Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies — Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall! 

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A few years ago, I posted another recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. And there’s a version in my cookbook, Cooking With Pumpkin. But this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe trumps all. Practice makes perfect when it comes to cookie-making and anything pumpkin.

After many trials and lots of cookies, these are my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cookies yet because they’re soft, thick, perfectly chewy and not cakey, which is a problem that often plagues pumpkin cookies.

I love pumpkin cake, muffins, and bread but I don’t like cakey cookies.

To combat the cakiness, there’s no egg in the dough. Eggs make things fluffier but pumpkin puree does that naturally, much like bananas do.

I’ve baked plenty of vegan pumpkin cakes and muffins and know from experience that many times when you’re baking with pumpkin you don’t need eggs, and these cookies are a prime example.

The cozy and comforting pumpkin flavor just shines. Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, the cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall.

And as a bonus, there’s loads of chocolate in every bite.

What’s in These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies? 

To make these soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies , you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Pumpkin puree
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Molasses
• McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice extract
• All-purpose flour
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Chocolate chips

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whisk together the melted butter, pumpkin puree, sugars, molasses, and pumpkin pie spice extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. 

Scoop the cookie dough into balls and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 5 days. Once chilled, bake the cookies until the edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. 

Can I Double This Recipe? 

This is a recipe I haven’t ever doubled and while sometimes some recipes double great, others don’t. If you do double this easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, leave me a comment below letting me know how the cookies turn out! 

Can I Make This Recipe Into Cookie Bars? 

I’ve never tried baking the cookie dough as bars rather than as individual cookies. However, I have a great recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars that I’ve made many times and know works! 

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies? 

Yes, you can freeze the cookies once they’ve been baked and have cooled completely.

You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Can I Omit the Pumpkin Pie Spice Extract? 

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice extract on hand, you can substitute regular vanilla extract instead. Your soft pumpkin cookies won’t be as spiced, but they’ll still be delicious. 

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Make sure you’re using pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is neutral in flavor and adds lots of moisture to these easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 
• Also note that you should use a mild molasses in these cookies. Blackstrap molasses is too strong, so avoid using that. 
• Finally, feel free to add chopped nuts or dried fruit to these pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies. I like them as is, but there are lots of fall mix-ins you can incorporate into the cookie dough. 

Save Saved Review Print

4.45 from 47 votes

Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Averie Sunshine

Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall! 

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 17 minutes minutes

Servings: 11 large cookies

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Ingredients 

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon mild or medium-flavored molasses, not blackstrap, too intense
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice Extract, McCormick Vanilla Extract may be substituted
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions 

• To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
• Add the pumpkin puree, sugars, molasses, pumpkin pie spice extract, and whisk to combine until smooth.
• Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined.
• Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
• Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 11 equal-sized mounds of dough and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
• Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
• Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes (12 1/2 minutes is perfect in my oven), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.

Notes

Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 295kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 111mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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