I know what you’re thinking: does the world really need another chocolate chip cookie recipe? And I’m here to say it completely. Because what’s better than having a cookie chip cookie recipe for every moment and time? Some are thick and crunchy, some are thin and chewy. Some use a mixture of milk and dark chocolate while others swear by adding extra salt or walnuts. What makes the best cookie depends on your tastes and preferences—and of course, the season. That’s why today, we’re exploring what I consider to be the perfect fall treat: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that are spiced, buttery, and perfectly garnished alongside a mug of hot cider.
How to Make the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies This Fall
The cozy season is here, yes—and there’s no better way to celebrate than with fuzzy socks, hot drinks, and sweets that warm you inside and out. Ever since I made Sarah Kieffer’s pan-banging chocolate chip cookies, I’ve been obsessed with a thin and chewy cookie. And I’m not going to lie: my absolute preference is the dense cookie. I love how the edges get crisp as the cookies spread out of the oven. Chewy middles with shards and pools of dark chocolate add that rich satisfaction while being balanced with extra salt. For me, this is the ultimate chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients for Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Butter. Nothing screams fall as cool as brown butter. You’ll notice its nutty flavor, and it adds a nice element of flavor to your baked goods.
Brown and white sugar. As you know, both sugars serve different purposes with chocolate chip cookies. Brown sugar helps with the chewiness while white sugar adds a crisp texture.
Pumpkin Puree. The pumpkin adds moisture and a little sweet flavor while giving the cookies an extra autumn orange tint. Note: Do NOT use pumpkin pie mix. Make sure you use only pumpkin.
All Purpose Flour. I highly recommend measuring with a scale when baking for 100% accuracy. If you don’t have a scale, make sure you dust your flour, put it in your measuring cup without patting it, and scrape the surface to level.
Pumpkin Spice. Although this is a chocolate chip cookie, the pumpkin spice shines in this recipe, adding warmth and spice to the cookies. You can make your own or use store bought.
Chocolate. For chocolate chip cookies, I prefer to use chopped bar chocolate over chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are made with stabilizers that prevent them from spreading or melting the way a chocolate bar can. Use good quality chocolate and cut it both ways on the diagonal, both into large pieces and small squares that will spread throughout the cookie dough.
Salt. I tend to add extra salt when I make other baked goods because I prefer desserts that lean a little on the savory/salty side. Use salt in the batter and add plain salt on top when the cookies come out of the oven. Bonus: Helps bring out the chocolate flavor.
Tips for Baking Perfect Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies Every Time
I have learned a lot of all the chocolate chip cookie recipes I’ve made over the years. Here’s how to make sure you make the best collection:
- Salt is your friend. An easy way to bring out the best in your chocolate chip cookie is to add salt to each layer. Add salt to the dough and add a little plain salt to the bottom of the cookie and to the top of the cookie when they come out of the oven. If you like your sweets sweetcontinue to ignore this advice. But to get the best balance of flavor, don’t give up the salt.
- Chill the dough. I tested this recipe by baking the dough immediately and after chilling the dough for an hour. There was a noticeable difference in taste and texture between the batches, and I liked the chilled version better. Letting the dough rest in the fridge ensures proper dough flow and helps everything come together. Because this recipe doesn’t use egg, chilling also helps keep the texture during baking so the cookie doesn’t spread too much.
- Don’t overdo the chocolate. I know that sounds like wild CCC advice, but especially when you’re cutting into a chocolate bar, it’s very easy to end up with just one bite of chocolate. And while that’s not really a problem—especially for my fellow chocolate lovers—these are cookies. We want to taste its sweetness in every bite. We also want the warm flavors in these chocolate pumpkin cookies to shine through—so use a little restraint with the chocolate.
- There is no such thing as too much chocolate. To make sure you get nice (and delicious) chocolate pools on top of each cookie, once you’ve rolled out your dough, dip the tops in chopped chocolate chips.
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Fresh Batches Anytime
Chocolate chip cookies will keep for a week if stored in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can bake a few cookies and freeze the dough for fresh cookies that are ready at a moment’s notice.
Prepare cookie dough as directed. Roll the dough into balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in one place. Place the cookie sheet in the fridge to chill for at least an hour, move to the fridge and freeze until the dough is firm. When the dough is frozen, remove the dough balls from the cookie sheet and place in a Ziploc freezer bag or an airtight container. Frozen dough balls can be stored for up to two months.
Explanation
Spicy, sweet, and of course-chocolatey. These little delights are a great fall treat.
- 1/2 cup butter, browned and cooled to room temperature
- 100 grams brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 80 grams white sugar (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 60 grams pumpkin puree (1/4 cup)
- 185 grams flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 spoon baking soda
- 1/2 spoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 50 grams chopped dark chocolate
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In a small pot on the stove over low heat, add a stick of butter. Let the butter melt, it will soon start bubbling and making splashing sounds. Stir occasionally, keeping your eye on the butter. As the butter stops bubbling, stir occasionally until it begins to brown. It is very easy to burn the butter, so keep a close eye on it. Remove from heat as soon as it starts to color. Pour the butter into a small bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
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In a large bowl, add the softened brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Stir the mixture with a spatula until light in color. Add the pumpkin puree and stir until the sugar granules dissolve. The texture of wet ingredients should be light and smooth.
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Add the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice to a bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. The dough will feel dry at first, so keep pressing the flour into the wet ingredients until smooth. (Sometimes I’ll use my hands here to help bring everything together.)
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Once the dough comes together, add the dark chocolate and fold to combine. Once the dough is combined, using a 2 tablespoon scoop, scoop out 2-2 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Knead lightly between your hands and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is removed. Cover with plastic or parchment paper and a kitchen towel.
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Put the dough in the refrigerator and refrigerate for about an hour.
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place cookies 2 inches apart. You can bake in two batches to prevent overcrowding in the pan.
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Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, press the baking pan out of the oven to remove the cookies. Bake for another 2 minutes, then tap again, bake for another 2 minutes, then tap again, for a total baking time of 14-15 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and tap again with a kitchen towel on the counter. Let the cookies cool for five minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
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Top with salt, enjoy!