My mom has a saying about cooking / eating / observing an overly ambitious amount of dinner table food. “This could feed an army!” is the exclamation I’ve heard from her more than once in my life. It’s her way of noting how lucky we are, to live and enjoy such bounty with our family and friends.
It happens most every year when we cook to excess at Thanksgiving, or when I get a wild hair and decide I need to add just a bit more to the BBQ with a few more side dishes, plus another dessert, and oh heck, why not have hot dogs PLUS hamburgers. Just so nobody goes hungry.
These pillowy, cakey, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies fit that bill. This recipe is perfect. Especially if you’re baking for a crowd. Like for my mom’s invisible army. Or better yet, for a party! Now, that’s an idea I can get behind. Or better yet, I’ll lead the charge.
So hop to it soldier (I’m looking at you, mom), and let’s get this cookie baking party started.
Every year around this time I see pumpkin cookies popping up at our local grocery stores, specifically a local chain called Harmon’s. As store bakeries go, Harmon’s has an amazing bakery and does their best to forgo the icky additives / syrups / oil-laden ingredients more commonly found in grocery store baked items. They’re more about taste and using real ingredients than shelf-life and I appreciate that.
However, wandering from the meat and cheese department into the bakery can be a dangerous adventure. Mainly because they’re usually giving out samples of these dang Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies! I’m not usually one for cakey cookies—I prefer them chewy and nutty and dense—but when it comes to pumpkin cookies, these are the real deal.
The only way I can really describe them is that they’re pillowy. And packed with pumpkin pie flavor. And chocolate, because I can never say no to chocolate.
After a search online I finally found a recipe for the Harmon’s version, and after testing it twice and making a few adjustments, I’m here to say it’s spot on.
About the recipe:
This recipe makes a lot of cookies. I got 60 out of each batch when I made them with a large cookie scoop. Perfect for a party, or school event, or passing out to neighbors and Smudge’s friends to become the most popular mom on the block. #winning…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. Just allow it to come to room temperature before baking.
The dough is pretty sticky, but don’t be alarmed, it bakes up cake-like. The cookies don’t spread much at all, they’re more of a poofy cookie, so adjusting to your pan size is pretty easy.
I used a mix of semi-sweet, regular morsel size and mini morsels. You could use just one or the other, or add nuts or coconut to pump them up even more.
I noticed in my second batch that the longer the scooped raw cookie dough sat before baking, the more the tops of the cookies cracked. The less time, the more rounded the cookie tops were. Either way they both tasted delicious so it’s a visual thing.
These cookies can be stored for 2-3 days in a cool spot, or wrap and freeze for later.
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrush!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 29-ounce can pure pumpkin
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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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.
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Whisk the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt in a small bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Mix well. Mix in 2 cups of the flour, then 2 more cups and then the final cup. Add the chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Drop 1 tablespoon rounded scoops of the cookie dough on the sheet about 2 inches apart.
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Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Let rest on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
slightly adapted from Chaney's Charming Kitchen
Get Pumpk’d : 5 More Pumpkin Treats to Love
Because if you’re like me, pumpkin recipes go well beyond the Halloween schedule, so I’m betting you’ll be baking up a lot more punk-in love for you punkins.
Chocolate Pumpkin Almond Butter Cups
These gluten-free riffs on the classic Reese’s are nothing but pure decadence. Prepare to be gluttonous.
Recipe from Edible Perspective, here.
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls that are simple? We’re assured it’s definitely so. Simply tasty looking is what I say.
Recipe from Minimalist Baker, here.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
I could eat this for the gingersnap crust alone, but I think I’ll eat the whole piece instead.
Recipe from Recipe Girl, here.
Nutella Filled Pumpkin Muffins
Soft, fluffy and positively zero reason NOT to eat them all day long.
Recipe from Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet, here.
Pumpkin Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
The perfect solution for that extra cup of pumpkin pureé sitting in tupperware in the fridge. Put it to work with bananas and chocolate chips!
Recipe on Oh, Sweet Basil, here.
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Millie | Add A Little says
October 30, 2014 at 4:24 amThese are so cute and look super tasty!
Nancy says
October 22, 2016 at 2:18 pmOh my heck, those pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were “the best”, and I tweeked it a little, adding both chocolate chips and salted caramel chips!!
heidi says
October 24, 2016 at 4:55 pmNancy, I like the way you think! A cook after my own heart. Glad you enjoyed.
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
October 30, 2014 at 7:57 amPumpkin cookies are my sisters all time favorite. Yours look scrumptious.
Karen Clendaniel says
October 30, 2014 at 10:15 amMy 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.
heidi says
October 30, 2014 at 6:11 pmOh wow, that would be a definite addition to try! Thanks for sharing.
Cathy Jorgenson says
September 30, 2017 at 9:38 pmTried this recipe. Loved it and so did my family and neighbors! Will be making them again for Thanksgiving. Thanks. GMA in Utah
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
October 30, 2014 at 11:43 amThese cookies look like fluffy perfection!
Tiffany | offbeat + inspired says
October 30, 2014 at 1:53 pmThese look incredible. I have a big can of pumpkin puree waiting to become these delicious things. Thank you for sharing!! :D
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
October 30, 2014 at 6:49 pmOoo! 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!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
October 30, 2014 at 8:05 pmI 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.
Chelsie K says
November 2, 2014 at 9:40 pmI 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
heidi says
November 3, 2014 at 2:49 pmYes, 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.
Chelsie K says
November 5, 2014 at 11:24 amThanks 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! :)
college girl says
December 14, 2014 at 6:46 pmI 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!
heidi says
December 17, 2014 at 5:15 pmGlad you had made the recipe your own!
Kitty O says
December 20, 2014 at 6:00 pmI 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!!
heidi says
December 22, 2014 at 10:45 pmSo 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!
Teresa says
March 4, 2015 at 7:25 pmAlthough 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!!
Jacqueline says
September 9, 2015 at 9:08 amCan these be made using a hand mixer? Thanks in advance!
heidi says
September 9, 2015 at 9:14 pmHi Jacqueline, they sure can. I just always use my stand mixer for ease.
Melissa says
September 20, 2015 at 12:43 pmI 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!!
Terry Ann Sanker says
September 30, 2015 at 5:55 pmThese 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
cc says
October 4, 2015 at 2:40 pmepic! divine! just made these…they are still warm, but encited a feeding frenzy in the house! #almostgone
thanks…highly recommend this recipe;)
heidi says
October 4, 2015 at 10:37 pmI’m so glad you liked it!
Sierra says
October 17, 2015 at 7:36 amI 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.
Emily Zarbock says
October 20, 2015 at 2:18 pmYou 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.
Sara says
October 26, 2015 at 7:51 pmLoved these! I used softened butter so I didn’t have to melt it, and baked for 10 minutes. Perfection! Love the spice amount!
Kristin says
October 27, 2015 at 3:21 pmThese 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.
heidi says
October 27, 2015 at 4:23 pmGreat that you tailored them to your taste and wow, butterscotch! Great idea!
Calene says
November 1, 2015 at 3:34 amHeidi… 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!
YVONNE says
November 4, 2015 at 4:48 pmMy 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!
Adam says
November 15, 2015 at 6:08 pmI 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.
heidi says
November 16, 2015 at 5:54 pmSo glad you liked them Adam, I like your take on chocolate chips.
Meghann says
May 3, 2016 at 5:47 pmI 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!
aziza says
June 18, 2016 at 1:41 amHi 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
Kris says
November 21, 2016 at 5:08 pmTry 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!
Teresa Snyder says
September 16, 2016 at 12:17 pmGetting ready to make this. I appreciate all of the reviews. I’m sure they will be most yummy.
Carolyn Wilson says
October 9, 2016 at 8:22 amOMG! I just made these and they are going to be a wonderful addition to my Thanksgiving dessert!
Easy and delicious!!
Judy okeefe says
October 16, 2016 at 7:06 amYour recipe says ice cream scoop. That seems awfully large. Is that correct?
Kathy says
October 31, 2016 at 12:06 pmThese 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.
heidi says
November 3, 2016 at 8:48 amKathy, I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Christina says
October 31, 2016 at 2:28 pmOh 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!
heidi says
November 3, 2016 at 8:49 amThey’ve become one of our holiday traditions Christina. Glad you enjoyed!
Liisa says
November 3, 2016 at 11:11 pmOh 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!
Steph says
November 8, 2016 at 9:03 pmI 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?
heidi says
November 11, 2016 at 11:31 amI’m not sure Steph, try it again and let me know!
ashley says
November 13, 2016 at 5:57 pmI 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!
heidi says
November 14, 2016 at 7:54 amSo glad you liked them Ashley. Yes, the spice does seem like a lot but it totally makes the cookies!
Cheri says
November 16, 2016 at 9:41 pmWow, 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.
Lori Wilson says
January 16, 2017 at 2:55 pmPumpkin 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.
Stephanie says
November 14, 2017 at 8:32 amHas 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
Kristen says
November 18, 2017 at 3:51 pmCould 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.
Kim Nelson says
November 20, 2017 at 9:49 pmBelieve 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.
Debi McDonald says
December 19, 2017 at 1:57 pmI 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?
Julia says
September 23, 2018 at 3:58 pmMade them last night! Everyone loves them! Tagged foodiecrush on instagram. And yes they make a lot!!
Ashley Sorenson says
September 25, 2018 at 6:53 amYUM! This recipe is one I make over and over all Fall! I am so glad that everyone loves them!
Reonna says
October 10, 2018 at 11:38 amIs 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.
Tabitha says
October 19, 2018 at 9:25 pmHahaha!! 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.