Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Chill: 60 mins
Total: 87 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 30 cookies
This recipe makes soft cookies that aren’t overly cake-like with plenty of pumpkin and chocolate flavor. It’s the ideal fall batch of cookies to whip up as an after-school snack, to make and pack in kids’ lunches, or to bring to a friend’s fall pumpkin carving party. You’ll be making these cookies throughout the fall, firstly because they are delicious, but also because they are so simple and take very little effort.
It’s important not to overbake or your result will be hard dry cookies. Watch them closely in the oven for doneness. They should be slightly puffed in the center while set and beginning to brown around the edges. Be sure you are using pure canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling so you can add just the right amount of pumpkin pie spice to your cookies. See our tips below the recipe on making your own pumpkin pie spice.
“If you love pumpkins and fall spices, you’re in for a treat! Dark brown sugar creates robust flavor, and the dough comes together easily using melted butter. Remove them from the oven when they’re just golden around the edges and still soft in the middle and you’ll end up with that perfect pumpkin cookie texture!”—Bahareh Niati
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1/2 cup (4-ounces) unsalted butter, melted
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1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
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1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons baking soda
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
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1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
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Cooking spray
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large bowl whisk the melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until frothy and smooth.
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In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
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Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture in batches with a rubber spatula until well combined.
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Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky and soft.
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Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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About 30 minutes before baking, Position a rack in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly coat with cooking spray.
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Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.
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Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and beginning to brown slightly around the edges.
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Let cool completely on a rack before serving.
Tips
Bake the cookies only until they are slightly puffed in the center and just starting to brown along the edges, otherwise, they will be hard and dry.
Recipe Variation
Substituting butter for vegetable oil in this recipe is okay in 1:1 ratios, but it's recommended to use butter if possible.
How to Store
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. To bring them back to life a bit, pop them in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds and they'll taste like they've just come out of the oven.
How to Freeze the Dough
To freeze, scoop the dough out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. No need to space the dough out like when you bake the cookies, they can hug next to each other. Once frozen, transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 6 months. To bake, take out cookies and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake as directed. This means you have prepared cookie dough anytime for a quick and easy treat. You could double this recipe and freeze half to save yourself the trouble later.
Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice
If you're keen to make your own pumpkin pie spice you'll need ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. How you balance the spices is up to you. If you like a spicier pumpkin pie spice, consider adding more ginger. If you prefer a more warm pumpkin pie spice, up the cinnamon and ground cloves. You can even add a touch of ground cardamom or star anise. Make this in large batches for all your fall baking.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 30 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 147 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 5g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium 158mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 25g | 9% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 3% |
| Total Sugars 15g | |
| Protein 2g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 2% |
| Calcium 14mg | 1% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 64mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
