Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with browned butter frosting are soft, chewy and perfectly spiced! A spiced pumpkin cookie with milk chocolate chips that will make your eyes pop open and say, “Oh wow, that’s good!”

I decided to start my pumpkin season off with a bang! These chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are pillowy soft and perfectly moist. And the frosting! Brown butter lends a subtle hint of nutty flavor that sets these cookies apart from any others you’ll find! Perfectly seasoned with your traditional autumn spices, they’re bursting with the flavors you’re craving plus melty milk chocolate chips throughout.

If you’re as excited as I am about pumpkin spice season, after you make these cookies head over to the rest of my 10 easy pumpkin desserts and make them all! Or keep it CCC and whip up some of my Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies or my double chocolate chip cookies! You really can’t go wrong.

Professional Tips

• Be mindful when adding your dry ingredients. You don’t want to overwhelm the dough but you also don’t want to wait forever to add more. Add the next large spoonful of flour mixture just before the last one has fully incorporated. Over-mixing will develop too much gluten, and your cookies will turn out tough.
• Use a piping bag. The recipe calls for dropping the batter onto baking sheets. Drop cookies are not beloved for being perfectly shaped. But if you pipe your cookies, then they can look like the pictures. Fit the bag with a round tip or simply snip off the end with sharp scissors! 
• Cook your butter over medium-low heat for the icing. It is tempting to rush the browning process but then some solids will burn before the rest of the butter has a chance to take on the ideal nutty flavor.

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Ingredients

• Sugar: I use granulated sugar for my pumpkin cookies. It is here for the more obvious flavor reasons, but also to aid in leavening, moisture, texture and stability.
• Pumpkin Puree: I use Libby’s pumpkin puree because it is consistent and that is what I use to develop all my recipes. Use whichever brand you prefer. 
• Kosher Salt
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder reacts instantly when it mixes with an acid and then again when it interacts with heat. Because it is double acting, it has a slower, more stable rise than baking soda alone.
• Baking Soda
• Unsalted Butter: I use unsalted butter in baking to control the saltiness. In this recipe I measure the butter before browning to simplify the process.
• Whole Egg: The eggs are here to add fat, moisture and leavening. The fat from the yolk adds richness and helps keep the cookies chewy.
• Dark Brown Sugar: Using dark brown sugar adds sweetness along with a little moisture. This will keep your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies softer while adding a nice, rich molasses flavor. It is important to use equal to or more brown sugar than granulated sugar in this recipe.
• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Confectioners’ Sugar
• Whole Milk: I use whole milk for the added flavor and fat. It also has a lower water content which is useful for icings. Substitute whole milk with your favorite milk alternative for a vegan solution!
• Vanilla Extract
• Ground cloves: While they seem like an unimportant addition, cloves really round out the spice profile. Without it, they would seem flat and just not quite right.
• Ground ginger: Make sure your ground ginger is fresh and a good quality for the most impactful flavor.
• Cinnamon
• Ground Nutmeg: This recipe is written for pre-ground nutmeg. If you use freshly ground, then you’ll need to adjust the quantity by half. Fresh nutmeg has a wonderful flavor but it is stronger.
• Make your pumpkin pie spice at home. Switch these individual spices out for some homemade pumpkin spice mix in equal measure!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Vegan and Gluten-Free Variations

• Can I skip eggs in cookies? Skipping eggs does cause a big change in texture and structure. The egg is an integral binding agent and they make the cookies a little richer. Omitting the eggs in chocolate chip or sugar cookies can make them dry, crumbly or not chewy, but the added pumpkin puree in this recipe will make the cookies gummy or even cakey without the egg. So while you can skip the eggs, there are changes you should expect.
• What can I use to substitute the eggs? For this recipe, you have the benefit of already needing pumpkin puree! By adding about ¼ cup more of pumpkin puree in place of the egg, you can keep some of the moisture that the egg would have provided. As noted above, this will make the texture cakier. 
• You can make a gluten-free iteration of these. Ensure that your chocolate chips are gluten free, and use Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour instead of all-purpose. They might spread a little more without the gluten. Chilling will help that!
• Make your cookies dairy-free as well! Substitute the butter for a vegetable shortening, and whip up a glaze or icing using a milk alternative. I suggest this easy cookie icing! Also, be sure your chocolate chips are dairy free, so it could be safer to swap them out for dark chocolate instead.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Make the cookies:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Step 2: Sift together all the spices, baking soda, baking powder, and flour in a large bowl. 

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter until light. Turn the mixer up and add the egg and pumpkin puree. Stir just until combined. 

Step 4: Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. I usually do 4-5 additions, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Make sure you add the next addition as soon as most of the flour has been incorporated from the last one.

Step 5: Fold in the chocolate chips either with the mixer or with a wooden spoon.

Step 6: Drop the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet from a spoon or a cookie scoop, or you can pipe them into circles. 

Step 7: Bake in a preheated oven for 10-13 minutes. The piped 1” cookies take about 10 minutes, while the drop cookies take a little longer. The cookies are done when the center springs back from your touch. Not a moment more! Completely cool on a wire rack prior to icing. 

Make the Frosting:

Step 8: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and continue to cook and swirl, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns light brown, and brown bits stick to the bottom of the pan. It should smell delightfully nutty. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Step 9:  Add the remaining icing ingredients and vigorously beat with a spatula to mix. The consistency should be smooth and creamy. Not runny. 

Step 10: Ice those beautiful cookies with a small offset spatula and then sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon for fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out all our 250+ cookie recipes or try out my Chocolate Biscotti recipe next!