These are the absolute BEST pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Soft, moist, and loaded with fresh pumpkin flavor and sweet chocolate chips. This is one of my most requested recipes and gets rave reviews every time.
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Easy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
While I have so many fall favorites to bake every year, these are hands down on my list every year. They are THE BEST pumpkin chocolate chip cookies out there! I make them all the time in the fall and frequently get requests for the recipe. Everyone always raves about them.
These chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are so soft and moist and have the perfect light, fluffy, and cake-like texture. They are full of fresh pumpkin flavor and loaded with sweet chocolate chips. Every bite is absolute heaven. They will definitely become your new favorite pumpkin recipe!
If you love the pumpkin chocolate combination, you’ll also want to try my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
Why This Recipe Works
These are the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! So simple to make, using only pantry ingredients, and soft and chewy every time. Store these cookies in an airtight container when making large batches!
- Quick and easy! This cookie recipe is simple combine all the ingredients in a bowl and place on a cookie sheet to bake. Within an hour you will be enjoying several batches of fall favorite cookies!
- Pantry ingredients. Keep the ingredients on hand and make these all year long!
- Soft and chewy. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the best way to enjoy soft and chewy cookies. Try not to overmix the ingredients to ensure the cookies stay soft and fluffy when baking.
- Storing. Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, store the cookies on plates with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Recipe Ingredients
Simple pantry staples are needed to make these easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I’m sure you probably already have most of these ingredients on hand!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, egg, milk, and vanilla.
- Pumpkin: Using 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) will give you the best pumpkin flavor. You can buy canned puree, or make homemade pumpkin puree from scratch if you have fresh pumpkins to use up.
- Oil: Used to help moisten the texture of the cookies. Both vegetable oil and canola oil will work in this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Spices: A mix of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt helps give these cookies a warm and delicious fall flavor.
- Chocolate: I like to use a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips, but feel free to use one or the other if preferred. Also, make sure to save a few more chocolate chips for the tops of the cookies before they go in the oven!
Variations
Feel free to mix chopped pecans, walnuts, or raisins into the dough. You can also have add-ins such as more spices such as nutmeg, ginger, or cloves, or add in another teaspoon of pumpkin spice for an even bolder fall flavor.
These chocolate chip pumpkin cookies would also taste delicious topped with a rich cream cheese frosting or even a smoother cream cheese glaze. For a texture with more chewiness, add in some old-fashioned oats to make a delicious pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookie variation.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Only 15 minutes are needed to prep and scoop the dough, then the rest is just baking time in the oven. These chocolate chip pumpkin cookies couldn’t be easier to make!
- Wet ingredients. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, dissolve the baking soda with the milk and then stir the mixture into the wet ingredients. This helps make them even softer.
- Dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and spices. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and gently stir together until you only see a few flour streaks in the dough. You don’t want to over-mix, or the cookies won’t be as soft and tender.
- Fold and scoop. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the dough and then use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. I like to add a few more chocolate chips to the tops before going into the oven.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350°F for about 10 to 13 minutes. The cookies will be ready when the bottoms are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean in the centers. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Expert Tips
These helpful tips are to create soft and fluffy cookies every time! Make sure to not overmix, choose how big, or make this extra soft with a hint of milk. For the absolute best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, follow these easy baking tips below.
- Don’t overmix. Don’t overmix the batter so the cookies keep their soft and fluffy texture. Mix the batter until you see a little flour left, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cookie scoop. Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop. This is definitely a softer dough that is a bit sticky to the touch, so using a scoop is super helpful and gives them that round cookie shape.
- Make it look pretty! Press extra chocolate chips on the tops of the dough right before going into the oven. Not only does it make the cookies look extra pretty, but you’ll have more chocolaty goodness in each bite.
- Softer cookie. For a softer cookie, you can dissolve the baking soda with a teaspoon of milk and stir into the wet ingredients (instead of adding to the dry ingredients).
Recipe FAQs
Yes. I prefer vegetable oil, but others have tried cooking substitutions like apple sauce and coconut oil and have said they’ve turned out great!
Sure! If using fresh pumpkin puree, I’d recommend draining some of the liquid out first with a paper towel. Fresh pumpkin tends to hold more water than canned. So be prepared for moister cookies!
The texture of these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies is a bit more soft and cakey than the average cookie, which means the dough will be a bit stickier to the touch.
This isn’t the type of dough to roll into balls with your hands, so it’s helpful to use a cookie scoop to help give them shape and avoid a mess.
It’s not necessary in this recipe, although it would help make the dough easier to work with. If you have the time, you can refrigerate the dough for about 15 to 30 minutes so that it’s a bit easier to scoop.
These cookies should be anything but dry! The beauty of these cookies is how moist, soft, and tender they are.
If yours turns dry, you likely overmixed the dough or measured your flour incorrectly. Mix the dough just until combined (a few streaks of flour are okay) and measure the flour using the spoon and level technique for the most accurate results.
Definitely! If double, it’ll make about 4-6 dozen cookies. Plus, you’ll be able to use up the whole can of pumpkin this way. :)
5 star review
“These are hands down the BEST pumpkin chocolate chip cookies EVER. Easy to make, store well and oh, so delicious. Make them now! You WILL NOT regret it, I promise.”
-Nichola R.
Storing + Freezing
Once they have baked and cooled, store the cookies in a covered container for up to 4 days. The longer they sit, the more flavor they develop. I might even argue that they taste even better the next day.
You may also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let thaw on the counter until no longer frozen.
Craving more cookies? Try my pumpkin oatmeal cookies, best chocolate chip cookies, or double chocolate cookies recipe next!
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil , can sub with canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice , add an extra teaspoon if you like extra spice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1-2 cups chocolate chips , I like to mix semi-sweet and milk chocolate, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg until smooth. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in milk and stir into the wet ingredients.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just until you see a a few flour streaks. Fold in chocolate chips until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, drop cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops, if desired. Bake 10 to 13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the bottoms are lightly brown. Check 1 and bake 1 to 2 more minutes if the center is not quite done.
- Let cool 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- chopped nuts
- frost with a cream cheese frosting
- use a homemade pumpkin pie spice (add an extra teaspoon if desired)
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Halloween, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites, Vegetarian
Everyone loved them! A great season recipe!
I will making these cookies again and again for pumpkin season!! It is so good and really delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey! I live in a high altitude area, what would I need to do differently?
I have not experienced making these cookies at high altitude. Since the liquid ingredients evaporate quicker you can add in a little bit or water or milk to the batter. You can use more pumpkin if you need to for the higher altitude or oil to keep it moist too. I am not sure on the oven temperature but you can try increasing it 5 to 10 degrees and bake the cookies less time. Let me know how they turn out and what changes you had to make, if any!
Nothing makes the house smell better than pumpkin & chocolate!! These cookies are so moist & delicious!! We make them all fall long & take them to friends.
I’ve made these cookies and love them. I have no children of my own so I’ve given the recipe to my great-nieces and they’ve made them and love them. Their kids love them. Your recipe is going down the generations in the family here.
This was the most beautiful recipe!!
I have been making this recipe since 2013 and I come back to it every year. If you put them in muffin tins they’re just as good!
Ah that makes me so happy! So glad you’ve enjoyed the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
Can I freeze half of the dough for later? How long would you recommend baking them from frozen? Thanks!
Yes you can freeze the dough balls. I typically let them thaw on pan 30 minutes before baking and add a couple extra minutes.
I have fresh pumpkin puree and it’s wetter than canned. What would you suggest? Maybe another egg? It’s also measured out per cup so what would the equivalent be?
I would just make sure to remove the extra moisture with a paper towel :)
Made the cookies today, easy to follow recipe and delicious 😋
Easy and delicious are the best kind of cookies. Glad you like them, Dona!
My husband is quite the fan as well, will definitely be making again
Glad to hear he liked them, Dona. Thanks for sharing!
Not a bad recipe, but as far as pumpkin cookies go, not the best. It’s not as intensely pumpkin as I’d lIke. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle. I think next time I might strain the excess water from the pumpkin puree. That might help intensify it and make it less cakey. I’m also missing the richness of the brown sugar that’s usually included in cookie recipes, but isn’t in this one. I can also slightly taste the bitterness from the leavening, as there’s a lot of it.
Love these cookies!!! Wanting to make them ahead of Thanksgiving. Should I bake and then freeze? Or make and then freeze the separate cookie dough balls?
You can make them a couple days ahead and they’ll stay fresh (I actually prefer them the day after). However, you can definitely freeze them once they’re baked and cooled and they freeze great!
I just made these to add to a cookie platter for a neighbor. Mine are very cakey and come out of the oven very similar to how they went in. I used a cookie scoop so they are like little puffy cake bites almost. They taste pretty good! I added one cup of mixed chocolate chips and it was plenty of chips (some of them are pretty dark chocolate) and I also added maybe 1/4 of a cup or more of pecan chips. I like that combination with the pumpkin and chocolate here. The only thing I was thinking was, “They need a little something…a little pizzaz and something to make them obviously not chocolate chip cookies!” It hit me, they aren’t overly sweet so they could take a light icing drizzle across the top, like a drizzled scone. That made them perfect and adorable! They really stand out as something special on the plate with the others. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing your review! These cookies are supposed to be a little cakey (the pumpkin gives them the soft texture). The glaze on top sounds delicious!