Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with cozy pumpkin spice flavor, melty chocolate chips, and baked to a tender, chewy texture that makes them completely irresistible. Every bite tastes like fall! They're easy to make, perfectly spiced, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser for pumpkin lovers and chocolate chip cookie fans alike.

I am personally not a fan of a cakey cookie. I want my cookies to be slightly crisp on the edges with a soft and chewy center. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies deliver exactly that! You get those warm fall flavors from the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice, rich melty chocolate, and the delicious soft and chewy texture of the cookie itself. If you want that same perfect cookie without the pumpkin you will love my Homemade Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

If you're looking for more delicious fall inspired recipes check out my Easy Pumpkin Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookies, or Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Key Questions Answered Upfront
• Ingredients
• Ingredient Notes
• Substitutions and Variations
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Expert Baking Tips
• Troubleshooting and Fixes
• Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead
• Ingredient Deep-Dive
• Recipe FAQ's
• More Recipes You'll Love
• Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• They are perfectly soft and chewy. You won't find any cakey cookies here! These Lavender Butter Cookies are also soft and chewy.
• They have all the warm fall flavors. The pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice make these cookies cozy and comforting. Find similar flavors in my Pumpkin Skillet Cookie.
• These cookies are loaded with gooey chocolate chips. They rich, melty chocolate balances the spiced pumpkin flavor perfectly. My Moist Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is also loaded with chocolate.
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are a fun twist on a classic. They are the chocolate chip cookies you know and love with a fall upgrade. Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies give a tasty twist too!

Key Questions Answered Upfront

What makes pumpkin chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy?

• Drain the pumpkin puree will before mixing it into your cookie dough. Too much moisture leads to a cakey texture.
• Use more brown sugar than white sugar. It adds moisture and chew.
• Don't overmix your cookie dough! This creates too much gluten and makes a cookie more cakey and tough rather than soft and chewy.

Why do pumpkin cookies often turn out cakey?

Too much moisture! Adding pumpkin puree gives you that amazing pumpkin taste, but it also adds a lot of moisture, which can make your cookies cakey. Lay your puree on paper towels and gently squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible.

How do I keep my cookies from spreading too much?

Chill your pumpkin cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Cold dough spreads more slowly in the oven giving you thicker, chewier cookies.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Pumpkin Puree. Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Drain on a paper towel and then squeeze out excess water for best texture. See also my Pumpkin Cake
• Brown sugar and white sugar. more brown sugar means more chew and flavor. I use all brown sugar in my Coffee Cake Muffins.
• Pumpkin spice. This adds that warm, cozy flavor. I prefer homemade pumpkin spice but store bought works just as well. I also use it in these Pumpkin Spice Donuts.
• Chocolate chips. I think semi-sweet or dark chocolate tastes the best, but use whatever you prefer! You get double the chocolate chips in my Brookies.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

• Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch. Like in my Turtle Scones.
• Fold in mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers for Pumpkin S'mores Cookies. Similar to my S'mores Stuffed Cookies.
• Brown the butter before making the cookie for a deep, nutty flavor. I use the same flavor in my Brown Butter Cookies.
• Add some maple extract for even more fall flavor. If you're a maple fan you will love my Maple Coffee Cake.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Step-By-Step Instructions

STEP 1: Measure out the pumpkin puree and lay it a paper towel to drain. After a few minutes wrap the paper towel around the pumpkin and gently squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.

STEP 7: Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

STEP 8: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet.

Expert Baking Tips

• Chill your cookie dough. This prevents flat, overspread cookies.
• Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold.
• Don’t use cold ingredients. This helps the dough mix evenly.
• Weigh your ingredients for accuracy, especially flour.
• Use a cookie cutter to shape your cookies after baking. If you shake a cookie cutter around the cookies when they are fresh out of the oven they will be perfectly round and more visually appealing.
• Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt before serving. Salt complements chocolate perfectly and will really bring out the flavor. I also love to do this with my Gooey Fudgy Brownies.

Troubleshooting and Fixes

Why are my pumpkin cookies cakey?

The pumpkin puree was probably not drained well enough. Let it sit on the paper towel for longer and really make sure you squeeze out as much water as possible.

Why are my cookies dry and crumbly?

There are a number of reasons:

• You added too much flour. Measuring flour by hand can be tricky. I always recommend weighing your ingredients.
• You over baked the cookies. Always take cookies out of the oven before they are fully baked. They will continue baking on the tray as they cool.
• You over mixed the cookie dough. This causes the gluten to over develop and creates tougher cookies. Mix until all of your ingredients are just combined.

Why did my cookies spread so much?

The dough probably wasn't properly chilled. Warm dough spreads before it has a chance to set. Chill your dough for at least 30 minutes. If you want extra thick cookies with minimal spreading, chill them overnight.

Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead

• Room Temperature: When stored correctly in an airtight container they will stay from for 3-5 days.
• Refrigerator: Dough will last in the fridge for 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. After this it will start to dry out. Baked cookies will last about a week.
• Freezer: Baked cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for about 2-3 months when store properly. I prefer to freeze by laying cookies out on a baking sheet, freezing until solid, then transferring to an airtight container or freezer bag.
  • Freeze cookie dough using the same method. Scoop the dough, lay out on a cookie sheet, freeze until solid and transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag.
• Thawing: Let frozen cookies thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes or warm them in the oven at 300 degrees (F) for 5 minutes.
• Baking Frozen Cookie Dough: Remove the dough from the freezer and set the scooped cookie dough on a baking sheet. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes then bake according to the recipe.

Ingredient Deep-Dive

Canned vs Homemade Pumpkin Puree

• Canned Puree: Thick, consistent, and easy. It's is my recommendation. Be sure to always use 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Homemade Puree: Usually thinner and more watery, which will affect the texture of the cookies. It also requires more prep work on your part.
• Pumpkin Puree Brands: I reach for Simply Truth Organic Pumpkin Puree or Libby's. I always have consistent and positive results with these brands!

Chocolate Chips vs Chocolate Chunks

• Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape while baking, so they don't fully melt. These are great if you want that classic chocolate chip cookie look. They are also usually sweeter with less of an actual chocolate taste.
• Chocolate chunks from a cut up chocolate bar create irregular pieces that fully melt into big puddles of chocolate. This creates a gooier, more bakery-style cookie with a more dramatic look to them. Chocolate bars usually also have a richer, more chocolatey flavor.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice vs Store-Bought

• Homemade Pumpkin Spice: Fresher, more customizable flavor. You can really make it your own by adding more or less of each spice depending on what you like.
• Store-Bought Pumpkin Spice: More consistent flavor and more mild overall. Most blends are usually heavier on the cinnamon. This is a more convenient and less time consuming option.
• Brands: I love making my own pumpkin spice, and it's super easy to do, but when I do buy it I always reach for the Spice Islands brand.

Recipe FAQ's

More Recipes You'll Love

If you tried these Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the  comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!

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