Thick & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you popped by my kitchen on a chilly afternoon, you would probably find me with pumpkin on the counter, a playlist humming, and a spoon parked in a bowl like it lives there. These Thick & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies started as a bribe for my neighbor to help carry a bookshelf up the stairs. He helped, we ate, and now these cookies are the unofficial currency of my building. They hit that sweet spot between plush and fudgy, with melty pockets of chocolate in every bite. And yes, I do sneak a taste form the bowl. Quality control, right.

Why I keep making these, even when I am busy

I make this when I want the flavor of pumpkin pie without the fuss of rolling dough. My family goes a bit bonkers for these because they are thick and chewy, not cakey. That was my big frustration with pumpkin cookies for years. They puff like little muffin tops. But, after a silly number of tests and actually, a lot of paper towels, these hold their shape, keep that bendy middle, and stay soft for days. Well, in theory. In my house it never lasts more than a day.

Also, these are friendly. The dough is forgiving, chilling is quick, and if you do not own a stand mixer, no worries. I say a mixer is essential, then on second thought, a sturdy spatula and some patience work just fine.

What you need, more or less

1 cup canned pumpkin puree, well blotted, measured after blotting 240 g for a cup but use 120 g which is about 1 half cup
1 half cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 113 g. If you love nuttier flavor, brown it first. I follow this brown butter guide
3 quarter cup packed light brown sugar 150 g
1 half cup granulated sugar 100 g
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour 250 g. If you tend to scoop heavy, peek at this flour measuring refresher from King Arthur Baking
2 teaspoons cornstarch for extra thickness
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 half teaspoon fine sea salt
1 and 1 half teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 quarter teaspoon ginger, 1 quarter teaspoon nutmeg, pinch of clove
1 and 1 quarter cups semi sweet chocolate chips 210 g. A handful more if you like faces full of chocolate
Optional goodies: 1 half cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, or swap in some white chocolate chips
Optional but nice: 1 egg yolk for extra richness. I rarely add it because the pumpkin already works like the egg, but you do you

Substitutions I actually use: I sometimes use salted butter and skip most of the salt. My grandmother always insisted on a certain brand of pumpkin, but honestly any pure pumpkin works fine. If you only have dark brown sugar, the cookies just taste a little deeper, which I love.

How to make them without losing your cool

Blot the pumpkin. This is the not fun step, but it matters. Spread the pumpkin on a few layers of paper towel, top with more towels, and press gently to remove excess moisture. Do this twice. You want about 1 half cup 120 g after blotting. Do not skip this unless you want puffy cake cookies.
Melt the butter and let it cool until just warm, not hot. If you touch the bowl and it feels cozy rather than hot, you are good.
Whisk the sugars and melted butter together until the mix looks a bit creamy and the sugar starts to dissolve. Stir in vanilla and the blotted pumpkin. This is where I usually sneak a taste because it smells like October.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Do not overthink it. A quick whisk does the trick.
Add dry ingredients to wet. Switch to a spatula and fold until no streaks of flour remain. It will look thick and a little sticky, that is right. Fold in the chocolate chips and any nuts if using.
Chill the dough. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. The dough firms up and the cookies keep their chewy middle. Its a small wait, but worth it.
Preheat the oven to 350 F 175 C. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.
Scoop the dough into tall mounds about 2 tablespoons each. I like a medium cookie scoop for even sizes. This one from King Arthur is the exact scoop I use at home cookie scoop. No scoop. Two spoons and a little patience, job done.
Press just the top of each mound with two fingers to flatten slightly. Add a couple extra chips on top for that bakery look. It is silly but it makes me happy.
Bake 11 to 13 minutes until the edges look set and the centers look slightly underdone. Rotate the tray once halfway through. If they look a bit puffy, give the pan a gentle tap on the oven rack to settle them. Do not overbake or you lose the chew.
Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 to 7 minutes, then move to a rack. They finish setting as they cool; magic.

Yield about 20 to 24 cookies, depending on how generous your scoops are and whether a few scoops mysteriously vanish.

Little notes from many batches

Blotting the pumpkin changes everything. Too much moisture makes cakey cookies.
Cornstarch is subtle but it helps keep them thick and soft.
If your butter was too hot, the dough can turn greasy. Chill a bit longer and it usually bounces back.
I think these taste even better the next day, the spices bloom a touch. If they last that long.
Weird but true. A pinch more salt lifts the chocolate. Try a tiny sprinkle of flaky salt on top while warm.

Variations I tried so you do not have to wonder

Brown butter version. Swap melted butter for browned butter. It adds a toffee vibe. Use that Serious Eats tutorial I linked above and let it cool before mixing.
White chocolate cranberry. Replace half the chips with white chocolate and toss in 1 half cup dried cranberries. Very holiday, very cheerful.
Gluten free attempt. I tried a one to one gluten free flour blend. The flavor was lovely but the texture went a bit sandy. If you go that route, maybe add the optional yolk and chill a full hour.
Spice boost. Add an extra quarter teaspoon cinnamon if you like it cozy. I do, but my kid called it too much, so choose your own adventure.

Gear I use, plus a couple cheats

Stand mixer or a big bowl and a sturdy spatula. I say the mixer is quicker, but a bowl works fine if you are not in a rush.
Medium cookie scoop for tidy portions. Or two spoons, no biggie.
Fine mesh sieve for the dry ingredients if your flour is clumpy. Or just whisk aggressively like you mean it.
parchment and a decent baking sheet. If you only have a thin sheet, double it up to avoid too much browning on the bottom.

True story. I once spent ten minutes looking for my teaspoon measure, only to find it perfectly balanced on the dog bed. No idea. Life happens in the kitchen.

Thick & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Storing them without losing that chew

Store in an air tight container at room temp for 3 to 4 days with a small piece of sandwich bread in the box to keep them soft. The bread turns stale, the cookies stay dreamy. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months, or freeze scooped dough balls for a quick cookie fix later. Bake frozen dough at 350 F and add 1 to 2 extra minutes. Though honestly, around here they rarely make it to day two.

How we like to serve them around here

Cold milk for the kids, hot coffee for me. Sometimes we sandwich two cookies around a scoop of vanilla ice cream and call it dessert dinner. On movie night, I warm them for 10 seconds in the microwave so the chips go shiny again. A little dramatic, I know, but worth it.

Lessons I learned the hard way

I once tried rushing the chill time and regretted it because the cookies spread and lost that lovely thick center.
Another time I forgot to blot the pumpkin, and the cookies turned cakey. Still tasty, but not the goal.
Over measuring flour makes dry cookies. The spoon and level method really helps. The King Arthur guide above is gold.
Baking till fully set in the middle seems smart, but the cookies will be firm once cool. Pull them when the centers look slightly soft.

Questions you have asked me

Can I use fresh pumpkin. You can, but it tends to be wetter. Roast, puree, then drain it very well in a sieve lined with a towel. You want it thick like canned.

Do these have eggs. Nope. Pumpkin acts like the egg here. If you want a richer cookie, add the optional yolk, but it is not required.

Can I skip the chill. Short answer, I would not. Long answer, if you are in a rush, pop the scooped dough in the freezer for 10 minutes and bake. Not perfect, but it helps.

Why did my cookies turn cakey. Too much moisture. Blot the pumpkin more and do not add extra flour to compensate later. It is tempting, I know.

How do I get prettier tops. Press a few chips into the scooped dough before baking, then tap the tray once after baking to settle the tops. It is a tiny bakery trick.

Can I reduce the sugar. A little, sure. Reduce each sugar by 2 tablespoons. Much more and the texture changes. Sweetness also balances the pumpkin and spice.

Whole wheat flour, is that ok. Try half whole wheat and half all purpose. The cookies will be a touch heartier, still good. Add a splash of milk if the dough feels too stiff.

What chocolate works best. I like a mix of semi sweet chips and chopped dark chocolate so you get both big pools and little bits. Use what you love.

Where can I read more about pumpkin cookie technique. I picked up the blotting trick years ago here at Sallys Baking Addiction and it stuck with me. Helpful read.