Pumpkin Spice Season is upon us! My stepdaughter and I have a fall tradition; we hit the coffee shop for a pumpkin spice latte (basic, yes, but delicious—we have no shame!) and pick out a new fall-scented candle at the store. That night, we usually watch Hocus Pocus and whip up an autumnal treat…like these Pumpkin Cookies! She’s the baker in our family, and this budget-friendly recipe has been approved! These cookies are super chewy (NOT cakey!), perfectly spiced, and sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. Plus, they’re full of gooey chocolate chips and couldn’t be easier to make!
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“Perfect texture!!! If you hate pumpkin cookies that end up like little dry cake domes this is the best alternative!! They come out just like chocolate chip cookies but better because PUMPKIN! I had mine with my PSL and it was a match made in fall heaven!”
Meghan
Easy Recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Think of these pumpkin cookies as a mix between your favorite chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin pie. They have a deliciously chewy center, crisp edges, and every bite is infused with warm pumpkin spice flavors. I also speckle white chocolate and butterscotch chips throughout the dough, adding a rich and creamy sweetness. But if you don’t love super sweet treats, swap out the white chocolate/butterscotch chips for dark chocolate (you need ¼ cup of chips total for this recipe). They’d still be the perfect way to kick off the fall season!
Pumpkin Cookies
Servings 24 cookiesIngredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour ($0.27)
- ½ tsp baking powder ($0.04)
- ½ tsp baking soda ($0.01)
- 2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice ($0.47*)
- ¼ tsp salt (+ a pinch for sprinkling if desired $0.01)
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted but not hot, $0.99)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed, $0.82**)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.65)
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree (strained, $0.30***)
- 1 Tbsp hot water ($0.00)
- 1 egg ($0.31)
- ⅛ cup white chocolate chips ($0.30)
- ⅛ cup butterscotch chips ($0.38)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in medium size mixing bowl. Whisk together to mix thoroughly.
- Cream together melted butter and brown sugar.
- With the mixer running, add vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, hot water, and egg.**** (Read note.)
- Add flour to the wet mixture little by little, mixing until just combined.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough. Stop mixing once the flour is fully incorporated.
- Scrape down mixing bowl and fold in white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips by hand.
- Chill in fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes so it’s scoopable and not too soft.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop balls out onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each with a little salt if you like a salty sweet flavor. I like to push a couple extra chocolate chips on top too, so they look extra pretty when they come out of the oven.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before handling. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Pumpkin Cookies step-by-step photos
Combine the dry ingredients: Preheat your oven to 375℉. Add 1 ½ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, and ¼ tsp salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk to mix everthing together thoroughly.
Cream the butter and sugar: Mix together 8 Tbsp melted unsalted butter and 1 cup brown sugar.
Make the dough: Now, with the mixer running, add 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ cup strained pumpkin puree, 1 Tbsp hot water, and 1 egg. DON’T pour the hot water directly on the egg to avoid accidentally cooking it!
Slowly add the flour mix to the wet mixture little by little, mixing until just combined.
Be careful not to overmix the dough. Stop mixing once the flour is fully incorporated.
Add the chocolate chips: Scrape down the mixing bowl and fold in ⅛ cup white chocolate chips and ⅛ cup butterscotch chips by hand. Chill in fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes so it’s scoopable and not too soft.
Form the cookies: Using a cookie scoop, scoop balls out onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each with a little salt if you like a salty sweet flavor. I like to push a couple extra chocolate chips on top too, so they look extra pretty when they come out of the oven.
Bake: Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 15 minutes before handling. Enjoy!
I suggest making a double batch of these pumpkin cookies—they’re just that good!
Strain Your Pumpkin Puree!
This is my secret for chewy pumpkin cookies! Pumpkin puree is naturally very moist, which is great for some recipes… but not so much this one. Moisture creates a soft texture in baked goods—and I don’t want these cookies to be doughy or cakey! Strain your pumpkin puree by adding it to a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer and let it drain over a bowl for 30 minutes to an hour. You can also blot it with paper towels, but I find straining it works best. Use the leftover liquid in pumpkin soup or a pumpkin smoothie!
Tips and Notes
- Add the flour mixture slowly, mix until just combined, and then add a little more. This stops us from overmixing the dough, which can make the cookies tough and dense.
- Let the cookies cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet. They’ll be very soft and fragile when they first come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.
- Use a cookie scoop to create evenly sized-cookies. I use a 2-oz cookie scoop to make these cookies. You might need to adjust the baking time if you use a smaller or larger scoop.
- Cool the dough for 10-15 minutes before scooping and baking to minimize spreading. Doing this also lets the flour hydrate fully, which creates a chewier cookie!
- To create perfectly round cookies, place a glass or cookie cutter over each freshly baked (still warm) cookie and gently swirl it in a circular motion to even out the edges. Check out our Instagram reel for a visual tutorial! (But if you prefer a more rustic look, that’s totally fine too!)
Storage Instructions
Keep your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Layer each cookie with parchment paper to stop them from sticking together, and let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
As for the dough, I wouldn’t make it too far in advance because the pumpkin might release too much liquid in storage. I’d bake the cookies as soon as the dough is ready for the best results.
Thank you! The cookies are really tasty!
I love this recipe! It’s become my husband’s favorite cookie that I make for him. Just out of curiosity, how did you get the prices you wrote down? Where are you getting your supplies?
We do most of our shopping and pricing at Kroger! Keep in mind, the cost indicated is based on how much is used in the recipe. For example, vanilla extract can be quite expensive, but we only use $0.58 worth in this recipe. You can learn more about how we price here! https://www.budgetbytes.com/how-to-calculate-recipe-costs/
I love the sound of these cookies but I also love a crunchy cookie. What would I do differently to achieve this? Thank you!
I used the recipe but I forgot the eggs and hot water, so I’ve made mini pumpkin breads with choco chips in them 😂 Fantastic recipe, I love how easy and how simple it is especially when it comes to the ingredients and how much they cost
Oooh. Sounds awesome. Sometimes “mistakes” end up being the best discoveries! Nice work!
My new favorite pumpkin cookie recipe! Perfect and flavorful. Thank you so much for sharing this!
How much liquid are you draining from 1/4 cup pumpkin puree? I’m in another country and the canned pumpkin we get is pretty thick compared to the libby’s i’d get in the States (and is just pumpkin, no worries on accidentally getting pie filling). Wondering if I can forego the straining and the 1 tbsp of water and just go with it as canned.
I think you should be fine to just add your canned pumpkin as is with no straining. Our pumpkin puree is quite wet and I often strain it and even let it chill on a paper towel to absorb even more of the liquid. I would still add the hot water, though!
Is it really only supposed to be one quarter cup total of chocolate/butterscotch chips for 24 cookies? I have these chilling in the fridge now but I think I tripled or quadrupled that amount to get them to look right- but maybe I just like extra chips!
1/4 cup is correct! Just enough to add a pop of sweetness but not overpower the pumpkin. I’m sure yours will be delicious though! I few extra chip never hurt anyone!
Perfect texture!!! If you hate pumpkin cookies that end up like little dry cake domes this is the best alternative!! They come out just like chocolate chip cookies but better because PUMPKIN! I had mine with my PSL and it was a match made in fall heaven!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Meghan!
I loved these Pumpkin Cookies! I will make more again soon and sharing the recipe! Yummy!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them.
I really love these cookies! I doubled the recipe since it is my favorite fall flavor. I did some with the salt on top and some without. I do love the sweet and salty flavors! And of course I added more white chocolate and butterscotch chips too! Yummy!
My cookies are currently in the oven so I don’t know how they will taste but the recipe is missing directions for when to add the vanilla and pumpkin spice. I’m sure experienced bakers will know when to add these things anyways but I’m a newbie and need specific directions.
I hope they turned out okay! We’re fixing the recipe now, thank you for the head up! :)
The recipe instructions are missing when to add the pumpkin pie spice and the vanilla extract
Thanks for letting us know! Fixing it now!
Recipe calls for vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice but doesn’t have a step where they are added 😉
They fixed it.