Name: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Pumpkin purée; 1 cup White sugar; 2 cups All purpose flour; 1/2 cup Vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2 teaspoons Baking powder; 1 teaspoon Baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon Salt; 1 teaspoon Cinnamon; 1 teaspoon Milk; 1 cup Milk chocolate chips; 1 large Egg

Take Me to the Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and cakey, blending warm fall spices with sweet, rich chocolate. Ready in less than 20 minutes, these pumpkin cookies are great for Halloween gatherings or whenever you're craving a seasonal sweet.

For more pumpkin treats, try my Starbucks-inspired Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Pumpkin Spice Muffins. And for another fun fall dessert, try these Candy Corn Pudding Cups.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my favorite pumpkin recipes to make when fall rolls around. They’re sweet, perfectly spiced, and have that soft, fluffy texture, like biting into warm muffin tops.

The gooey chocolate chips give the cookies a rich, melt-in-your-mouth feel. Each bite is the perfect balance of pure pumpkin and warm cinnamon. It's a go-to treat during the cooler months for all your fall festivities from Halloween parties and Thanksgiving dessert to holiday cookie exchanges.

But it does not have to be a holiday for you to enjoy these homemade cookies. If your family enjoys them nearly as much as mine does, you will be making batches year-round!

a hand holding a baked cookie broken in half to reveal chocolate chips inside

Ingredients

Pumpkin purée: Be sure to grab purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has additives and we want 100% pure pumpkin so we can add our own ingredients for flavor.
White sugar: The base of the sweetness.
All-purpose flour: A key ingredient for soft cookies.
Vegetable oil: This tenderizes the cookie and makes them chewier.
Vanilla: This boosts the other flavors.
Baking powder & baking soda: Your cookies will not rise without these!
Salt: Include this so the cookies do not taste flat.
Cinnamon: This complements the pumpkin flavor and adds a nice hint of spice.
Milk: Use your preferred variety.
Chocolate chips: I used milk chocolate but semi-sweet or dark chocolate would be just as delicious!
Egg: For added moisture and structure, you need one large egg.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

See recipe card for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

First, I like to gather all my ingredients. It makes the process so much smoother when everything is prepped and ready to go. I recommend measuring out each one so you can easily incorporate them into the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, and pumpkin purée. Mix it all together until it’s well blended.

In another bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and milk. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is fully combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips, folding them in until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Scoop about a tablespoon of batter onto the prepared cookie sheet, making sure to leave about an inch between each one because these cookies will spread as they bake.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, then take them out of the oven. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, placing them in a single layer.

Keep repeating the process until all the batter is used. Finally, enjoy your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Use canned pumpkin purée for the best texture and consistency. Fresh pumpkin can be too watery for cookies.
Bring ingredients to room temperature before starting. This ensures everything mixes smoothly and prevents lumps in the dough.
Avoid overmixing the dough once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make the cookies flat and dense.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it feels too soft. This can help control spreading during baking.
Check for doneness by removing the cookies when they look slightly underbaked. They’ll finish setting as they cool, leaving you with a moist, cakey texture.

Storage

Store chocolate chip pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Otherwise, store leftover cookies in the fridge and enjoy them within 5 days.

Recipe Variations

Vegan: Use a milk alternative, vegan butter (or melted coconut oil), and omit the egg for vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Gluten-Free: You can easily make these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies gluten-free by using gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose.
Nuts: Add walnuts for a delicious crunch.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Substitute 1 cup of the flour with rolled oats. This will give the cookies a chewy texture while keeping the same delicious pumpkin flavor. You may also want to increase the baking time by 2-3 minutes to account for the oats.
More Pumpkin Flavor: This recipe has a lighter pumpkin flavor. If you want to intensify the taste, add some pumpkin spice for a little razzle dazzle!
Sweeter: For an even sweeter treat, swap the chocolate chips for white chocolate.

overhead view of a wooden cutting board with cookies on top

FAQ

Can pumpkin chocolate chip cookies be frozen?

Yes! They last in the freezer for up to 3 months. They may lose a little color but if you do not mind the presentation, they will still taste amazing!

Why did my cookies spread too much?

This could happen if the dough is too warm. If your dough seems soft, chilling it in the fridge for 30 minutes can help prevent excessive spreading during baking.

Why are my cookies turning out too soft or cakey?

Pumpkin naturally adds moisture, which leads to a softer, cakey texture. If you prefer a firmer cookie, try reducing the amount of pumpkin purée slightly or adding a bit more flour to balance the moisture.

Stacked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies on parchment paper

More Dessert Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

After you try this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comment below and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for more delicious recipes!

📖 Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Print Recipe Save Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 7

Total Time: 17

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, how to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, pumpkin cookies

Servings: dozen

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Tamara J.

Ingredients

1 cup Pumpkin purée
1 cup White sugar
2 cups All purpose flour
½ cup Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Milk
1 cup Milk chocolate chips
1 large Egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet, or line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, and pumpkin puree. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and milk.
Add the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Next add the chocolate chips and fold them in until they are mixed in.
Spoon about one tablespoon of cookie batter onto the sheet pan. Be sure to keep about an inch between each scoop, as cookies will spread as they bake.
Bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, use a spatula to place each cookin in a single layer on a cooling rack.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all of the batter has been used.