These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super soft and pillowy and packed with pumpkin pie flavor, and make a BIG batch of cookies.
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THE BEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Come fall each year, I see pumpkin cookies popping up at our local grocery stores, specifically a local chain called Harmon’s where they’re baked in-store. Now, I’m not usually one for cakey cookies. I prefer them chewy and chunky like these Milk Bar salted chocolate chip cookies, or dense and nutty like my mom’s easy fudge.
But when it comes to pumpkin cookies, these babies are the absolute BEST. They’re soft and pillowy, packed with pumpkin pie flavor, and dotted with little chocolate nugget surprise bites. It’s probably why they’ve reached legendary status here in Utah, because if you know, you know.
Now, I could go and pick these cookies up from the store. But when quantity is called for, homemade is a better route to take. Years ago, I found a recipe for Harmon’s pumpkin cookies, and after making some adjustments, and making them about a zillion times, I’m proclaiming these pumpkin cookies the best homemade version of Harmon’s chocolate chip pumpkin cookies you’ll ever make.
What’s In Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies?
This recipe makes a lot of cookies. I usually get around 60 cookies from each batch. They’re the perfect cookie recipe for a party, or school event, or passing out to neighbors, or Smudge’s friends to become the most popular mom on the block. If 60 cookies seems a bit much, cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.
Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a batch of these babies:
- Granulated sugar
- Pure pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
- Melted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Pumpkin pie spice (yes, 4 tablespoons is correct!)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- All-purpose flour
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular or mini size, your choice)
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use pure pumpkin purée, not the pumpkin pie filling. Unlike pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin purée is unsweetened. Or, you could use equal amounts roasted pumpkin or roasted butternut squash.
If you have one, use an electric stand mixer to blend. This is a pretty stiff and sticky dough, making it an ideal candidate for an electric stand mixer if you have one.
Mix the wet ingredients first, then the dry ingredients. Add just one cup of the flour at a time, otherwise it will puff up into your face in the mixer, and won’t properly incorporate into the dough.
Use regular or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mini chocolate chips spread more evenly through the cookies, but regular size give a more chocolatey bite.
Use an ¼ cup cookie scoop to shape the cookies. Because these cookies stay puffy and don’t spread, I use an 18/8 cookie scoop (¼ cup) to shape them into balls. Drop the rounded scoops of cookie dough directly onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
Note: I’ve noticed the longer the scooped raw cookie dough sits before baking, the cracked the tops of the baked cookie become. With less time sitting around, the more rounded the cookie tops will be. Both ways taste delicious, so it’s more of a visual preference.
Can I Make the Cookie Dough in Advance?
While this recipe makes a lot of cookies, they’re far from labor intensive. If you like, you can refrigerate a portion of the dough for later. To bake, allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
You can also freeze the dough and bake it straight from frozen, although you’ll need to add a couple extra minutes to the bake time (use your best judgement).
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins to the Dough?
Please do! Here’s a few ingredient addition ideas:
- Chopped nuts
- Butterscotch chips
- Shredded coconut
- White chocolate chips
More Homemade Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Milk Bar’s Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Loaded Monster Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macarons
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 29-ounce can pure pumpkin
- 1 cup butter , melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 5 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips , regular or mini morsels
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, pumpkin, melted butter, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the eggs, and beat for 1-2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt in a small bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Add 2 cups of the flour, and mix until incorporated. Repeat with 2 more cups of flour, and then the final cup. Add the chocolate chips, and mix just until incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Drop ¼ cup rounded scoops (I use an 18/8 cookie scoop) of the cookie dough on the sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
More Sweet Pumpkin Recipes to Make
- My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Tiramisu
- Mascarpone Pumpkin Mousse Cups
- Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Whiskey Cream Sauce
- Pumpkin Pie
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I converted these to gluten-free by reducing the butter to 2/3 cup and adding one extra egg. (And switching the flour to King Arthur gluten free measure for measure flour.) They need to bake 15-16 minutes before resting outside the oven like the recipe says. The flavor was wonderful! I will definitely make these again. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Sarah — we’re so glad you were able to make these GF and that you enjoyed them!
Many cookie recipes can be converted to gluten-free simply by switching the wheat flour for high quality gluten-free flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill Cup for Cup. If the consistency is too flat, you can also try cutting the fat in half and adding an extra egg. Gluten-free flour doesn’t absorb as much oil as wheat flour and the extra egg adds back the needed moisture. Also make sure any ingredients used aren’t cross-contaminated with wheat flour and make sure the bowls, utensils and pans are all very clean with no trace of gluten on them. (Use unopened butter and unopened sugar, etc., if there is a chance toast crumbs or flour might have gotten into them during regular usage. Lastly, if you have baked or prepared foods using regular flour within the past 24 hours there could be flour particles in the air that can get into the gluten-free food.)
So glad I found this recipe! It made about 80 medium sized cookies. Easy to make since I used a small ice cream scooper and lined my baking pan with silicone mat so no greasing necessary. I took them to work and they were gone like hot cakes.
I’ve made this at least 100x. It’s my go-to recipe for pumpkin cookies. I love that they come out fluffy and not wet and sludgy like other recipes. I follow the exact recipe with only 2 exceptions – I add extra chips and cook a 2-3 extra minutes (just personal preference.)
The only time this recipe has failed was starting last year if I used Libby’s brand pumpkin. It used to work, but it is now runny. I switched to a different brand and they are perfect every time.
So glad you like them Charlie!
I followed the recipe exactly as written & omg these are amazing!!!!! I love how soft and cakey they are. I gifted some and a friend ate the dozen I gave her in one sitting lol thanks for the great recipe!
I am so glad they were a hit! I hope you enjoy over and over again!
Yummy, yummy! Enough to feed an army.
So true!
Easy, simple, fast, thick, and yummy !! Absolute loved it.
Thanks so much!
So glad you enjoyed them! They’re a fixture for fall around here.
Hahaha!! I totally forgot to add eggs in my first batch and I just wanted to let you know that it still totally bakes up and tastes great! So if anyone needs an eggless recipe, this is the one!! I used a 1” cookie scoop and they bake up barely changing shape from the dough scoops with crackles in the top. The next batch got an egg (correctly following the recipe) and they came out of the oven a bit more puffed and softer looking without the cracks. They also taste a bit smoother. Also I quartered the recipe. It made 28 tiny 1.5” cookies. 10/10 will definitely bake again.
Is there a way to make these gluten free? I’m baking these for an upcoming work pot-luck and have a co-worker that has a gluten sensitivity, and I’ve never baked gluten-free before.
I know this post is old but if anyone else was wondering how to convert these to gluten free, I have made these twice now with my usual GF modifications: cut the fat in half (so, 1/2 c butter), add an extra egg (so, 3 eggs total) and bake for the longer amount of time (15 min). They are so delicious!
Made them last night! Everyone loves them! Tagged foodiecrush on instagram. And yes they make a lot!!
YUM! This recipe is one I make over and over all Fall! I am so glad that everyone loves them!
I made these a few weeks ago and they were a huge hit. I can remember though if I used salted or unsalted butter. What should it be?
Could you use oil instead of the melted butter? I have a nephew that is violently allergic to anything with milk in it and would love to make something like this for him.
Believe it or not, apple butter is a great substitute for butter when baking. My son also struggled with milk allergies. I was pleased with the flavor of apple butter in all the recipes I cooked with it as well. The flavor does not overwhelm as you would think.
Has anybody used real pumpkin, as in baked the pumpkin until tender and puréed? If so how much would you use in comparison to one 29 ounce can? Thank you
Pumpkin is on clearance so I just had to make these. They are amazing.
I use the pioneer lady’s pumpkin pie spice recipe.
And refrigerator for the dough in between sheets going in.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Wow, These are so good! I made them with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour, and they were amazing, so soft and they had the perfect flavor. I have missed these cookies since we left Utah.
I accidentally forgot another can of pumpkin, so I ended up halving the recipe, but it all worked out! Only thing I would mention is to definitely NOT leave out the pumpkin pie spice! I, too, was hesitant about the amount, and as I sit here eating one of these delicious things, I wish that I had added the rest of the spice! (As I halved, I was supposed to use 2 tbsp… but I was scared and only used one.) The chocolate chips are fantastic, but overwhelming for the pumpkin/spice flavor. Since it’s not possible to leave OUT chocolate chips (blasphemy!), just make sure to add all the spice. Will be making again for sure– Thanks so much!
So glad you liked them Ashley. Yes, the spice does seem like a lot but it totally makes the cookies!
I made these last night & accidentally used only 1 stick of butter! The cookies still turned out great, but they are pillowy and puffy. Would using the right amount of butter make it “cracked” looking?
I’m not sure Steph, try it again and let me know!
Oh please cancel the pumpkin pies! We will be having these cookies at thanksgiving and Christmas! Soft, big yummy cookies that are perfectly seasoned. I did a half batch just to try them, and used half chocolate chips and half white chips. Thanks for posting such a great recipe!
Oh my goodness–these are perfect! Harmon’s cookies are my favorite, but these just took over. They’re so pillowy and taste amazing. Thank you so much for posting this recipe! You are amazing!
They’ve become one of our holiday traditions Christina. Glad you enjoyed!
These cookies are perfect. Was looking for a tasty pumpkin drop cookie with sufficient spice to bake for Halloween and these are just what I was looking for! Thank you! Delicious! They turned out perfectly, just like the pic.
Kathy, I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Your recipe says ice cream scoop. That seems awfully large. Is that correct?
OMG! I just made these and they are going to be a wonderful addition to my Thanksgiving dessert!
Easy and delicious!!
Getting ready to make this. I appreciate all of the reviews. I’m sure they will be most yummy.
Hi heidi im from south africa and saw this nice pumpkin chocolate chip recipe. I only have 1 problem, we dont sell can pumpkin in our stores, how should I go about boiling pumpkin, how many cups do I heed to put into the mixer. Plz
Try using these direction for cooking the pumpkin. I use this when I want to make my own purée.
For the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the stem from the pumpkin and scrape out the insides, discarding the seeds. Cut the pumpkin in half and lay the pieces cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Rub canola oil all over the skin and bake until fork-tender, about 1 hour. Let cool. Scoop out the pulp from the roasted pumpkin and puree in a food processor until smooth (you should have about 4 cups).
Happy Baking!
I saw your recipe and just had to make these cookies. I followed your recipe as stated.. like others had to use homemade pumpkin pie spice. Turned out just fine. The cookies were very fluffy and definitely turned out cake like as you said they would. Hoping the teachers like them at my son’s daycare for Teacher Appreciation Week! Thanks for the recipe!
I made these cookies tonight and shared them with my family as well as missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They tasted great and were a nice treat to have right after dinner. I really like how they have the consistency of cake but still taste like a cookie. Extra chocolate chips is a must. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
So glad you liked them Adam, I like your take on chocolate chips.
My sister pinned this recipe to me so I thought I’d try it since I love pumpkin. THEY ARE FABULOUS!!! I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice or parchment paper but I managed and WOWSA! (I did find an online recipe to make my own pp spice) They are perfect and will definitely be a regular. Like Heidi said in her post, the dough is sticky and I wondered if I had misjudged the flour. But I put the 1st pan in the oven to see if they would spread too much. Nope, they turned out great! Thanks!
Heidi… I love you! I lived in Utah for years and years, and am now in Maine. I loved Harmons and was so excited to see your recipe. I always make these cookies for Halloween using a recipe from All Recipes. The site was down yesterday, so I started looking and found you. And as they say everything happens for a reason! These are delicious! The very very best. Although I don’t remember exactly how Harmons were, I know these could not be far off… maybe even better. Everyone loved them and my daughter took half of them home with her Thanks a million times over!
These were a big hit at our house! I made some with no chocolate chips for my man who likes plain pumpkin, some as directed for the 13-year-old boy who likes the classic, and some with chocolate and butterscotch for the girls who like the more trendy fall flavors. All were devoured quickly. The one thing I did change was lowering my oven temperature to 350–375 was just too hot. The cooked perfectly in 12 minutes at the lower temp.
Great that you tailored them to your taste and wow, butterscotch! Great idea!
Loved these! I used softened butter so I didn’t have to melt it, and baked for 10 minutes. Perfection! Love the spice amount!
You are a lifesaver! My husband’s favorite treat are these Harmon’s cookies, but we just moved to Texas and I haven’t found them in any store here. I can’t wait to make these for him. Thank for figuring out how to make them taste like the original.
I made these cookies last night. I used cinnamon and nutmeg instead of pumkpin, but these were the most amazing pumpkin cookies I’ve ever had. Thank you for posting this recipe.
epic! divine! just made these…they are still warm, but encited a feeding frenzy in the house! #almostgone
thanks…highly recommend this recipe;)
I’m so glad you liked it!
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies came out delish. I did add a cup of coconut. I only had 2 cups of white sugar so I added a cup of light brown sugar. I think mine are a bit larger.
One of my daughters decided they needed to be sweeter so I added a drizzle of powder sugar, water and vanilla glaze. AWESOME ! TYTYTY
I made these last night. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect! These were JUST what I was looking for! I wanted a cookie that was soft and fluffy! And they taste great the next day! Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Can these be made using a hand mixer? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jacqueline, they sure can. I just always use my stand mixer for ease.
Although Harmon’s pumpkin choco chip cookies are the best, these really are spot on! Love how spicy these are! Will be saving myself a lot of $ from making my own, and not giving it away to Harmon’s whenever we need a “fix”. Thanks for sharing!!
I made this today and followed the recipe to the letter EXCEPT I used a third brown sugar instead of white sugar. Added ALL the spices you recommended–although I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice so I used a combination of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves…in the order of proportion. I added walnuts ,too. Have to say it may be the best pumpkin cookie I’ve ever had! Perfectly rounded just like the picture and tender little cake-like cookies! You said the dough was sticky, and it was, so I refrigerated it about 15 minutes before taking it out with the rounded ice screen scoop. They came out perfectly. I’m so happy I have this recipe! Next time I might use white chocolate chips, cranberries, and walnuts. Thanks for such an excellent recipe!!
So glad you liked it. I always get nervous when I read comments that start out about changing this for that and this for another and then the commenter says the recipe doesn’t work out. :) So glad your adaptation worked well for you! I think the cranberries and white chocolate chips sounds fab!
I used half all-purpose flour and half white-whole-wheat, and while there were perfect right out of the oven, they were a little dry once cooled. Made them again with all white-whole-wheat four but substituting veg oil for the butter 1:1, and also used frozen blueberries instead of choc chips, and they turned out SOOO moist and delicious!
Glad you had made the recipe your own!
I made these tonight with such high hopes that they would look as great as yours!!
One question… (which might be where i went wrong) is this recipe really supposed to use 4 TABLEspoons of pumpkin pie spice?? this amount scared me and to be safe i went with 4 teaspoons instead.
I also think I may have needed to use a touch more flour because my dough wasn’t super sticky (a bit runny really) and i followed your directions for crackly tops, but all of mine came out rounded.
The flavor was great, I just wish they looked as pretty as yours!!
sorry for so many thoughts! but you said you wanted feedback.. ha!
Chelsie
Yes, 4 TABLESPOONS! I know, it seems like a lot but that’s where the flavor comes from. Sometimes they come out more rounded on top, I use a cookie scoop (like an ice cream scoop) to drop my dough balls. You could try to add more flour next time, maybe 1/2 cup and see how they come out.
Thanks for the reply! I will definitely have to make them again with a few tweaks to see how they turn out!! Even though I didn’t use the full amount of spice, everyone seemed to love them! :)
And swap the flour with gluten-free flour of course! I used King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour.
I have an aunt who always declares how much excess food we have at every family gathering. She always seems so concerned and worried and meanwhile I’m thrilled because leftovers are my BFF. PS: These look insane.
Ooo! These cookies are seriously calling my name! So soft and delicious looking! Love how studded they are with chocolate chips! Sharing!
Thanks for including my pumpkin muffins, Heidi!
These look incredible. I have a big can of pumpkin puree waiting to become these delicious things. Thank you for sharing!! :D
These cookies look like fluffy perfection!
My recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate chip Cookies has a browned confectionary sugar glaze on top. The cookies are soft and with the glaze they are amazing. Been making these for years, and have even made these for my customers at work.
Oh wow, that would be a definite addition to try! Thanks for sharing.
Tried this recipe. Loved it and so did my family and neighbors! Will be making them again for Thanksgiving. Thanks. GMA in Utah
Pumpkin cookies are my sisters all time favorite. Yours look scrumptious.
These are so cute and look super tasty!
Oh my heck, those pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were “the best”, and I tweeked it a little, adding both chocolate chips and salted caramel chips!!
Nancy, I like the way you think! A cook after my own heart. Glad you enjoyed.