Pumpkin cookies that are actually chewy, with crisp edges, soft centers and pockets of melted chocolate.
Prep20 min
Cook12 min
Total32 min
Serves20
LevelEasy
What makes it special
All-purpose flour
Cinnamon
Unsalted butter
Brown sugar
I've baked a lot of disappointing pumpkin cookies: puffy, soft and basically little muffin tops. These are different. They're properly chewy with crisp edges, full of warm spice and loaded with melty chocolate. A few small tricks make all the difference.
How to keep them chewy
Blot the pumpkin. Spread it on paper towels and press another towel on top. You'll be amazed how much water comes out, and the pumpkin flavor gets more concentrated.
Use melted butter. It gives a dense, chewy texture instead of a fluffy one.
More brown sugar. It keeps cookies soft and bendy.
Just the yolk. Egg whites add moisture and puffiness, so we leave them out.
Chill the dough. Thirty minutes at least, an hour or two if you can.
Baking tips
Scoop 2-tablespoon portions.
Take them out when the edges are set but the middles still look soft.
Let them rest on the hot sheet for 10 minutes; they finish setting there.
Variations
Chocolate chunks: chopped dark chocolate for bigger melty pockets.
White chocolate: a sweet, creamy twist.
Oatmeal: add half a cup of rolled oats.
Pecan: fold in chopped pecans.
Serving
Warm with a glass of cold milk, sandwiched around vanilla ice cream, or packed into a tin for a fall gathering.
Chewy, never cakey pumpkin cookies with warm spices and lots of melty chocolate. The secret: blotted pumpkin, melted butter and one egg yolk.
Fall Baking Easy American
Prep
20 min
Cook
12 min
Total
32 min
Servings
20
Ingredients 13 items
Tap to check off as you go
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Add-Ins
Instructions 7 steps
1
Blot the pumpkin purée between paper towels to remove extra moisture.
2
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
3
Whisk the melted butter with both sugars, then add the pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla.
4
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones, then fold in the chocolate.
5
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
6
Scoop onto a parchment-lined sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
7
Let them cool on the sheet before moving them to a rack.
Nutrition per serving
Calories
140
Protein
1g
Carbs
18g
Fat
6g
Sugar
12g
Fiber
1g
Sodium
70mg
Questions, answered
Why are my pumpkin cookies usually cakey?
Pumpkin is very wet. Blotting it and using only an egg yolk removes extra moisture so the cookies stay chewy.
Do I really need to chill the dough?
Yes. Chilling stops the cookies from spreading and gives them a better texture and flavor.
Can I use pumpkin pie spice?
Yes. Use 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons instead of the separate spices.
Recipe by
Denise
Home cook, baker and serial recipe tweaker. I share the dishes my family asks for most, written step by step so they turn out right in your kitchen too.
