Irresistible Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ultra-soft and loaded with fall flavor, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the perfect cool-weather treat. Swirled with gooey chocolate and popping with brown butter comfort, you won’t even look for a special occasion to whip up these cookies!
Made in just 40 minutes, these pumpkin cookies work beautifully as a last-minute dessert or Sunday afternoon treat. Thanks to the combination of pumpkin spice and brown butter, the cookies are packed with a flavor similar to that of pumpkin pie.
And since the cookies are made with real pumpkin puree, they almost fluff up when baked resulting in a soft but moist, cake-like texture. Great for any fall gathering, the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will soon become your go-to dessert.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup browned butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Preparation time:
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Freezing time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 9-12 minutes
Cooling time: 5 minutes
Total time: 35-40 minutes
Directions
1. Prepare the browned butter:
In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir occasionally until it turns a golden brown color and gives off a nutty aroma (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes.
2. Mix the wet ingredients:
In the bowl with the cooled browned butter, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
Mix until everything is well combined.
3. Incorporate the dry ingredients:
Add the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
Stir until everything is well mixed.
4. Add the chocolate chips:
Fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
5. Form the cookies:
Using a #20 scoop, form dough balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze the dough balls for 10 minutes to chill the dough.
6. Shape and bake:
After 10 minutes, take the dough out of the freezer and use your hands to round out the dough balls.
Place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are golden.
7. Cool:
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. [HPOC – Pre26]
Substitutions and Variations
Seasonings: Adjust the amount of pumpkin pie spice based on your taste preferences. For a stronger depth of flavor, you could also add more of the individual spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Chocolate chips: Each time you whip these pumpkin cookies up why not try switching out the classic chocolate chips for white chocolate or even butterscotch chips?
Crunch: If you like texture in your cookies, swirl in chopped pecans or sprinkle some on top of the cookies before you bake them.
Flakey sea salt: Adding some flakey sea salt to the tops of the cookies after they’re baked is a great way to jazz them up while giving a sweet and salty contrast.
Extracts: Add in a splash of almond extract for a nuttier flavor or a butterscotch extract for a more caramelized taste.
How To Make the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix or your cookies will be too sweet. You can also make your own pumpkin puree by roasting a small pumpkin, removing the skin, and pureeing the flesh in a food processor.
If you’re using a homemade pumpkin puree, take note of the texture. If it’s too watery it will prevent the cookies from becoming soft. Strain the puree with a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to remove any extra moisture.
Chilling the dough in the freezer helps the cookies from spreading too much while baking. Know that this means you can also prepare the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in advance and store them unbaked in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them.
For the pumpkin cookies to bake evenly, use a trigger ice cream scoop when portioning them. A #20 works best and results in a great cookie size. This way, the cookies will have a uniform texture to them.
Store baked pumpkin cookies once cooled in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days. If you store them in the fridge, they’ll last longer but lose some of their soft texture.
You can also freeze baked cookies, for up to 3 months.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup browned butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare the browned butter: In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir occasionally until it turns a golden brown color and gives off a nutty aroma (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In the bowl with the cooled browned butter, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Add the chocolate chips: Fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
- Form the cookies: Using a #20 scoop, form dough balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze the dough balls for 10 minutes to chill the dough.
- Shape and bake: After 10 minutes, take the dough out of the freezer and use your hands to round out the dough balls. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are golden.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Browned butter: Be careful not to burn the butter while browning it. Once it goes from golden brown to black, it may taste bitter. Remove it from the heat once it smells nutty and turns a golden color.
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain, unsweetened pumpkin puree for better results and to balance the sweetness.
- Homemade pumpkin puree: If you prefer a homemade option, roast a small pumpkin, remove the skin, and puree the flesh in a blender or food processor. This gives a fresher taste and lets you control the moisture.
- Strain excess moisture: If your pumpkin puree is too watery (common with homemade puree), strain it using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. This will prevent the cookies from becoming too soft or soggy.
- Cookie texture: The pumpkin puree adds extra moisture, so these cookies will be softer than traditional chocolate chip cookies.
- Pre-freezing the dough: Chilling the dough in the freezer helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Even sizing: Using a #20 scoop ensures that all cookies are the same size and bake evenly.
- Extra spices: For a stronger spice flavor, feel free to add a pinch more cinnamon or nutmeg to the mixture.
- Storage: These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them.
