Cookies like these sweet tasty pumpkin chocolate chip cookies earmark the start of the fall season. The warm aromatic scent of pumpkin cookies helps usher in the holidays as falling leaves blanket the ground.
You can find drop cookies at any time of the year, but flavored chocolate chip cookies usually make their first appearance in the cool-weather months. That’s when they taste best. Those slightly chewy flavored cookies dotted with little dollops of chocolatey goodness seem to just spread warm smiles.
They help make fall what it is – cool, blistery cookie weather!
Here we go pumpkin chocolate chip cookies…..
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What I Love About This Recipe
I absolutely love the warm decadent flavor of these cookies, but I love the texture even more. This pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe makes the best warm chewy cookies that are slightly cracked on top and practically begging to be eaten! Not too thin or thick, not too soft or crunchy – they’re just right!
- Ready in under an hour
- Easy straightforward recipe
- Warm pumpkin and chocolatey goodness
- Slightly crispy exterior & chewy interior
- Great for office parties, gifts & family gatherings
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Notes
Following this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe is so simple. It’s not a complicated recipe but a few tricks of the trade can help ensure deliciously addicting cookies!
Of course, you’ll be mixing the dry ingredients separately to ensure evenly dispersed leavening agents. It’ll help your cookies rise evenly and get that gentle crack on top.
Next, take care to gently combine additional ingredients into your cookies. Just gently incorporate and don’t overmix! Too much mixing breaks the air pockets and toughens gluten which produces less than desirable cookies.
Lastly, if the sticky batter is taking the fun out of things it may help to use a slightly wet cookie scoop!
Ingredient Notes
First, you’ll want to ensure that your butter is the optimum temperature for this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, which is 64-77 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll also want your cream cheese cold and cut into cubes.
This is so they can cream properly with the sugar. As you beat the concoction with your electric mixer, the sugar crystals cut tiny air pockets into the butter/cream cheese mixture. If the mixture is too warm it won’t be able to hold air and you’ll end up with flatter crunchier cookies.
Next, you’ll want to use real butter for these healthy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies because it has a higher fat content. I use unsalted. Margarine will work but butter is better!
It’s also important to choose a pumpkin puree you really like. Some varieties are smoother and sweeter than others and it can have a profound effect on your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe.
Storing Tips
Storing these cookies is as easy as tossing them in an airtight container with a secure lid and sliding it into the fridge. Technically, they’re fine on the counter but they’ll only last about three days unrefrigerated. Depending on how many people are in the house and whether you doubled your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, they may be gone in three days.
Tossing a piece of white bread into the container with your cookies can help keep them fresh and tasting their best.
Can You Freeze This?
Absolutely! You can freeze the cookie dough or the baked cooled cookies. According to FoodSafety.gov, generally, cookie doughs can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Here’s a little trick for freezing the raw cookie dough. Prepare the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe and scoop your drop cookies onto a prepared baking sheet. Then toss the entire thing in the freezer for an hour. After they harden simply remove the tray and pack the cookie dough away in a freezer-safe bag.
For best results, slow thaw your cookies in the fridge overnight before baking so you start with fresh cookie dough.
Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Make Ahead Tips
You can use this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe to welcome friends and family during the winter months. I like to make a big batch of these fluffy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and put them in pretty little holiday tins to give out as gifts over the holidays. Just don’t forget to take the bread out of the tin before you do the exchange!
How Long Can You Keep This?
Depending on how you store your cookies, they’ll stay good for 3-5 days. If you keep them on the counter, then 3 days is the max. This pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe does call for cream cheese, so I like to err on the side of caution and put them in the fridge. I still use the bread to absorb moisture.
Recipe Variations
Tweaking this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe is so simple but you can’t go too crazy or you get a totally different cookie! Here are a few simple suggestions to change things up a bit.
- Use caramel chips instead of chocolate chips
- Add raisins instead of chocolate chips
- Leave out the chocolate chips
- Opt for nuts instead
- Dust warm cookies in powdered sugar
Can I Add Berries?
Adding berries to this particular pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe may not work too well. If you’ve got berries on the brain, try making cranberry cookies or blueberry bars instead. Strawberry chocolate chip cookies are another fun fruity recipe and it’s designed to have fruit in it.
Can I Use White Chocolate Chips Instead?
Now that – you can do and its pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself! Of course, I guess you have to be a fan of white chocolate, but most people are. You can also try making white chocolate cranberry cookies or tart little lemon white chocolate chip cookies. Now these babies draw a crowd!
Can I Add Coconuts To This Recipe?
You can add some coconut to your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, but you have to be careful here. Using too much coconut will dry out your cookies. It may be easier just to make coconut chocolate chip cookies or coconut pecan cookies.
Can you tell that chocolate chip cookies are my jam?! Well if coconut is your jam then try my coconut cookie sandwiches. They are decadently delightful.
Can I Add Oats?
Adding oats to this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe is kind of like the coconut thing. You have to be careful not to dry out your cookies but eating a good pumpkin oatmeal cookie can take you back to your wonder years.
Speaking of wonder years, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are an awesome rendition of the ones grandma used to make. I can still smell them baking in her oven. Now I typically make oatmeal chocolate chip bars instead and they are every bit as delicious!
Can I Add Banana?
Banana doesn’t work well in this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, but you can make banana chocolate chip cookies instead. Since peanut butter goes so well with banana you may like these peanut butter banana cookies. They are sweet and savory and awesomely delicious.
I also love making banana oatmeal cookies. There is just something about them that makes them special!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, soft but cool
- 4 ounces cream cheese cold and cut into 8 pieces
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12-ounce) bag chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. ine baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until combined.
- Gradually mix in the flour mixture to the butter mixture, until just combined (do not over mix). Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a medium cookie scoop for the dough and drop onto prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with your fingers. **If the batter becomes too sticky to release from cookie scoop rinse scoop with water, shake off excess. and use it slightly wet).
- Bake in the preheated oven, rotating pans halfway through until cookies are slightly cracked on the surface, about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
More Fruit Cookies Recipes
Fruit is nature’s sweetener and adding it to cookies can be divine. I absolutely love making cookies with fruit in them and kids typically love them too. Here are some fruity cookie recipes that you may want to try!
- Orange Creamsicle Cookies – Who doesn’t love orange creamsicle?
- Lemon Sugar Cookies – Simple cookie, Big flavor!
- Strawberry Cookies – Great any time of the year.
- Pineapple Cookies – Better than pineapple upside down cake – and easier!
- Fruitcake Cookies – America’s most beloved recipe in a cookie.
Conclusion
Making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies marks the start of the cold-weather season for me and I am absolutely obsessed with the rich scrumptious scent that fills my kitchen. It is simply heavenly!
This simple pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe makes a fantastic treat for the family or token of friendship and harmony when given as a gift! I can’t wait for you to try them!
Abby says
October 24, 2019 at 6:23 pmI’ve made these cookies twice already, and they do not last more than two days! They are soft, choclatey, and simply delicious, will definitely make again!
Kathleen says
November 4, 2019 at 8:43 pmWow! Thank you so much, Abby! 😀 So glad to hear you enjoyed it! It’s favorite in our house too
Pat says
October 1, 2019 at 1:36 pmThese cookies are a must try!
Kathleen says
October 1, 2019 at 1:38 pmEnjoy baking! 🙂