Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
What better way to celebrate the beginning of all things pumpkin season than with these Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies! Unlike most pumpkin cookies, these are not cakey in texture. Instead, they’re soft and chewy. Paired with pumpkin spice and dotted with chocolate chips which help break the sweetness of the cookies, these cookies will be such a hit at your next holiday get together, cookie swaps, bake sales and even make great gifts!
By the way, if you’re looking for more amazing cookie recipes you can’t go past my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies which are an absolute classic! I have a soft spot for my Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies and my Brookie Brownie Cookies too!
Why you’ll love these cookies!
- First of all, this recipe makes 8-10 cookies which means you won’t end up with loads of leftover cookies.
- Pumpkin is a difficult flavor to get into a dessert. It gives your desserts a gorgeous golden color, but the flavor often isn’t there. These cookies are chilled for 24 hours so the flavors are given a chance to have a party in the fridge and meld together. SO there’s a delicious pumpkin flavor.
- These cookies are chewy! If you’re a fan of the chewy cookie and not so much a fan of cakey cookies, then you won’t be disappointed. Want to go the extra mile in the chew factor? Underbaking is the trick!
- Chocolate Chips are littered throughout this cookie! Using bittersweet or ‘dark’ chocolate chips helps cut through the sweetness of the cookie making these even more delicious!
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
Ingredients You Need To Make these delicious Pumpkin Cookies!
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. Make sure you spoon and level it into your
- Cake Flour – Cake flour is a low protein flour that is used to make these cookies light and chewy. You can use store bought which has a much finer flour consistency, or simply make your own with my simple recipe. Click here to get the recipe and learn all the tips and tricks.
- Baking powder – this helps lighten the cookies and gives them a small boost of air in the oven as they bake.
- Salt – I used fine salt. If using salted butter, leave the salt out.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter but you can use salted butter. This recipe relies on good quality ingredients, so go for a good quality butter.
- Eggs – I used large eggs. Adding an egg yolk helps make these cookies chewy.
- Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar, this helps give the cookies a finer consistency. Alternatively, you can use granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar – helps give these cookies a gorgeous brown sugar flavor that’s so iconic in chewy cookies.
- Cinnamon – I used ground cinnamon in this recipe. It helps give these cookies a fall warmth but is optional.
- Pumpkin Puree – You can use canned pumpkin puree for this recipe, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling. Alternatively, you can make your own which is really easy using my recipe! Click here for all the tips and tricks to making your own pumpkin puree!
- Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
- Chocolate Chips – Using good quality chocolate chips is important for this recipe. I used semi-sweet chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. You can find cooking chocolate in the baking isle of your supermarket. I would recommend placing a couple chocolate chips on top right after you take the cookies out of the oven. The heat will cause them to melt and stick to the cookies and they look so aesthetically pleasing!
How to make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies!
- Simply mix both flours, salt and baking powder together.
- Add the butter, egg yolk, egg, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract to a separate bowl and mix until well combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips and use a spatula to mix until a dough forms. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
- Scoop the batter into 3 tbsp sized balls and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden around the sides. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top and allow to cool completely. Serve.
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Storage – Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Dark chocolate It’s important to use cooking chocolate for this recipe. Using non-cooking chocolate will cause the chocolate to seize and bubble as it bakes. Then it has a crumbly texture.
- Getting perfectly round cookies is easy! Simple use a large cookie cutter to wiggle around each cookie to give it a rounder shape.
- Underbaking your cookies (for about 9-10 minutes) results in a chewier cookie. That’s why you only bake them for 10 minutes in this recipe!
- Chilling your cookies helps give the cookie batter ingredients time to blend together and make a chewier cookie that looks better too! I chill mine for 24 hours to get a really yummy cookie but you can also do it for as little as 2 hours if you just can’t wait that long!
- If making your own pumpkin puree, make sure you go the extra step and strain it overnight to have an even more delicious cookie that isn’t soggy!
- Make sure you let your cookies cool completely before serving. Even when served warm they are too soft to hold.
- Want to make these even more delicious? Sprinkle with sea salt flakes as soon as they come out of the oven!
Frequently Asked Questions about Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
What do they taste like?
Typically, pumpkin in desserts doesn’t have a strong flavor, but you can taste it in this recipe. Combined with delicious pumpkin spice and dotted with chocolate chips, these cookies are amazing.
How do I store them?
Storing them is easy. Simply store the an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yep! You can roll the cookie into balls, freeze on a baking tray and then transfer to a zip lock bag. To bake, take out of the oven and bake until golden.
Why do these cookies need to be chilled?
Chilling these in the fridge for a couple hours of overnight helps the cookie dough ingredients meld together resulting in a chewier cookie. You can certainly skip the chilling part, but waiting for them is so worth the extra effort!
How can I make my own Pumpkin Puree?
You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own which is really easy! I have a great recipe for it which gives you all the tips and tricks on how to make your own. Simply clean your pumpkin with a damp cloth and pat dry it. Carefully cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and soft flesh. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cut side down and bake for 90 minutes on 180C / 350F. Once baked, allow to cool before scooping away the baked flesh into a food processor. Blitz until smooth. If you want canned pumpkin style thick puree simply place into a cheese cloth and place into a sieve. Place the sieve over a bowl and allow to strain for 2 hours or overnight for nice thick pumpkin puree.
How can I make my own Pumpkin spice?
This recipe uses cinnamon, but you substitute it with your favourite pumpkin spice mix. You can use store bought pumpkin spice, but making your own pumpkin spice is so. easy! Simply mix together 3 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best), 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice, pinch of ground black pepper.
How Many Cookies will this recipe make?
Depending on the size of your cookies, this recipe will make 8-10 cookies. I tend to be generous with the size of my cookies so I make about 8.
Gave these yummy cookies a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!
If you loved this recipe, check these out!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Serves 8
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup / 115 g all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup / 115 g cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup / 113 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup / 70 g caster sugar
- 1/3 cup / 65 g brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup / 75 g pumpkin puree, (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups / 300 g dark cooking chocolate, chopped (see notes)
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
Cookies
- Add both flours to a large bowl along with the baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to combine.
- To a separate bowl add the softened butter, egg yolk, egg, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Use an electric beater to beat until pale and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients and chopped chocolate and use a spatula to mix. Then add the remaining flour and repeat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat a fan forced oven to 180C / 350F. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- Use a large cookie scoop (about 3 tbsp of cookie dough) to scoop out 8-10 cookies (6 on a large baking tray. Bake for 12 minutes).
- Once baked, top with more chocolate chips. Use a large cookie cutter to wiggle around each cookie to give it a rounder shape. Optional, but recommended: finish with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes.
Notes
Nutrition
