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A black cooling rack that has over a dozen pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on it.
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5 from 3 votes

The BEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are so fluffy and have a soft, cake-like texture that will leave you so satisfied! These are the perfect treat to take to any Fall gathering or to make on a chilly afternoon!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 97kcal
Author: Over The Big Moon

Equipment

  • Kitchen Aid or Hand Mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Pure Pumpkin
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • ½ Cup Butter softened
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 ½ Cups Flour (possibly up to ½ cup more)
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Milk
  • 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
  • ½ Cup Nuts optional

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream together the Pumpkin, Sugar, and Butter in a bowl with a hand mixer or in your kitchen aid.
  • Then add the egg and vanilla until combined.
  • Next, add 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into your bowl. Mix until fully combined.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix together 1 tsp baking soda with 1 tsp milk. Add it to the cookie batter and mix it together.
  • At this time the batter should be sticky, but not too wet. If it is too wet, add more flour ⅛ cup at a time. Once you reach a sticky consistency, add 1 cup chocolate chips + ½ cup nuts and incorporate them into your cookie batter.
  • Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to place 1-1.5" balls onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
  • Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes until the bottoms of the cookie start to lightly brown. How long you bake your cookies, will determine if they're more of a brownie texture on the inside or cake-like on the inside. A 2-minute bake difference is all it takes.
  • After they've been removed from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
  • The best way to store Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies is in the refrigerator or freezer. If left room temperature, the pure pumpkin will make the cookies sweat a little and they will get sticky on the outside. 

Notes

WHAT IF I LIKE A MORE DOUGHY COOKIE?

I generally go for more of a doughy / brownie texture in my cookies too. But, I'm telling you, these cookies are better with a cake-like texture. Do yourself a favor and the first time you make them, try making a pan both ways, and then you can decide which way you like them. A 2-3 minute bake time will make a big difference in their texture! 

CAN YOU USE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING OVER PURE PUMPKIN?

I don't suggest using pumpkin pie filling over pure pumpkin for this recipe. Both canned products are next to each other in the grocery store, but they are not the same thing. Pumpkin pie “filling” or “mix” is a pumpkin puree that has already been sweetened and flavored with spices, and is ready to use for a freshly baked dessert. So, if you use pumpkin pie filling, then your cookies will be much sweeter than they would if you follow my recipe.

CAN YOU FREEZE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?

Absolutely! Bake them as normal and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, put them in a freezer-safe Ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 8 weeks.
When you want to eat them, take them out of the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature and enjoy! 
*Tip* I like to freeze my pumpkin cookies in smaller freezer-safe bags, so I can just pull out a bag of 8-10 cookies at a time and not have to remove the frozen cookies from a large bag to defrost.