Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Ingredients for the Best Pumpkin Cookies

Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to make the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Find the full list of ingredients in the printable recipe card below.

• Pumpkin Puree – use canned, unsweetened, and unseasoned pumpkin puree. It should be thick and not runny.
• Brown Sugar – I used light brown sugar for my cookies. Make sure to pack the sugar into your measuring cup to get the correct amount!
• Unsalted Butter – soften the butter at room temperature first.
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg – you can also use a premade pumpkin spice mix.
• Chocolate Chips – I like to use a combination of white and semi-sweet chips for this recipe. Milk chocolate chips will also work well.
• Mini Caramel Bits – you can find these in the baking aisle. You can chop soft caramel candies into small pieces.
• All Purpose Flour – regular flour works best for this cookie recipe.

Supplies & Tools for the Recipe

Need some supplies or tools to make these pumpkin cookies at home? Shop my Amazon Affiliate links for the items I use in my kitchen. Using these links won’t cost you extra and I’ll earn a small commission.

• Aluminum Baking Sheets
• Silicon Baking Mats
• Large Cookie Scoop
• Wire Cooling Rack
• Glass Mixing Bowls
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer

How to Make the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super easy to make! You can have them in the oven in no time, enjoying the fragrant fall aroma!

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
2. Place the softened butter and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Next, add in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and mix again until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add in the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg next. Mix with your mixer just until the flour is incorporated.
5. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and caramel bits last. Make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the cookie batter.

Baking Instructions for Cookies

The cookie dough does not need to be refrigerated or frozen! The cookies can be baked right away.

Use a large, ¼-cup cookie scoop to measure out the batter for each cookie. Drop the batter onto the lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2-inches apart.

Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, just until the edges turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing & Freezing Pumpkin Cookies

Once the pumpkin cookies are cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can also freeze the cookie dough for later:

1. Measure out scoops of dough onto a baking sheet and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer the individual cookie dough scoops into a plastic bag for storage.
2. Allow the frozen cookies to thaw at room temperature before baking.

Variations for Pumpkin Cookies

Try these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with these variations:

• Diced Nuts – pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts will all taste great in this recipe; just replace ½ cup chocolate chips with nuts.  
• Cream Cheese Cookies – add a teaspoon of cream cheese into the center of each cookie for a cheesy filling! Simple press each scoop of cookie dough into a disk, add the cheese inside, wrap it around and bake.