Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loads of white chocolate, and so much pumpkin flavor!! A pinch of salt balances the sweet white chocolate for a salty-and-sweet treat!!
Softest White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies
Salty-and-sweet desserts are some of my favorite. The best of both worlds in one. And I’ve always loved white chocolate cookies and pumpkin cookies.
These white chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are soft, chewy, tender, and moist with rich pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and molasses lend the cookies to tasting like fall.
They’re studded with sweet white chocolate chips and the overall sweetness is balanced with a sprinkling of flaked salt. There are so many flavors in every bite and I couldn’t get enough of the cookies.
Salty, sweet, white chocolate, pumpkin. All so good and it all works perfectly together!
Ingredients in Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
To make these pumpkin cookies with white chocolate, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Pumpkin puree
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Baking soda
- Salt
- White chocolate chips
- Flaked salt
Can I Use Regular Chocolate Chips?
Of course! If you’d rather make classic pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, I recommend following my original recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
I love how quick and easy these white chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are to make! Just be sure to allow time to chill the dough before you bake the cookies.
- Cream together the butter and sugars, then add in the wet ingredients.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding in the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the chocolate chips last.
- Portion the cookie dough into balls, then chill for at least 3 hours.
- Just before baking, smoosh down the dough balls and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes! Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
Other Mix-Ins to Try
I love making these pumpkin cookies with white chocolate chips, but you can also try one of the following mix-ins instead:
- Dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Mini chocolate chips
- Toffee bits
- Coconut flakes
- Raisins
- Chopped dried fruit
- Chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Cookies
Molasses: I recommend using a mild or medium-flavored molasses for this pumpkin cookie recipe. Don’t use blackstrap molasses, as it’s too potent.
Salt: Use a flaky sea salt (like fleur de sel or kosher salt) for sprinkling on top of the cookies. You don’t want to use table salt since it’s more finely ground and can easily make these cookies too salty.
Storage: Note that 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. Consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
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Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (use the remainder in these recipes
- 2 tablespoons mild or medium-flavored molasses, not blackstrap, too intense
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 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, or to taste
- 10 ounces white chocolate chips
- flaked salt, fleur de sel, kosher salt, etc., for sprinkling and to taste
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric mixer), add the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, pumpkin, molasses, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. The batter will look a little ‘grainy’ and almost as if it’s separated, this is okay.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the white chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 16 equal-sized mounds of dough. The dough is very soft and I find it easiest to use a cookie scoop.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, 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. Tip – Strategically place a few white chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
- After chilling, flatten each mound quite a bit, about half the original height if you used a cookie scoop. You don’t want these to be domed or they’ll puff up too much while baking.
- Evenly sprinkle each mound of dough with flaked salt, to taste.
- 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).
- Bake for about 14 minutes or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked 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 Cookie Recipes:
Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie is my second cookbook and was released October, 2014.. There’s over 50 pumpkin recipes including sweets, savory, drinks, and a photo for nearly every recipe. I’d be super grateful if you headed over to Amazon.
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies — No cakey cookies here! Soft, chewy, thick, loaded with chocolate and bold pumpkin flavor! Your new favorite pumpkin cookies!
Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies — Soft and pillowy pumpkin cookies that are chock full of pumpkin spice and everything nice! The icing takes these cookies over the top.
Buttery Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies – Buttery soft dough with big chunky pecans in every bite! Salty-and-sweet and so hard to resist!
Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Spice Honey Cookies – Super soft cookies that just melt in your mouth! You’re going to love these puffy cuties!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies— These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bursting with chocolate chips in every bite! They’re thick, hearty, perfectly chewy, and not at all cakey.
The white chocolate salted pumpkin cookies turned out AMAZING!!! I’m in love!
Really I made them today for the holidays and everyone gave praise! THANK YOU!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that others enjoyed them too!
These look fantastic! I have about 1/2 cup of pumpkin in my fridge that needs used, this will be the perfect use for it!
those cookies look sooo delicious and drool-worthy. I just ate and yet I want to go make some right now. White chocolate and pumpkin is the best combination ever. thank you for sharing this recipe!!
~Andrea Tiffany~
https://aglimpseofglam.blogspot.com
These cookies look incredible! Fall deliciousness right here!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
Om nom nom! I want those :)
These look amazing Averie, I love the addition of salt, such a great way to enhance the flavor!! I can’t wait to try them!
These look perfect! I know a white chocolate lover who would really get a kick out of them.
I love the thought of comparing pumpkin with white chocolate. In my book white chocolate and caramel always top milk or dark chocolate.. I don’t have molasses but I think I’ll try replacing it with golden syrup.. :-)
Sounds like a plan!
Yum! These look like a perfect Fall treat, full of some of my absolute favorite flavors! :)
Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com
I love the idea of the white chocolate with the pumpkin, pinning!
Thanks, Sue!
Haha, great minds!! I love the white chocolate and salt idea. Amazing!
Thanks for pinning and yes the salt cuts some of that sweetness and I love the combo!
I swear you are writing these recipes especially for me! Pumpkin pie spice, white chocolate and molasses in one cookie?!?! YES, please!
Weirdly, I was just thinking this morning that I feel like I”m losing my sweet tooth. At least in comparison to previous years at the beginning of holiday season. I normally do sweets for snacks in the afternoon, but lately I’ve been reaching for salty and savory. I guess I shouldn’t complain, right? These flavors though…
The combo with the pumpkin pie spice, white chocolate and molasses…totally for the both of us :) And the salty-sweet vibe just worked. The salt was perfect to cut some of that sweetness from the white choc!
Mmm such a delicious looking cookie!! Love the white chocolate in there :)
These cookies look delicious! Could you use
pumpkin pie extract instead of vanilla?
Yes if you have it, by all means go for it!
I’ve never had this combination of flavors in a cookie but what’s not to love?!? That little bit of salt is visually appealing–I can imagine how great these taste!
The salt was perfect to cut some of that sweetness from the white chocolate and I had never had the combo either but figured, why not! After 7 years of this, I have to get creative :)
Oh, your cookie pics! And you salted the pumpkin cookies. Salt on cookies is like crack. So incredibly addictive and wonderful. Gives these guys a real fall holiday edge!
Salt on cookies is like crack. <--- Amen to that!!