These soft chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are light, fluffy, and soft. This recipe is perfect for Fall! Easy to make and simple ingredients!
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You'll adore this recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!
The first week of October is one of my favorite times of the year! Fall is in the air, it's cooling off, and the colors on the mountains are getting vibrant and beautiful.
I love pumpkin recipes, and these cookies are an all-time favorite. I've been making this recipe for years, and it's pretty close to perfect! I really recommend that you bake the cookies one tray at a time. This ensures that they get that nice dome on top and are big and beautiful and fluffy!
I love thick, pillowy, soft pumpkin cookies and that's exactly how these are. They have a great fluffy texture that absolutely melts in your mouth. Combined with the cinnamon and chocolate chips, it's pretty much fall flavored heaven! You can use any kind of chocolate chips you like, white chocolate chips are one of my favorite versions!
I love to make these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies bigger than normal. To do that, I just round off my scoops instead of scraping them flat against the side of the bowl. One day I'll get a large cookie scoop to make the job a bit more uniform!
I am all for pumpkin recipes come fall, and hopefully, I'll be sharing more with you over the coming months. I also have an amazing recipe for soft pumpkin sugar cookies and a pumpkin pancake recipe.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Canned pumpkin
- White sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Egg
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips
How to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, set aside.
- Combine pumpkin and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets – the rounded tablespoons will turn out a bit bigger than a standard cookie so bake 8 per tray.
- Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 12-14 minutes until the tops are set and the cookies are slightly firm. The cookies bake up more fluffy if baked one tray at a time on the middle rack in the oven.
Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Add-Ins
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- White chocolate chips
- Dried cranberries
- Candied ginger
How to store Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Should Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies be refrigerated?
No, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies don't need to be refrigerated. They will be good for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can you freeze pumpkin cookies?
Yes, you can freeze pumpkin cookies. Wrap in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQs on Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
A can of pumpkin puree weighs 15 ounces, but the recipe calls for 1 cup so you’d use 8 ounces of fresh pumpkin for this recipe. If your fresh pumpkin puree has more liquid in it than puree from the can, cook it over the stovetop for a few minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate out. The consistency should be thick but loose enough that it will splatter.
You can try it, but the brown sugar has a different flavor and moisture level so it will change the texture of the cookies and may change how they bake. You will probably need to add more flour to the batter to get it to the right consistency. The cookie won't turn out as fluffy since brown sugar is more dense.
Have your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies come out a little sticky? Here are a few common reasons why:
Taken out the oven too soon: One of the main reasons for sticky cookies is that they haven't been baked long enough. Keep an eye on your cookies and wait until the top is set before taking them out of the oven.
Too much moisture: Pumpkin puree contains a lot of moisture. You must account for this when measuring your other ingredients and adjust accordingly.
Not stored correctly: If you put your pumpkin cookies in an airtight container while they’re still warm, the steam and moisture can get trapped – making them sticky. Make sure to let your cookies cool completely before storing them!
But don't worry, my chocolate chip pumpkin cookie recipe is tried and tested! So, if you follow the measurements provided, your cookies should turn out just right.
There's nothing more disappointing than expecting a thick and soft cookie only to end up with a flat and crispy one! Here are some reasons why your pumpkin cookies are coming out flat:
Too much butter or oil can cause the cookies to spread and flatten out while baking. Always measure your ingredients accurately.
If you're using a recipe that requires butter (unlike my recipe that uses oil), don't let the butter get too warm. Softened butter is good, but melted butter can cause the cookies to flatten out.
Overmixing the ingredients can also lead to flat cookies. Mix until just combined, and avoid overworking the dough.
Warm cookie dough can also cause flat cookies! If your dough has become too warm, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill before baking.
The wrong temperature setting on your oven can also affect the shape of your cookies. The dough may spread and flatten if your oven is too hot or cold. Always preheat your oven to the specified temperature.
The secret to soft and chewy cookies lies in the creaming method. Creaming butter or oil with sugar creates air pockets, giving the cookies a lighter and softer texture. You want to thoroughly cream your ingredients together for at least 2 minutes. This allows enough air to be incorporated into the mixture - resulting in a softer and chewier cookie!
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, or milk chocolate, or white)
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, set aside.
- Combine pumpkin and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets - the rounded tablespoons will turn out bit bigger than a standard cookie so bake 8 per tray.
- Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 12-14 minutes until the tops are set and the cookies are slightly firm. The cookies bake up more fluffy if baked one tray at a time on the middle rack in the oven.
Carolina
Hi! Would love to make these - but can I sub the white sugar for dark brown? It’s the only one I have on hand
Alli
You can try it, but brown sugar has a different flavor and moisture so it will change the texture of the cookies and may change how they bake. Good luck!
Alli
One of my favorite cookies!
Linda Shelley
I have a real pumpkin, and would love to make these!
How much fresh pumpkin to I need to produce a 'canful'?
Alli
Hi Linda! Great question. Would your fresh pumpkin be the same consistency as pumpkin puree from the can? If so, I would just make sure the weight is equal. A can of pumpkin puree weighs 15 ounces, but the recipe calls for 1 cup so you'd use 8 ounces for this recipe. If you fresh pumpkin has more liquid in it than puree from the can, cook it over the stovetop for a few minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate out. The consistency should be thick but loose enough that it will splatter. Does that help? Let me know how they turn out!!