Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Almond Eater

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies never last long in my house. I’ll bake batch after batch, and they somehow always disappear.

Just like my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and gluten free apple crisp, these cookies are always on my fall baking list. I love how easy they are to make with just a handful of baking staples, some warm spices, and canned pumpkin puree. They have the same ooey gooey chewiness of a classic chocolate chip cookie, the cozy flavors of a pumpkin pie, and pools of melted chocolate in every bite—it’s no wonder that they’re such a hit!

Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients

Sugar – You need both brown sugar and cane sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar moistens the cookies, while cane sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness. Coconut sugar might work as a substitute for brown sugar, but it will likely make the cookies slightly drier.

Pumpkin – You need plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!

Pumpkin pie spice – For those light pumpkin pie flavors, we’re using a pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice blend mixed with a touch of extra cinnamon. You can make this yourself or buy it from the grocery store (I like the 365 Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s brands).

Chocolate chips – Any semi-sweet chocolate chips will do. Or, feel free to use chocolate chunks for even larger pools of melted chocolate (yum).

This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list. 

Variations

• Gluten-free – I only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but it should work with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead. If you’re looking for a healthier version, I recommend making my gluten-free pumpkin cookies instead (made with almond and coconut flour).
• Dairy-free – Use dairy-free butter and dark chocolate or non-dairy chocolate chips for dairy-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
• More mix-in ideas – Instead of only using chocolate chips in the cookies, use a 50-50 mix of chocolate chips and pretzel pieces, chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, or caramel chips.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1: Cream the butter. Start by creaming the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla until just combined.

Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon together. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Finish by gently folding in the chocolate chips.

Step 3: Shape the cookies. Use your hands to roll the cookie dough into 18 balls. Place them on a baking sheet.

Step 4: Bake. Bake the cookies until the edges are golden and the middles are soft. 

Step 5: Flatten the cookies. Immediately after taking them out of the oven, lift the baking sheet 1 inch above the counter and drop it down. Repeat this a few times to flatten the cookies.

Step 6: Cool. Set the cookies aside to cool, then serve and enjoy!

Erin’s Tips and Tricks

• If your cookie dough balls seem crowded after being spaced two inches apart on the baking sheet, bake them on two cookie sheets instead.
• Chilling the cookie dough isn’t necessary, unless it happens to be very sticky or difficult to roll into balls. In that case, place the bowl with the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
• Wet cookie dough could be a sign of overly wet pumpkin puree. You can avoid this by blotting the puree with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
• The cookies may look soft or underdone when they first come out of the oven, but this is what you want. They’ll firm up and become delightfully chewy as they cool!

Storage

Make-ahead: Prepare and shape the cookie dough balls as normal, flash freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, and transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookie dough balls from frozen, but I recommend adding an extra 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.

Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

Refrigerator: The leftover baked and cooled cookies will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Freezer: The cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Store them in a sealed freezer bag or container to prevent freezer burn.