Description

These chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are a delightful fall treat combining the warm spices of pumpkin pie spice with rich semi-sweet chocolate chips. The dough is made with melted butter and pumpkin puree, creating soft, flavorful cookies that are slightly cakey yet perfectly chewy. Chilling the dough is essential to bring out the best texture. Baked to a tender finish, these cookies are ideal for cozy autumn snacking or sharing with friends and family.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 Tablespoons (86g) pumpkin puree

Dry Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice

Add-ins

1/2 cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few extra for topping

Instructions

Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until smooth. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
Form dough: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently with a large spoon or rubber spatula until combined. The dough will be very soft. Fold in half a cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips carefully to avoid melting due to the warm butter.
Chill dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 3 days to allow the flavors to meld and dough to firm up.
Prep for baking: Remove dough from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Shape cookies: Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Arrange them 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the tops slightly using the back of a spoon or bottom of a cup to ensure even spreading during baking.
Bake cookies: Bake for 11-12 minutes until the edges are set but centers remain soft. If cookies don’t spread much, gently flatten them again right after baking with the back of a spoon. Optionally press a few chocolate chips onto the tops for garnish.
Cool cookies: Cool cookies on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Allow cookies to rest uncovered for several hours if possible to deepen flavor and enhance chewiness.
Storage: Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week to maintain freshness and texture.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential to achieve the optimal chewy texture and flavor development.
Using melted butter makes the dough soft; handle gently when mixing in chocolate chips to prevent melting.
Flattening the dough balls slightly before baking ensures the cookies spread properly and cook evenly.
The cookies taste even better on day 2 as the pumpkin flavor intensifies and the texture becomes chewier.
Excess pumpkin puree adds moisture but avoid adding too much to prevent overly wet dough.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chewy cookies, fall dessert, pumpkin spice cookies, easy baking recipe