Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe (Chewy, Not Cakey!)
Most pumpkin cookies are basically little spiced muffin tops. Soft, puffy, cakey. Which is fine — but sometimes you want a pumpkin cookie that actually feels like a cookie. Dense, chewy, a little crisp at the edges, with real chew in the center.
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies solve that problem completely.
Three things make them different from every other pumpkin cookie recipe. No eggs — the pumpkin does the binding. Melted butter instead of creamed butter. And blotting the pumpkin to remove excess moisture before it goes into the dough. Between those three techniques, the cookies bake up soft and chewy with a dense, satisfying texture that holds its shape and gets better with every hour they sit.
And then there are the chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate against warmly spiced pumpkin dough — it is one of the great fall flavour combinations and these cookies deliver it perfectly every single time.
Love all things pumpkin? Do not miss my full collection of the best pumpkin dessert recipes — cheesecakes, bars, rolls, breads, and more all in one place.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Chewy and dense — not cakey, not puffy, not muffin-top texture
- No eggs and no mixer — just two bowls and a whisk
- Melted butter makes them chewy, blotted pumpkin keeps the dough from getting too wet
- Only 30 minutes of chill time before baking
- Flavour and chewiness both intensify on day two — genuinely better the next day
- Makes 18 cookies from one batch — easily doubled
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp (86g) pure pumpkin puree, blotted (measured after blotting — see notes)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for pressing into the tops
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Blotting the pumpkin — This is the most important step in the whole recipe and it cannot be skipped. Pumpkin puree is approximately 90% water by mass — all that moisture is what makes most pumpkin cookies cakey and puffy. Blotting it with paper towels removes a significant amount of that moisture and leaves you with concentrated pumpkin flavour and a drier dough that bakes up dense and chewy. Measure the 6 tablespoons after blotting, not before.
No eggs — Intentional. The pumpkin takes the place of egg as a binder. Adding an egg will make these more cakey — exactly what we are trying to avoid.
Melted butter — Also intentional. Creaming butter and sugar traps air into the dough, which makes cookies lighter and fluffier. Melted butter does not trap air, which keeps these dense and chewy. Do not soften the butter first — melt it.
Pumpkin puree — Pure canned pumpkin only. Not pumpkin pie filling. Libby is the most reliable brand and gives the most consistent moisture level. Measure after blotting.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar — Using both gives you the best texture and flavour. Brown sugar adds chewiness and depth. Granulated sugar helps the edges set and gives a slightly crisp border.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips — The classic choice and the right one. Dark chocolate chips work beautifully too. White chocolate chips are a popular swap among readers and a great one if you want something slightly sweeter. Mini chips distribute more evenly through the dough if you prefer pockets of chocolate in every bite.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blot the Pumpkin
Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of pumpkin puree at a time on a flat plate or cutting board. Lay a paper towel over the top and press firmly to absorb the liquid. Lift the paper towel, discard, and press with a fresh one. Repeat until the pumpkin looks noticeably darker and denser and paper towels come away mostly dry. This takes at least 4 to 5 rounds of paper towels.
Measure 6 tablespoons of the blotted pumpkin. Set aside.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain and the mixture is smooth and cohesive.
Whisk in the vanilla and blotted pumpkin until completely smooth.
Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until evenly combined.
Step 4: Combine
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. The dough will be very soft and slightly sticky — that is completely normal. Do not add more flour.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Because of the melted butter, they may not stick to the dough as easily as usual — do your best to distribute them evenly.
Step 5: Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. This step is not optional — chilling firms the dough so it can be scooped and rolled, and it also deepens the flavour.
If you chilled for longer than 30 minutes, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping — very cold dough is difficult to roll.
Step 6: Prep the Oven
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Step 7: Scoop, Roll and Flatten
Scoop the dough into 1 and 1/2 tablespoon portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart.
Using the bottom of a glass or the back of a spoon, slightly flatten the top of each dough ball. The cookies do not spread much in the oven — flattening them gives you a better shaped, more evenly baked cookie.
Press a few extra chocolate chips into the top of each dough ball if you want them to look picture-perfect.
Step 8: Bake
Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set. The centers will look very soft and almost underdone when you pull them from the oven — that is correct. They firm up as they cool. If the cookies barely spread at all, use the back of a spoon to gently flatten them while they are still warm.
Step 9: Cool — Do Not Rush This
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving them. The longer they cool, the better they get.
For the absolute best flavour and texture, leave them uncovered on the cooling rack for several hours or overnight. On day two, they are chewier, more flavourful, and genuinely better than they were warm from the oven. This is the most important tip in the whole recipe.
Tips for the Best Results
- Measure the pumpkin after blotting, not before — this is critical
- Blot thoroughly — at least 4 to 5 rounds of paper towels until the pumpkin is visibly darker and denser
- Do not add eggs — the pumpkin is doing that job and eggs will make the cookies cakey
- The dough will be very soft and sticky — do not add flour, just chill it
- Chill for at least 30 minutes — non-negotiable
- Flatten each dough ball slightly before baking — these cookies do not spread much on their own
- Do not overbake — pull them when the edges are set even if the center looks soft
- Cool completely before eating — the texture and flavour are completely different on day two
- Leave them uncovered on the rack overnight if you can — the chewiness intensifies significantly
Variations
- White chocolate chips — swap semi-sweet for white chocolate chips for a sweeter, creamier combination with the pumpkin spice. A popular reader favourite.
- Dark chocolate chips — use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet for a richer, more intense chocolate flavour
- Pumpkin snickerdoodles — leave out the chocolate chips and roll each dough ball in cinnamon sugar before baking
- Brown butter version — brown the butter before using it for a nuttier, more complex dough. Let it cool to room temperature before mixing.
- Mini chips — use mini chocolate chips instead of regular for more chocolate in every single bite
- Double spice — increase the pumpkin pie spice to 1 and 1/2 tsp for a more intense spice flavour, based on reader feedback
What to Serve With Them
- Completely on their own — warm or room temperature
- On day two, cold from an airtight container — genuinely the best way
- With a glass of cold milk
- On a fall cookie platter alongside pumpkin snickerdoodles and pumpkin cheesecake cookies
- Packaged up as a fall gift — they keep fresh for up to a week at room temperature
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Blot pumpkin puree with paper towels, pressing and replacing until it is visibly darker and denser and paper towels come away mostly dry. Measure 6 tbsp after blotting.
- In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, both sugars, vanilla, and blotted pumpkin until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together.
- Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Dough will be very soft.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Scoop 1 and 1/2 tbsp portions, roll into balls, place 3 inches apart. Slightly flatten each with the back of a spoon. Press extra chips into the tops.
- Bake 11 to 12 minutes until edges are set. Centers will look soft — that is correct.
- Cool on the baking sheet at least 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Flavour and chewiness are best on day two.
Notes
- Storage: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked dough balls freeze up to 3 months — bake from frozen adding 1 extra minute.
- Make ahead: dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days before baking. Let sit at room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before scooping if very cold.
- Pumpkin pie spice substitute: use 1/4 tsp each of ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice — in addition to the 1 and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
- Do not use pumpkin pie filling — pure pumpkin puree only, measured after blotting.
- Do not add eggs — the recipe is correct as written.
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have been a fall staple since this recipe was first published back in 2013. And the reason they keep showing up in people’s kitchens every single October is simple — they just work.
Chewy, warmly spiced, loaded with chocolate chips, and genuinely better on day two than they are fresh from the oven. Make a batch on Saturday and by Sunday afternoon they are the best cookies you have ever eaten.
That is the kind of recipe that becomes a fall tradition.
For more pumpkin dessert recipes you will love:
