives the cookies their structure.
• Melted unsalted butter is one of the secrets to a soft cookie that isn't cakey. No creaming, no mixer, just whisk it right in.
• Egg yolk is the other secret. Pumpkin already adds plenty of moisture and structure, so a whole egg would make them more cakey. One yolk keeps them tender.
• Brown sugar and granulated sugar work together. The brown sugar adds a soft molasses depth while the granulated sugar balances the sweetness.
• Ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves bring the warm fall spice. You can swap in homemade pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices if that's what you have on hand.
• Cinnamon rounds out the spices. If you want little pockets of melted cinnamon sugar in every bite, King Arthur's Cinnamon Sweet Bits are a fun optional swap.
• Vanilla extract enhances all the warm flavors.
• Baking powder and baking soda give the cookies just the right amount of lift.
• Salt balances the sweetness and sharpens the spices.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix the melted butter with the sugars and separately mix the dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, salt) with a whisk.

Add the yolk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix to combine before stirring in the pumpkin puree. Add the dry ingredients in three batches while mixing until you get a soft even dough. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and cinnamon sweet bits if using.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. When you're ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 350℉. 

Scoop tablespoon sized balls of dough onto the cookie sheet and gently press down on each cookie because they don't spread much in the oven. I do this using three fingers while pressing down and then turning the pan 90 degrees and gently pressing down each cookie again so they press down evenly. 

The cookies take about 10-12 minutes to bake. The tops should look lightly browned.

Tips for Success

• Use a hand whisk not an electric mixer to prevent over-aerating the batter.
• Press the cookies down twice. This step is a must!
• If you are finding the cookies to be too soft the next day, you can crisp them up by reheating for 5 minutes in a 350℉ oven. 

Storage and Freezer Tips

Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Cookie dough should be scooped and then frozen. Place the dough balls in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper. Let the frozen balls thaw enough so that you can press them down with your fingers before putting them in the oven. 

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I halve the recipe? Yes, though a full batch freezes beautifully. If you do halve it, the leftover pumpkin is exactly what you need for my mini bourbon pumpkin cheesecakes.

What can I use instead of cinnamon sweet bits? Nothing, the recipe works with just the ground cinnamon; cinnamon chips are an alternative but harder in texture.

Why are my pumpkin cookies cakey? Pumpkin puree is mostly water, so the extra moisture pushes cookies toward a cake texture, and creaming butter with an electric mixer adds aeration that makes it worse. This recipe avoids both by using melted butter and just an egg yolk instead of a whole egg. Some bakers advise blotting the pumpkin before using it to dry it out even further. 

More Pumpkin Recipes

If you enjoyed these cookies you may also want to check out these other recipes and especially my Pumpkin Brookies, which use this cookie as a base. 

• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Pancakes

SaveSave