These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super soft and pillowy and packed with pumpkin pie flavor, and make a BIG batch of cookies.
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
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have recipes plus exclusive content for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Teresa Snyder
Getting ready to make this. I appreciate all of the reviews. I’m sure they will be most yummy.
aziza
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
Kris
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!
Meghann
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!
Adam
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.
YVONNE
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!
Calene
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!
Kristin
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!
Sara
Loved these! I used softened butter so I didn’t have to melt it, and baked for 10 minutes. Perfection! Love the spice amount!
Emily Zarbock
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.
Sierra
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.
cc
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!
Terry Ann Sanker
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
Melissa
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!!
Jacqueline
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.
Teresa
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!!
Kitty O
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!
college girl
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!
Chelsie K
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.
Chelsie K
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! :)
Sarah
And swap the flour with gluten-free flour of course! I used King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
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.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
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!
Tiffany | offbeat + inspired
These look incredible. I have a big can of pumpkin puree waiting to become these delicious things. Thank you for sharing!! :D
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
These cookies look like fluffy perfection!
Karen Clendaniel
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.
Cathy Jorgenson
Tried this recipe. Loved it and so did my family and neighbors! Will be making them again for Thanksgiving. Thanks. GMA in Utah
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
Pumpkin cookies are my sisters all time favorite. Yours look scrumptious.
Millie | Add A Little
These are so cute and look super tasty!
Nancy
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.