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The best ever Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies…because Fridays in October deserve something sweet. Homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, made with browned butter, pumpkin butter, pumpkin spice, and plenty of chocolate. Each cookie dough ball is rolled through cinnamon sugar for a “snickerdoodle” like finish before baking to perfection. There’s nothing not to love about these cookies. They’re slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and gooey in the middle. Perfect for Halloween night or Thanksgiving dinner…or simply when in need of a deliciously sweet pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
It’s pretty hard to beat a good classic chocolate chip cookie. I grew up eating my mom’s homemade cookies and to this day, they’re still a favorite. She uses the recipe on the back of the Nestlè Toll House Chocolate Chip bag. But always adds an extra cup of chocolate chips. Because, well that’s mom, the more chocolate the better!
It really was not until the last few years that I started creating (and loving) pumpkin recipes. For the longest time my mom had it ingrained in me to only like chocolate-based desserts. No pumpkin, definitely not anything fruity, and vanilla? No way. It’s was chocolate or nothing growing up…and I will never ever complain an ounce about it.
What I will say however, is that I’m thankful I’ve opened up my horizons a bit…and in turn hers too. We’ve ventured onto the path of desserts beyond the “chocolate only” realm. Chocolate is still a favorite, of course, but I’ve now come to love experimenting with new flavors and desserts that don’t focus so heavily on chocolate…enter my cream cheese swirled pumpkin bread.
But what’s even more fun? When I can combine my serious love for chocolate along with my (relatively) new love for pumpkin.
And in comes these cookies. You have chocolate, you have pumpkin, AND you have pumpkin spice. So the best of all worlds. Cheesy, but true.
My secrets to the perfect pumpkin cookie…
Every time I’ve attempted pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in the past, they’ve come out pretty cakey and much more muffin-like. Not bad, but just not a chewy chocolate chip cookie.
My goal with these cookies was to create a pumpkin cookie not only with amazing pumpkin flavor, but also a texture that’s closer to my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. It took some playing around with the recipe, but I’ve finally landed on a cookie that is so good. I will not say the texture is just as chewy as a classic cookie, but it’s close, and these cookies are so yummy.
Four secrets to these cookies…
Secret #1, brown half of your butter, but leave the other half at room temp. This gives you the flavor of browned butter but leaves you with a cookie that has great texture too.
Secret #2, use spiced pumpkin butter, not pumpkin purèe. This IS KEY. Pumpkin butter is more reduced down than canned pumpkin puree and contains less moisture. Less moisture will give you a chewier, not as cakey cookie. You can use my homemade pumpkin butter or pick some up at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, your local market, or via Amazon…though I am partial to my homemade recipe. Just make sure your pumpkin butter is spiced for best flavor.
Secret #3, roll your cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar, as if making snickerdoodles. So yes, this cookie is actually a cross between a snickerdoodle and a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
Secret # 4, bake the cookies, but about halfway through cooking, pull the cookies out of the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter a couple of times. Then return to the oven to finish baking. Remove the cookies from the oven, and again, tap the baking sheet once more. Why? This ensures you have the least cakey pumpkin cookie. Instead, you’ll have a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out. It might seem weird, but it’s a method I learned from the New York Times and it works.
These cookies are…
…easy to make, require no chilling, and take less than an hour.
…full of actual pumpkin flavor – and actual pumpkin.
…rolled in cinnamon sugar, so kind of like a snickerdoodle, but better.
…studded with both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks
…just perfectly crisp on the edges, but soft and gooey in the center.
The very best thing you can bake up this weekend. Because it’s always a good idea to bake chocolate chip cookies, especially when browned butter, pumpkin butter, and cinnamon sugar are involved.
Just one more thing…
Eat these warm, while hot and gooey. And add a glass of milk…just like my mom and I would do!
If you make these pumpkin butter chocolate chip cookies please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 225 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup pumpkin butter, homemade or store-bought
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate chunks
- 1/3 cup cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- 1. Add 1 stick butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat, cooking until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer. 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining 1 stick butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Beat in the pumpkin butter, egg, and vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.4. Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and then generously roll through the cinnamon sugar and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Pumpkin Butter: you can use my homemade pumpkin butter or just pick some up from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, your local market, or via Amazon.
If you want more Pumpkin Spice Flavor: add in 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice with the flour.
This post was originally published on October 18, 2019
I’ve made these a few times. Here are my notes:
Always add the teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Without it, the cookies are not pumpkin-y enough. You could add cloves, allspice, or a bit of ginger to deepen the flavor profile too or in place of the pumpkin pie spice.
Don’t bake them too long!
I usually bake cookies through – i don’t personally like an underdone cookie. These cookies are best when they’re slighlty underdone, though. Take them out when the edges are baked and the middle looks just barely done and is puffed up, like maybe it needs one more minute.
I like to do a thumbrint style cookie with these – press in the middle and add a dollop of extra pumpkin butter before baking. I like a stronger pumpkin flavor and to me having a hit of that with each bite makes it perfect!
When those adjustments are made, it’s a hit with this family!
Hope you’re well tieghan thanks for the recipe!
Hi Carly,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
These might be the best cookies I’ve ever made. Browning the butter is so worth it for the depth of flavor. I now make them roughly once a month all fall & winter long to bring to holiday dinners and give to friends as they are always a hit. Thank you!
Hey Meagan,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, so happy it worked for you!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Thank you for the fabulous recipe. I’ve made them twice in the past two weeks to rave reviews by my friends, so much so that one of them asked if she could commission me to make her a batch for her Thanksgiving holiday!
The cookies were the best combination of crisp and gooey without any cakey texture. I added the full teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to give it that holiday seasonal flair!
Both times my batches yielded more cookie despite using a tablespoon to portion out each cookie.
Thank you so much Valentina:) I am so glad to hear you have been enjoying these cookies, I appreciate you making them and sharing with others! Have a great Friday!
If using the homemade pumpkin butter, should that be chilled or room temp?
Hi Timothy,
You will want the pumpkin butter to be at room temp.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Have a great weekend!
This dough came out more as batter. I ended up adding a little more flour but it was still like thick batter. The cookies were still yummy but not sure why it didn’t thicken up.
Hey Lorraine,
Thanks so much for trying these cookies, I’m so glad to hear they were enjoyed! Next time, I would try chilling your dough in the freezer to help thicken the batter and then bake as directed. Let me know if you make them again!
Also! Can these cookies be made into a skillet cookie 👀? Im thinking about adding half of this in to a small 8in cast iron but not sure if it will bake well.
Hi Alisha,
So sorry, I have never tested this, so I am not sure what the results would be. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Can these be refrigerated before going into the oven?
Hi Alisha,
How long are you wanting to put them in the fridge for? I would let them come back to close to room temp before baking. I hope this helps! xx
Wanting to refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
Hi there! Are you wanting to refrigerate the cookies or the dough? xT
Super delicious! But I feel like every time I make one of your cookie recipes they don’t end up as flat as yours, even when I try to hit them down like in the recipe. Any ideas?
Yay!! So glad to hear this, Carrie! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment! Any chance your dough is cold? You could also gently press them down before baking next time and then do the tapping while baking. xx
This is a great recipe! It worked with vegan substitutions! I used Earth Balance Vegan Butter in place of the Butter and 1 Flax Egg in place of Egg. Came out just wonderfully! Will definitely be making again!
Thanks so much, Ava! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! I appreciate you giving it a try! 🎃 xXT
Tieghan, these are wonderful! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Hey Jenna,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! xT
I have some leftover whipped chocolate buttercream (your recipe!), would that work on top of these cookies if I leave out the chocolate chips? Love your recipes and cook books!
Sure, I don’t see why not! Thanks so much, Alison!
What can I use in place of the egg?
Hi Katy,
So sorry, I have never tested this recipe without the egg, you could try an egg replacement and see how that works for you! xx
Great fall cookie. Made your pumpkin butter. Baking time was right on. So good!
Hey Toni,
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy fall weekend! xT