Pumpkin season brings with it an explosion of cozy flavors, warm spices, and irresistible fall-inspired treats. But among pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin pies, one dessert stands out as a fan favorite: Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These cookies strike the perfect balance between the warm spice of pumpkin and the melty sweetness of chocolate. Many pumpkin cookies tend to be cakey — delicious, yes, but not the chewy, gooey texture that cookie lovers crave. This recipe fixes that problem completely.

By removing excess moisture from pumpkin purée, adjusting the fat-to-flour ratio, and using techniques that enhance chewiness, you end up with cookies that are soft, tender, bendably chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite.

Whether you’re baking for fall gatherings, holiday cookie trays, or cozy nights at home, these cookies deliver warm autumn flavor with the texture of your favorite bakery-style chocolate chip cookie. Let’s dive into what makes them so good.

⭐ What Makes These Cookies Chewy Instead of Cakey?

Pumpkin adds wonderful flavor, but it also contains a lot of moisture. Too much moisture = fluffy, cakey cookies. To achieve the perfect chewy texture:

✔ Remove moisture from pumpkin

Blot the pumpkin purée with paper towels — this concentrates the pumpkin flavor without making the dough too wet.

✔ Use melted butter

This adds richness and helps the cookies spread properly.

✔ Add more brown sugar

Brown sugar keeps cookies ultra-soft and chewy.

✔ Use just one egg yolk

Extra moisture from egg whites creates cakiness. Using only the yolk adds structure and richness.

✔ Chill the dough

Chilling thickens the dough, prevents spreading, and deepens flavor.

With these tweaks, the cookies turn out perfectly chewy every time.

⭐ Ingredients for Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Wet Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup pumpkin purée (blotted to remove moisture)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add-Ins

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Extra chocolate chips for topping (optional)

⭐ Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Pumpkin

1. Spread pumpkin purée onto a paper towel.
2. Press another towel on top to remove moisture.
3. Measure ⅓ cup after blotting.

This step is key for chewy cookies.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

3. Mix the Wet Ingredients

5. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar.
6. Add pumpkin purée, egg yolk, and vanilla.
7. Whisk until smooth.

4. Combine Wet & Dry

8. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
9. Mix with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix.
10. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Chill the Dough

11. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (1–2 hours is ideal).

6. Scoop & Bake

12. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
13. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
14. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto the sheet.
15. Add extra chocolate chips on top.
16. Bake 10–12 minutes, until edges are set but centers appear soft.

7. Cool

17. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
18. Transfer to cooling rack.

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft, chewy, perfectly spiced pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with gooey chocolate in every bite. Never cakey — always irresistibly chewy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Servings: 20 cookies

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Fall

Calories: 140

Ingredients

  

Dry Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp nutmeg
• 0.25 tsp ginger

Wet Ingredients

• 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
• 0.75 cup brown sugar
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar
• 0.33 cup pumpkin purée blotted to remove moisture
• 1 yolk egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add-Ins

• 1 cup chocolate chips

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Method

 

1. Blot pumpkin purée with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. Mix melted butter with sugars, then add pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then fold in chocolate chips.
5. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
6. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
7. Cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack.

Notes

For extra gooey cookies, press additional chocolate chips on top before baking.

⭐ Tips for the Best Pumpkin Cookies

Don’t skip blotting the pumpkin

It makes or breaks the chewy texture.

Chill the dough

Prevents spreading and enhances texture.

Underbake slightly

Pull them out when soft — they firm up as they cool.

Use quality chocolate

Semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or chunks all work beautifully.

Add pumpkin spice

If desired, replace spices with 1–1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

⭐ Variations

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Use chopped dark chocolate for gooier pockets.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Replace semi-sweet with white chocolate chips.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Add ½ cup rolled oats for hearty fall texture.

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fold in ½ cup chopped pecans.

⭐ Serving Suggestions

• Warm with a glass of milk
• With vanilla ice cream
• Crumbled over pumpkin cheesecake
• Packed into fall dessert boxes
• Served at Halloween or Thanksgiving gatherings

⭐ Fun Facts

• Pumpkin is naturally rich in vitamin A, giving cookies a natural golden hue.
• Chocolate chip cookies were invented in the 1930s — pumpkin versions became popular much later.
• Pumpkin spice blends date back to colonial America.