These chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the perfect spiced fall cookie. With a chewy center and a slightly crispy edge, these cookies just melt in your mouth!
Chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are flavored with browned butter, pumpkin, spices and chocolate. They're the pumpkin version of a good chocolate chip cookie, and not cakey at all.
For more pumpkin recipes you should try my pumpkin banana muffins, pumpkin coconut cake, or my pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies.
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Why You Will Love These Cookies
- ONE BOWL: You only need to dirty one bowl, and a mixer isn't even required.
- TASTES LIKE FALL: Between the browned butter, pumpkin and spices these flavors are the epitome of fall.
- NO CHILL TIME: These cookies can be made quick since the dough doesn't need to sit in the fridge.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter- You are going to brown the butter for these cookies to help give a more aromatic flavor. Allow it to cool once browned.
- Egg Yolk- You only need one yolk since the pumpkin gives so much moisture.
- Pumpkin- Make sure you use canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling that has other things added. You are going to blot out the moisture with a paper towel before adding to your mixing bowl.
- Flour- If you have a scale make sure to weigh your flour.
- Chocolate Chips- Guittard is my favorite brand for chips. A chopped bar would also work well.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Start by browning the butter. You'll take half a cup of butter (one stick) and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour all of it into a bowl and allow to cool completely.
Step 2: Measure out ⅓ cup of pumpkin and place on a paper plate. Using some paper towels, blot the pumpkin, removing liquid until the paper towel wipes clean. When done the pumpkin should measure more like ¼ cup (60g).
Step 3: Place browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and mix together. Add pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and mix again.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to bowl and mix on low, being careful not to overmix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in chocolate chips, saving a handful to stick on top of the dough balls.
Step 5: Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop. Roll the cookies slightly and push down just a bit so they aren't quite so tall. Top with a few extra chocolate chips and sprinkle with a bit of flaked salt if desired.
Step 6: Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. You don't want to see any shiny dough in the middle of the cookie, but make sure not to over bake these. Allow cookies to cool on the pan before moving to a cooling rack to hold their shape.
Expert Baking Tips
- Blotting the pumpkin beforehand is what helps these cookies to become less cakey and more chewy. Please don't skip this step.
- I found that after I scoop the dough, rolling it and flattening the dough slightly helps these to spread evenly.
- Top cookies with a few extra chocolate chips before baking for an even prettier looking cookie.
FAQ
You should be able to see a light brown rim around the edge of the cookie, and the center won't be glossy at all.
Yes, these cookies would be great without chocolate as well. You could also roll in a bit of cinnamon and sugar.
Yes, just make sure you do all the blotting as well, and once done it is ¼ cup.
Storing & Freezing
These chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for 3-4 days at room temperature.
FREEZING
You can freeze your cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 months with them remaining fresh. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls if you would like to bake them one at a time, or as needed, just allow to thaw before baking.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter browned and cooled
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 g) pumpkin puree blotted to become ¼ cup
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 1⅓ cups (186 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips
- flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter. You'll take ½ cup of butter (one stick) and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour all of it into a bowl and allow to cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Measure out ⅓ cup of pumpkin and place on a paper plate. Using some paper towels, blot the pumpkin, removing liquid until the paper towel wipes clean. When done the pumpkin should measure more like ¼ cup (60g).
- Place browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and mix together. Add pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to bowl and mix on low, being careful not to overmix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in chocolate chips, saving a handful to stick on top of the dough balls.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop. Roll the cookies slightly and push down just a bit so they aren't quite so tall. Top with a few extra chocolate chips and sprinkle with a bit of flaked salt if desired.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. You don't want to see any shiny dough in the middle of the cookie, but make sure not to over bake these. Allow cookies to cool on the pan before moving to a cooling rack to hold their shape.
Nicki
These cookies were so delicious! Brown butter is the best but only with a good recipe. Love these cookies and will make again!
brooke
Thank you so much!! I love brown butter too.. especially with pumpkin!
Sarah
I love pumpkin and chocolate separate but I was a little skeptical about them together…this recipe made it easy to love! These cookies were so good and my favorite part is they were chewy like cookies not caky at all!
brooke
Yay!! Thank you so much for trying them and leaving a review!
Bekka
Made these exactly per the recipe and loved them so much we had to make them again a week later. This time we doubled it! Love this one!
Karley Terry
These are so yummy! The pumpkin is not overbearing and the texture is so good. One thing to be aware of is the yield of the recipe. It doesn’t make very many, so if you are making these for a crowd (and you will want to), double or even triple it!
Merideth
Absolutely delicious!!
Brooke Homec
Yay!! Thank you so much Merideth!
Irene
I made these multiple times this past season and they were delicious. The browned butter, blotted pumpkin and large scoop size are all game changers. So. Good. My new favorite pumpkin cookie recipe.
Kristi
These are absolutely delicious! They’re chewy and everyone loves them. My kids always ask me to make them. I’m not a big pumpkin flavor person but these are so good! I made them to bring with us to Thanksgiving and didn’t last long!!
Brooke Homec
Thank you SO much!!
Shauna Phillips
Made these in mini skillets, underbaked, and topped with ice cream. So yummy!
Brooke Homec
I love this idea!!!
Bailey
Love that these aren’t spongey like most other pumpkin cookies. I’ll never make another recipe again! These are winners!
Wendy
Wow! First this recipe was very easy to make! Delish cookies I will definitely make again!
Question: I want to make these for a neighbors that are GF. Do you have any tricks for working with 1-1King Arthur’s GF flour and your recipes?
Brooke Homec
Thanks Wendy! Yes, you can just sub in the 1:1 flour, if weighing your flour go off of their weight per cup instead of mine as sometimes the gf flour weighs differently.