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.
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Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Pumpkin Desserts:
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — Super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache — One of my favorite cakes of ALL TIME! A must-make!
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread — Pumpkin bread that’s like having cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!
Soft Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel Crust — You won’t miss the eggs or the butter in this fast and easy bread with a great streusel crust!
Soft Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting — Fast, easy cake you’ll never guess is vegan!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting – Small batch recipe of just 6 cupcakes when you have just a little leftover pumpkin puree to use!
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — Super soft, moist, rich pumpkin flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s the BEST!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies — Rich, fudgy brownies topped with pumpkin and chocolate chips!
Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake – A FAST and EASY no-mixer coffee cake with rich pumpkin flavor!! Super soft, tender, and topped with the BEST crumble topping that you’ll fall in love with!
Hi Averie — I just made these, and they are wonderful. Incredibly moist, thick, and dense (as it should be) in addition to a great flavor. They are a perfect embodiment of fall. Thank you! I plan on trying many more of your recipes in the future. By the way – I am from San Diego, too! (but I go to college in Michigan)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! It’s wonderful to ‘meet’ another San Diegan :)
I made these last night! I used dark chocolate chips and let them set in the freezer for 30 minutes… Because I’m way too impatient to wait for cookies! They are delicious! Perfectly round, thick and uniform! I will definitely be doubling the batch next time! Love your blog!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Good idea on 30 mins in the freezer if you’re impatient :)
This is my favorite type of cookie! I’m going to try it out for sure!
First thing first, averie…I made your pb swirl blondes from your book. Omg, you have mastered your Blondie base. I have made so many of your recipes with your simple but amazing Blondie base. I love it. You are the bar queen period.
Secondly I made these soft cookies. They turned out well. I love the semisweet choc in them.
R u happier with the cooler weather? Hope u r well. Thx for posting brilliant ideas. P.s. I am dying to try your tortilla soup.
Thanks for trying a cookbook recipe! I love hearing about those because not as many people write in to talk about those so thanks for that! And glad you tried these cookies too and that you enjoyed them!
Cooler weather, meh, it’s okay but now it’s going to rain it looks like! Bad for food photography, but we do need it. Take care! :)
These cookies become my new favorite recipe!
I made 20 yesterday and for one night my kids and my husband, take care of them :)
Thank you!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Very informative, keep posting such good articles, it really helps to know about things.
Amazing blog and very interesting stuff you got here! I definitely learned a lot from reading through some of your earlier posts as well and decided to drop a comment on this one!
Wow…I think you have pumpkin cookies down to absolute perfection! Love all things pumpkin and these clearly are not going to disappoint. I have to also check out your pumpkin cookbook!!
– Heather
These look so delicious! Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are one of my very favorite treats in the fall!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
You are a genius. I’ve never cared for pumpkin cookies because of the cakey thing (and they often seem dry) and you can add me to your list of people who wouldn’t have thought to take out the egg. That’s why we have you, to do our thinking for us. ;)
Thanks for the kind words :)
These look so delicious and perfect! The recipe look almost the same as the one Sally (Sally’s Baking Addiction) created for Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies a couple years ago. I made that one and loved it.
So many pumpkin cookie recipes out there that I haven’t tried hers but glad you’re a fan!
You are a cookie maven, mama. And pumpkin and chocolate is one of my FAVE combos!!!
These look perfect. I just roasted two of my garden pie pumpkins and have about 5 cups of pumpkin to use. This recipe came just in time!
I wish I had 5 cups of homegrown and homemade pumpkin puree…enjoy!
I sawe that pumpkin pie extract at the store last week and I wondered how different it was from the spice blend. I have TONS of the spice, so I didn’t get it. I guess it would be good in liquid recipes like making a coffe beverage or something?
I always want to love pumpkin cookies, but don’t love the cakiness. Never thought about taking out the egg; great idea!
The extract yes is perfect for drinks when you don’t want the grit of the actual spice and just gives that extra boost of pumpkin!
These chocolate studded beauties look perfect–and no eggs? Very cool. I usually have them but its nice to have recipes without them too. I tend to forget about pumpkin behaving like banana in baking. I thought I was getting a great deal on a slightly dented can of pumpkin puree in the sale bin last weekend…and in my haste I didn’t read the label. Yep–pumpkin pie mix.
Ugh don’t you hate that when you accidentally grab the wrong thing, and you thought you were getting a deal no less…well, looks like you’re all set to make an actual pumpkin pie :)
I’m with you on the cakey front. Cake can be cakey. But brownies and cookies? NO. Not acceptable!
These look perfect. I’ve told you before that I can’t resist your cookie pics. They’re the best!
Thanks for the compliments on my cookie pics! After almost 7 years of blogging, that’s one thing I feel pretty confident in taking pictures of is cookies. Everything else? I never know how it will go :)