These pumpkin chocolate chunk cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with melty chocolate - pure fall comfort in every bite! Super delicious and easy to make just like Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
It's that time of the year when you find yourself reaching for warm spices, cozy cookie recipes, and, of course, a big can of pumpkin purée.
These dense and chewy pumpkin-spice cookies are everything you want in a seasonal treat: made with real pumpkin purée and a warm blend of cinnamon and pumpkin spice, they strike the perfect balance between chewy and cakey, similar to Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Chopped dark chocolate melts into puddles throughout, giving these pumpkin cookies that bakery-style look. They look like a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but taste like perfectly pumpkin-y ones and are not cakey at all! You might also like Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes and Fall Baking Recipes.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and easy: Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are easy and super fast to make - simply mix pumpkin puree, spices, chocolate chips (or chunks) with the cookie batter, refrigerate for 10 minutes and then bake.
- Soft & chewy texture: The chewy texture and gooey chocolate make every bite feel indulgent, while the pumpkin keeps the cookies tender and moist. Soft, thick, and full of warm fall flavor in every bite.
- Pumpkin + chocolate = magic: The natural sweetness and moisture of pumpkin puree vs. big, melty chunks of chocolate - these cookies are the perfect way to welcome fall into your kitchen. Pumpkin recipes rule!
Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients
Here's what you'll need. For best results, measure carefully and pick good-quality dark chocolate.
- All-purpose flour: I like to use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice: Or use ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I used same spices in Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust and Caramel Sauce.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: The blend of the two gives the cookies perfect sweetness and texture.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best. Another option would be vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.
- Vanilla: What's a cookie without it? It adds a nice background flavor.
- Canned pumpkin puree: Thanks to pumpkin purée and just the right baking time, these cookies stay tender and never dry out.
- Dark chocolate: Go for high-quality chocolate for gooey pockets in every bite. I like to use semi-sweet and dark chocolate bars (or chunks), but milk chocolate would be fine too if that's what you prefer.
- Baking soda: It gives these cookies the perfect lift.
- Salt: Important, or cookies will taste too flat.
How to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
1. Mix liquid ingredients: In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the blotted pumpkin purée and vanilla extract.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
3. Combine dry and liquid ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a large spoon until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
4. Fold in most of the chocolate chunks, reserving a handful for the topping.
Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 10 minutes. This helps prevent spreading.
5. Shape cookies and place them on the baking sheet. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place them a few inches apart on the baking sheets. Press a few reserved chocolate chips onto the tops of each dough ball.
6. Bake at 350 F. for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Whisk
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (blotted with paper towel)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chunks
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the blotted pumpkin purée and vanilla extract.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a large spoon until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Fold in most of the chopped chocolate, reserving a handful for the tops.
- Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 10 minutes. This helps prevent spreading.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place them a few inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Press a few reserved chocolate chunks onto the tops of each dough ball.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Cookies Every Time
- Skip the egg: Most pumpkin cookies are soft and cake-like due to extra moisture and eggs. The secret to dense and chewy cookies is omitting eggs: Pumpkin puree successfully replaces eggs, reducing excess moisture and preventing cakiness.
- Blot the pumpkin: Too much moisture leads to cakey cookies. Place pumpkin purée between a few layers of paper towel and gently press to remove excess liquid before measuring.
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough firms up the fat, preventing the cookies from spreading too much and keeping them thick.
- Use chopped chocolate: Chopping your own chocolate bar instead of using chips gives pockets of melty chocolate and a bakery-style look.
- Avoid overbaking and flatten the cookies if needed: Slight underbaking and smashing dough balls partway through baking can help develop a denser, fudgier texture.
Why Are My Pumpkin Cookies Cakey or Spongy Instead of Chewy?
- Using too much pumpkin puree-or not blotting it-adds water, causing puffiness and a cake-like or muffin-top texture.
- Avoid eggs, especially egg whites - they create more rise and a lighter, spongier crumb. That's why my recipe is intentionally egg free.
- Over-measuring flour or adding too much baking soda gives baked goods extra lift, also leading to cakey results.
- Pumpkin's natural starch content also bulks up cookies if not balanced with enough fat or sweetness.
Why Do My Pumpkin Cookies Taste Bland?
- Too much moisture from pumpkin puree: Pumpkin is naturally over 90% water. This excess moisture mutes flavors and makes cookies taste flat. Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels before adding it to your dough to concentrate flavor.
- Lack of balanced seasoning: A small pinch of salt can dramatically improve the overall taste profile.
- Not enough spice intensity: Pumpkin needs strong supporting flavors. Increase warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves-or use a generous amount of pumpkin pie spice blend for depth.
Why Did My Pumpkin Cookies Spread Too Much?
Warm butter, too little flour, or over-mixed dough can make cookies spread into flat puddles. Simple fix is to chill dough for 30 minutes and use parchment instead of a greased pan.
Essential Tools
- Mixing bowls: Thick Glass Mixing Bowls with Airtight Lids.
- Hand Mixer: 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer Electric with Dough Hooks and a Whisk!!
- Ice cream scoop: Non stick Anti Freeze Aluminum Scoop.
- Baking Sheet and Cooling Rack
Can I Make Pumpkin Cookies Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free?
- Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend containing xanthan gum.
- Dairy-Free: Use coconut oil or vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate chunks.
Variations and Substitutions
- Nuts: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch and flavor.
- Spice Up: Add ginger or cloves for bolder seasonal taste.
- Chunks vs Chips: Experiment with bittersweet, semisweet, or milk chocolate chips.
- Brown butter: Makes cookies even more chewy and dense and adds caramel like taste and texture.
Serving and Storage
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies are ideal for Autumn bakes, Halloween parties, or Thanksgiving dessert tables.
- Room temp: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months and thaw before serving. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake directly from frozen, just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Ellen says
i’ve made these cookies a few times now and we never tire of them! I follow the recipe (but add more of the spices) and the cookies barely last a whole day (I eat most of them myself). Will be making these every fall for years to come.
Olya Shepard says
Thank you