These soft pumpkin cookies scream FALL ๐, and are thick and cakey. And they're loaded with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips for an incredibly delicious cookie.
These easy pumpkin cookies are quick to make, although a quick 15 minute chill in the freezer makes it easier to scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet.
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Let's dive into some fall baking with these incredibly easy and deliciously soft pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin anything is all about fall, am I right? Whether we're talking pumpkin bread or pumpkin-applesauce muffins, it makes me think of crisp, sunny days and trees loaded with gorgeous burnished leaves ๐.
Jump to:
- โค๏ธ Why you'll love this recipe
- ๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- ๐ช Recommended Equipment
- ๐ Overview: How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
- ๐ฉโ๐ณ Preparation Tips
- ๐ High Altitude Tips
- ๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
- ๐ Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin
- ๐คทโโ๏ธ FAQ
- ๐ More Soft Cookies You Might Like
- Easy Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips (Recipe)
โค๏ธ Why you'll love this recipe
- These pumpkin cookies are so soft, moist and cake-like.
- They're loaded with chocolate chips.
- Super easy to make, and quick!
- Uses ingredients you probably have on hand.
- Your house will smell like pumpkin pie when they're baking.
- Portable if you're taking them to a potluck.
- Family friendly.
๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- All-purpose flour - I prefer King Arthur flour for its consistency.
- Baking powder - go with an aluminum-free baking powder like Rumford.
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin spice
- Pumpkin puree - be sure it's only pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil - I recommend neutral-tasting oils. I used avocado oil, but any neutral oil is fine.
- Egg
- Vanilla extract - I like Madagascar vanilla extract, but use your favorite.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips - I highly recommend Guittard chocolate.
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๐ช Recommended Equipment
- Mixing bowl - a medium bowl and large bowl
- Kitchen scales
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula - to fold in the chocolate chips
- Cookie scoop - a medium-sized ice cream scoop for 2 tablespoons of dough
- Cookie sheet - not a baking sheet
- Cooling rack
๐ Overview: How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
Detailed instructions for making these soft pumpkin cookies are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Whisk. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients EXCEPT THE SUGAR.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients EXCEPT THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
Step 2
Combine. Fold the dry ingredients, in thirds, to the wet ingredients, using a rubber spatula.
Fold in the chocolate chips using the same spatula.
Step 3
Chill. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Scoop. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookie dough. Arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Step 5
Bake. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, but keep the cookies on the cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
๐ฉโ๐ณ Preparation Tips
Weigh the flour. This gives you a consistent result when baking, and it's faster than fluffing up the flour and carefully spooning it into a measuring cup. Kitchen scales allows you to dial in the exact amount of flour quickly.
Use a cookie sheet. A cookie sheet is best for these soft pumpkin cookies, and not a rimmed baking sheet. The rim of a baking sheet affects how the heat circulates around the cookies. One of the results is that they won't cook at the same rate.
๐ High Altitude Tips
No adjustments needed. I live at 7100 feet, and didn't make any adjustments. The cookies are moist from the pumpkin and vegetable oil.
As a note, I generally don't find it necessary to adjust leaveners with cookies.
๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
Add a glaze.
Top with a cream cheese frosting as in these pumpkin cookies.
Swap out some of the chocolate chips for nuts. Or use milk chocolate chips.
๐ Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin
Depending on how much canned pumpkin you have left over, here are some ways to use it up.
Black Bean Chili with Pumpkin (Instant Pot)
Creamy Spiced Pumpkin Soup - Cappuccino Style
Add to most stews and vegetable soups - especially butternut squash soup.
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Applesauce
Add to tomato based sauce like this one or this one.
๐คทโโ๏ธ FAQ
Is there a difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin purรฉe?
No, they're the same thing, prepared in the same way.
How will I know when the cookies are done?
The edges will be slightly firm when you gentle press on them.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of canned pumpkin?
No. Pumpkin pie filling isn't designed to be mixed with flour and some of the other ingredients. This means the sugar and spices won't be right for a cookie.
Always check the ingredients. You want only one ingredient: pumpkin.
Should pumpkin cookies be refrigerated?
Yes. These cookies use pumpkin, not just pumpkin spices, and should be refrigerated. If you don't glaze or frost them, store them in an air tight container. They can be stacked, but the layers should be separated by wax paper. Store up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
If you frost or glaze them, they should not be stacked in the air tight container. Store up to only 2 days in the refrigerator.
๐ More Soft Cookies You Might Like
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Flourless)
Spiced Persimmon Cookies with Dried Figs
Snickerdoodle Cookies with Figs
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Easy Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips (Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 ounces all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ยพ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup pumpkin purรฉe
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup neutral vegetable oil I used avocado oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ยฝ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, pumpkin spice and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the canned pumpkin, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract.
- Combine. Fold the dry ingredients, in thirds, into the wet ingredients, using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to over-mix. Over-mixing can make the cookies tough.Fold in the chocolate chips using the spatula.
- Chill. Cover the bowl with plastic and either slide into the freezer for 15 minutes or the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This firms up the cookie dough a little, making it easier to scoop.
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350หF and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop. Use a cookie scoop (a medium-sized ice cream scoop) to scoop cookie dough out of the bowl, and place on one parchment paper lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. I put 12 scoops of cookie dough on the cookie sheet.(Once the first batch of cookies go into the oven, repeat this step to fill another cookie sheet. There will be dough left over. Cover the bowl again with plastic, and return the dough to the refrigerator. Once the first batch of cookies come out and are on the cooling rack, scoop up the remaining dough onto the first cookie sheet when it cools.)
- Bake. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, but keep the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
Jamie
Such great-looking cookies with chocolate chips! This definitely looks yummy! A great treat for everyone, kids will definitely love it instantly!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They are so good and yes, a perfect treat for everyone!!
Ann
This was such a delicious cookie recipe! My family loves pumpkin flavoring, so this was a great treat for them!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy to hear you liked these cookies! Thanks for letting me know!
SallyBR
Super delicious!!!!! soft, the right amount of spice, and the choc chips take it to Nirvana level.....
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so much!!! And I loved your photo of yours with a drizzle. I'm totally doing that next!