These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are light and fluffy cookies made with pumpkin puree and plenty of chocolate chips. A one bowl cookie recipe that’s perfect for the fall!
Chocolate chip cookies are a universally adored treat. When you add pumpkin and fall spices to the mix, you get an amazingly delicious cookie that’s perfect for snack time, lunch boxes or any fall gathering. If you love pumpkin treats, don’t miss my amazingly delicious pumpkin cake, pumpkin muffins or pumpkin gooey butter cake!
‘Tis the season for everything pumpkin and I’m not complaining. Especially because I finally don’t feel guilty for breaking out these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. If you’re into the season of pumpkin like I am, you’ll want to put this recipe at the top of your fall must-make list. These cakey treats have an amazing flavor and light texture.
If you want to make more cookies try my brownie cookies, monster cookies and molasses cookies! Enjoy these cookies in fall or winter. You can even make them for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Table of Contents
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
To make this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, you will need pumpkin puree, flour, vegetable oil, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips.
How Do You Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies?
To make these chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, first place pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together until well combined. Next, add the dry ingredients of baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt and flour to the bowl. Stir just until a dough forms, then fold in the chocolate chips. Let the dough mixture chill for at least an hour. Spoon the dough onto a prepared baking sheet, then add a few more chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges. Cool on a wire rack, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- You can use canned pumpkin puree or you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice at home, you can easily make your own for this recipe. Combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg. Stir all of these spices into your dough and you’ll be ready to go.
- For the prettiest presentation, add a few chocolate chips onto the top of each pumpkin cookie before they go into the oven.
- Any neutral flavored oil will work in this recipe. I typically use canola oil, but other options include grapeseed oil, sunflower oil or standard vegetable oil.
- I use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to make the same size dollops of cookie dough.
Quick Tip
It is best to use canned pumpkin puree for your pumpkin chocolate cookies; do not use canned pumpkin pie filling.
Recipe FAQs
Pumpkin puree is just pure pumpkin turned into a puree with no added ingredients. This means it’s all natural and there’s no flavoring added–it’s just good old pumpkin. The pumpkin pie filling is a flavored pie filling and cannot be readily substituted for pumpkin puree in recipes.
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy due to the use of pumpkin puree and oil to bring moisture into the cookies and baking powder to make the cookies more fluffy and cake like.
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or you can freeze them for up to 1 month.
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Flavor Variations
These cookies are delicious as-is, but you can change up some of the ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Chocolate chips: Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, try using white chips or milk chocolate chips.
- Add-Ins: You can substitute 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips for other add-ins. Some great options include chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, toffee bits or coconut.
- Frosting: Try making a simple cream cheese frosting to smear over the tops of the cookies. For the frosting, beat 1/2 cup softened butter with 8 ounces softened cream cheese in a mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and mix on low speed until combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, then the frosting is ready to use.
- Spiced cookie: Double a the pumpkin pie spice for cookies that taste more like a spice cake.
- Chocolate Dipped: Place candy melts in a microwave safe bowl and heat until melted in 30 second increments. Dip half or all of your cookies and let them cool and harden on a wire rack.
I don’t think these pumpkin chocolate cookies got to cool down before they were gone. Just beware, it’s really easy to eat about a dozen of these before you even realize what you just did. It’s only for the fall and winter, so indulge and enjoy! Be sure to check out some of my other great dessert recipes such as mint brownies, heart cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, pizzelle cookies and chocolate spritz cookies for more ways to indulge!
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips plus more to sprinkle over the tops of the cookies
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Add the baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt and flour to the bowl. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least one hour, or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
- Place 2 tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheet at a time, keeping the cookies 2 inches apart. Press a few chocolate chips into the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes or until tops are set and edges are light golden brown.
- Let sit 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- It is best to use canned pumpkin puree for your pumpkin chocolate cookies; do not use canned pumpkin pie filling.
- The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
I make these often and love them. My question is can I freeze the dough on cookie form like I do my chocolate chip cookies?
Yes that’s fine!
Are they ok to freeze?
Yes you can freeze them!
These cookies are the best! Definitely making some for thanksgiving!
It’s a perfect fall treat. So delicious. Thanks for sharing.
This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, looks delicious, never seen before with pumpkin flavor, need to make this soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂
My family and I love these cookies! Thank you for the recipe!
These were the perfect fall twist on regular chocolate chip cookies! They turned out moist and sweet – kind of like pumpkin bread in the form of a cookie – we loved them!
Hi these look delish— can I substitute all purpose flour with Almond flour???? Trying to make a less carby version out of it. Thanks
I haven’t tested it with almond flour so I’m not sure if it would work or not!
Yummy cookies that you won’t be able to stop eating!
I’ve been making this recipe since 1980! It’s my favorite! I learned it from the lady that I used to babysit for.
I decided to try our your pumpkin cookie, along with the pumpkin pie recipe since I am staying home (like many others I’m sure) and not visiting any family. I actually goofed up on the recipe and put the entire can of pumpkin in! Haha! I also didn’t have any canola or vegetable oil, but had coconut oil on hand, so I used that. I also added some raisins in along with the chocolate chips. I have a gas stove and baked everything for the entire 12 minutes and they came out wonderful! Thank you again – it made my house smell sooo good!
My batter is extremely sticky. I followed the directions exactly. Is this normal because the purée?
It’s a softer batter but should firm up as it chills!
Hi! Is there any harm in chilling them for 24 hours (if I wanted to make the dough tonight and then bake tomorrow night)?
That should be fine!
Tried these tonight for the hubby as he likes pumpkin everything! He is also a recent vegan convert so had to substitute the egg with ground flax seed (1 TBS FLAX , 3 Tbs water). They were good! I’m a little more of a crispy cookie kind of girl but the hubby enjoyed them.
i wonder if i can substitute pumpkin with sweet potato! Bought the wrong main ingredient! :/
Is it canned sweet potato?
Hello – I am *confused*!! I was enjoying reading your pumpkin recipes specifically because you use only fresh pumpkin purée, not canned. At least you emphasize that in your description. But in the recipes you state to use
“…canned pumpkin purée”. How much is in this can you are saying each recipe needs?
Are you able to tell me how many cups to use?? I really & sincerely think your recipes look lovely, but I am baffled as to the pumpkin purée portions!
Thanks
You can use fresh or canned puree and it’s 1 cup either way!
Wow we’re these good! Moist and flavorful! Love the melting chocolate chips!
Has anyone frozen these, and then thawed to eat later?
That should be fine!
Made these for a fall company picnic and they were a big hit! Not too sweet and the cookies were thick and almost fluffy. So yummy!
Best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! They look storebought and my coworkers couldn’t get enough. I must’ve eaten 4 or 5 before the food coma hit. So delicious!
I halfed this recipe (but kept the 1 egg) and they turned out amazing! I only chilled the dough for like 10-15 mins but they turned out really good anyways. Thanks for the recipe!