Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

What You’ll Need

Here’s some additional information about the ingredients you’ll need for these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.

• Butter – I use unsalted butter, which gives more control over the salt level when baking.
• Pumpkin puree – You’ll dry this first and then measure it for the recipe – it’s easy, I’ll show you how!
• Flour – All-purpose flour provides the structure for this cookie recipe.
• Pumpkin pie spice – I use my homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice blend, for the flavor that I like – but store-bought will also work.
• Baking soda – For rise.
• Salt – I use Morton kosher salt in my baking.
• Sugar – This recipe calls for both granulated sugar and light brown sugar, which gives these cookies a chewy texture and rich, warm flavor.
• Egg yolk – This adds richness and helps achieve a chewy cookie. I add an extra egg yolk in my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, for the same reason.
• Molasses – Use mild molasses to add sweetness and depth.
• Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the very best flavor (not imitation extract).
• Chocolate chips – I use good quality semisweet chocolate chips for this pumpkin cookie recipe, but a darker chocolate would also be really good.
• Flaky sea salt – Maldon sea salt flakes are my favorite! I use my fingers to crush them just a bit over the cookies.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

• Prepare. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and melt the butter.
• Dry the pumpkin puree. Spread half of the pumpkin puree from a 15-ounce can on a dinner plate. Press a paper towel over the top; once it’s saturated, stir the pumpkin and spread it out again. Press a new paper towel on the top. Repeat one more time, then measure 1/3 cup of the dried puree.
• Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. 

• Mix the wet ingredients. Use a stand mixer on low speed to combine the butter and sugars for 30 seconds. Then beat in the dried pumpkin puree, egg yolk, molasses, and vanilla on medium speed.
• Finish the cookie dough. Add the dry ingredients on low speed, then fold in the chocolate chips.

• Form the cookies. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough between your palms for each cookie. Place onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Press a few chocolate chips into the top of each ball of dough.
• Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Lift the baking sheet 3 inches above the oven rack and then let it drop down (“bang!”); repeat (“bang!”) . This helps to settle and spread the cookies a bit, and make them chewier (not nearly as dramatic as GIANT Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies, though!). Bake 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Finish. Lightly crush the sea salt flakes between your fingers and then sprinkle them over the top of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Tips and Variations

I’ve got a few additional notes on these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

• Don’t skip the pan banging. It may seem strange, but it works! Banging the pan helps the cookie dough spread and makes the centers moist and chewy.
• Be careful to not overbake. It’s absolutely fine for the centers of the cookies to still be soft when you take them out of the oven. They’ll continue to set during the 10 minutes of cooling time on the pan.
• Try a different chocolate. Use white chocolate chips to let the pumpkin spice flavor take center stage. Swap in milk chocolate for a creamier chocolate flavor or dark chocolate for more intense chocolate flavor.
• Add some crunch. Swap 1/3 of the chocolate chips for chopped pecans or walnuts.

Freezing Cookie Dough

If you’d like to freeze this dough for later, form it into balls and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the dough is solid. Place the frozen dough balls in a freezer bag or airtight container.

You can bake the dough balls directly from frozen, but they’ll need a little bit longer since they’re starting out frozen. Add the extra time to the first part of the baking, before banging the pan.

How to Store

• Room temperature: Wait for your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze your baked cookies in an freezer-safe airtight container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently heat the cookies in the microwave for a warm treat.