Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Updated: Sep 23, 2025 by christina.marsigliese · 53 Comments

If you love my recipe for the BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies, and you're wondering how to make the best pumpkin cookie even better... I've got you! These Thick & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are UNREAL. I didn't just add chocolate to my pumpkin cookie recipe... it's more technical than that. This recipe is designed to give you the best chocolate chip cookie vibes combined with a perfect Fall flavor experience. I wanted to create a pumpkin cookie that has the texture of my BEST EVER Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are so chewy, gooey with crisp edges and NOT cakey by any means. They have the most amazing texture and rich flavor from brown butter, the perfect amount of spice and plenty of dark chocolate. If you love pumpkin, you're in for it! Make sure you read through the article for my tips on how to prepare the pumpkin before using it in this recipe. I've had readers tell me that this is their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe regardless of the pumpkin. They are perfect.

chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on cooling rack

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Brown butter cookies - the addition of brown butter really makes these pumpkin cookies stand out with that rich and nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, it's easy! Check out the instructions below.
Chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies - these cookies have the same texture as my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are not cakey like a lot of pumpkin cookies can be, so if you're looking for a chewy pumpkin cookie recipe, this is it!
Pumpkin spice cookies - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice and nutmeg adds warm cozy flavor to these cookies.
Dark chocolate chips - I use 70% bittersweet chocolate chips for this recipe and it complements the spice and the pumpkin so nicely. It also ensures the cookies aren't too sweet.
Chewy pumpkin cookies - a lot of pumpkin cookie recipes are cakey because pumpkin carries a lot of moisture. Well, not this recipe! Read my tips below to see how you can make sure you get a nice chewy texture.

BLOTTING PUMPKIN PUREE

I recommend canned pumpkin vs. homemade pumpkin puree for baking because it is more consistent in texture and moisture content since commercial products must meet defined specifications. When you make it at home, it will have a different moisture content every time. It is important that you dry out the canned pumpkin in this recipe. To do this, take a paper towel and blot the pumpkin to absorb moisture (details are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post). Why do we do this? In order to get the right pumpkin flavor and texture, you need to remove water and concentrate the puree. In this recipe you need ⅓ cup canned pumpkin, but this amount will make the cookies cakey. So, before using it, spread the pumpkin out on a plate, place a paper towel that's folded in half on top of it, then apply slight pressure to absorb as much moisture as you can. Repeat 2 more times. This will reduce the volume to just ¼ cup pumpkin.

dried blotted pumpkin puree for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies — Place paper towel over pumpkin puree

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Brown butter - for this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half. You will also need to brown the butter which makes these cookies taste incredibly rich! It has a rich, nutty, butterscotch flavor that really adds so much depth and complements the pumpkin and spices. The most important reason for browning the butter is to create the chewy texture. When you cook the butter, you remove water (butter is 15% water) to make up for the moisture that is in the pumpkin puree. Do not skip this step.
Brown sugar - the molasses in brown sugar gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor to complement the nuttiness and also gives them a chewy texture!
Granulated sugar - this recipe uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The white sugar will help create crisp caramelized edges.
Egg yolk - you only need one egg yolk (no egg white) for these cookies. It's the secret to ensuring they are chewy as it accounts for the extra moisture coming from the pumpkin.

ingredients for chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies cut in half

Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is important to carry the pungent spice flavors. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Canned pumpkin - canned pumpkin is easily accessible and inexpensive. You can also make it yourself, but it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe. I use ED Smith or Libby's brand.
Pumpkin pie spice - use your favorite brand, or make your own from a blend of 1 part nutmeg, clove, ginger and allspice with 2 parts cinnamon.
Dark chocolate chips - I highly recommend dark chocolate to balance the sweet cookie dough. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips if that is all you have on hand. They will still taste great!

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

To make pumpkin pie spice at home, blend equal portions of ground nutmeg, allspice and clove with twice as much ginger and 3 times as much cinnamon. This recipe below will give you about 3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice:

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground clove

stack of chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with bite

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Brown the butter. Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then continue to cook while stirring occasionally until butter begins to bubble and crackle as the moisture boils off. Keep cooking with frequent stirring until it turns a deep golden color. A dense foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it into a large mixing bowl, then let it cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until it is not longer hot.
STEP 2). Combine butter and sugar. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cooled browned butter and whisk until combined. It will look a bit clumpy but it will come together with the egg yolk.
STEP 3). Mix in egg and pumpkin. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until incorporated and creamy smooth. Mix in pumpkin puree.

STEP 4). Add dry ingredients. Add the baking soda and salt and mix them in thoroughly. Add the flour and spice and fold it in until evenly incorporated.
STEP 5). Add chocolate chips. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in evenly.
STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
STEP 7). Bake. Use a 1 ½-oz cookie scoop to portion mounds of dough and roll into smooth balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart and flatten slightly. Bake for 9-12 minutes until golden and still soft in the middle.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Let the brown butter cool. If the brown butter is too hot when you add the rest of the ingredients, it will make the cookie dough greasy and the ingredients will not incorporate as evenly.
Blot the pumpkin puree dry 3 times over with paper towel to remove excess moisture. To do this, spread ⅓ cup of pumpkin puree onto a plate, then fold a paper towel in half and press it gently over the surface. The paper will absorb moisture. Repeat this step 2 more times with dry paper towel.
Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make the cookies dry and the dough will not spread the right amount.
Let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour to improve the texture. It will help make thick, chewy cookies.
Make medium-large cookies. Divide the dough into 14 equal portions. This is the perfect amount of dough to ensure that you get crispy brown edges and soft chewy centers. If the dough balls are too small, then the cookies will not spread enough to give the nice golden edges.
Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients for best results.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies without brown butter?

No, this recipe requires brown butter to ensure you get the bakery-style texture (not cakey texture!) of my chocolate chip cookies. If you do not brown the butter, then the liquid-to-flour ratio will be off in the recipe and the cookies will be cakey instead of chewy. Browning the butter drives off the water content to account for the added moisture coming from the pumpkin puree.

Can I use salted butter to make these cookies?

Yes! Salted butter will be fine. In this case I would suggest to use a level ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of a heaped ¼ teaspoon.

How do I make chewy pumpkin cookies?

Often times adding pumpkin to cookie recipes will make them soft and cakey due to the added moisture that it carries. This recipe is designed to make CHEWY cookies by eliminating the moisture in the butter and using a single egg yolk instead of the whole egg. Omitting the egg white removes about 30 of water from the recipe so it helps to keep the cookies dense even when the pumpkin is added. Blotting the pumpkin with paper also helps to remove excess moisture.

Can I use fresh pumpkin for chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?

I use canned pumpkin puree for baking for two main reasons: 1). Consistency - if I buy the same brand all the time then I am guaranteed to have the same results. Homemade pumpkin puree will vary in moisture content depending on how long you cook it; and 2). Ease! - it's so much easier to use canned pumpkin and the quality is just as good.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

I highly recommend chilling this cookie dough since it will help with the texture and it will improve the flavor even more. Just 30 minutes is enough, although you can chill it up to 1 hour. If you chill this dough for too long, however, it will become too dry and the cookies may not spread enough.

Why didn't my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies spread?

If your cookies didn't spread much during baking, it could be that you used too much flour. To be accurate, weigh the flour to 190g. If using measuring cups, do not pack it in - just spoon it in and level it off with a knife. It could also be due to the size of the cookie dough balls. This recipe makes about 14 cookies. If the dough balls are too small, then they will bake too quickly and won't have time to spread. If you want to make smaller cookies, I recommend reducing the flour by 2 tablespoons (18g).

How do I store these cookies?

These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They stay nice and soft and chewy!

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Brown Butter M&M Cookies Recipe Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!

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