These soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, made with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and cream cheese, have a cake-like texture and lots of pumpkin flavor!
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
My daughter Madison loves pumpkin spice, so she devoured these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies when I was testing them. I adapted them slightly from these pumpkin cookies with chocolate glaze, and I think they’re even better!
I see many box cake recipes for cookies, which have a similar texture, but making them from scratch means the ingredients are a bit cleaner. Cream cheese helps keep these nice and moist too and beyond the pumpkin puree, they’re made with pantry staples.
More pumpkin recipes you may like are my Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Roll, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Banana Bread, Pumpkin Spice Cookies or these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have become one of my all-time favorite fall cookie recipes. Here’s a few reasons why.
- Soft, cakey texture. These pumpkin cookies definitely have a more cake-like texture than a chewy one, which I love.
- Perfect pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice infuse every bite of these cookies with incredible pumpkin flavor.
- Quick and easy. These pumpkin cookies take just a handful of minutes to prep and 15 minutes to bake.
What You’ll Need
These pumpkin cookies are made with pumpkin puree and pantry staples. See the recipe card below for measurements.
- Cream cheese: I used reduced-fat cream cheese.
- Butter: Allow to soften at room temperature.
- Sweetener: I made these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with regular monk fruit and golden monk fruit. You can also use granulated and brown sugars.
- Egg: Egg helps give these cookies structure.
- Pumpkin: You can use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, pour ¾ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar into a measuring cup and fill the rest with 1% milk until you reach the quarter-cup mark.
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin spice: Adds the warm fall flavor to these pumpkin cookies.
- Flour
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Help the cookies rise and make them more tender.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and improves the flavor and texture.
- Chocolate Chips: I used Lily’s sugar-free chocolate chips, but regular will work too.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
This pumpkin cookie recipe requires just a few minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line three baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper. You can also prep only one tray and bake the cookies in batches.
- Wet Ingredients: Beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat, followed by the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in another bowl. Gradually stir the flour into the pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Bake: Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough (one ounce each) on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Tips for Success
Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind for making the best pumpkin cookies.
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Though the cans look similar, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are not the same thing. It’s important to use pure pumpkin puree for these pumpkin cookies.
- Rotate the pans. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the baking sheets to ensure even baking on all sides.
- Take care not to overbake. These pumpkin cookies require just 14 to 15 minutes in the oven. Be sure to remove them quickly and transfer to wire racks to avoid dry cookies.
What can be done with leftover canned pumpkin?
Since you only need a half cup of pumpkin for these chocolate chip cookies, you’ll have quite a bit left over. You could make another pumpkin recipe, like this Creamy Pumpkin Polenta, Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes, or Pumpkin Smoothie. Or freeze the remaining puree in ice cube trays. When you need it for another dish, thaw some cubes in the fridge and use the puree as normal.
Storage
- Counter. Store these pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Fridge. To extend the life of your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, you can also store them in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies do freeze well. Once cooled, transfer to a ziploc freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying.
More Pumpkin Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Pumpkin-Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin-Spiced Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
- Pumpkin Hazelnut White Chocolate Biscotti
- Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Cookies
More Canned Pumpkin Recipes
Here’s a few more ways you can use canned pumpkin this fall!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- silicone mat
Ingredients
- 4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup monk fruit brown sugar, Lakanto or use regular brown sugar if you prefer
- 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener, Lakanto or regular sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup 1% buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, such as Lily’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 3 baking sheets with a silicone mat or silpat (or bake in batches).
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg; beat well. Mix in pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.
- In another bowl combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to pumpkin mixture; mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls, 1 ounce each, 2 inches apart onto the silicone lined baking sheets.
- Bake 14 to 15 minutes or until golden, rotating the baking sheets halfway.
- Remove to wire rack to cool.
I made these with GF flour and a tsp of xanthum gum. Fluffy and delicious!! Not overly sweet
I’ve made these half a dozen times in the past 4 weeks. I had never used monk fruit sugar before and, while it’s expensive, the cookies are just so delicious and I feel like I am eating something good for me. I puréed my own pumpkin and I use whole wheat flour. My daughter and grandchildren love them…and my husband doesn’t which I think is a BONUS!! They are much better warmed in the microwave for 15 seconds….ENJOY!
Soft and delicious and not overly sweet. So good!
I loved the idea of these but they are bland.
These are amazing!!!! I love the texture and the flavor. I followed the recipe exactly and my kids begged for me to make another batch. I hope there will be a year round version of these cookies in the future.
Just made and they’re amazing! Even picky husband couldn’t stop eating them. I used whole wheat flour, (can’t tell the difference), and didn’t have enough of the monk fruit sweetener so used about 1/4 cup of that with a half cup of standard brown sugar. Curious how much that changes the calories, but not too concerned-they are the bomb!!!
I made these today, so good! I used full-fat cream cheese because that’s what I had, and regular sugar for the same reason – 1/2 cup only. They are still plenty sweet. They turned out soft with a bit of crunch on the edges. Yummy! Will probably freeze some to enjoy later.
Great!!
Omg, Gina! These are the most cake-like, delicious cookies. You would never guess they’re lightened up and a hint of the cream cheese flavor comes through. Perfect, and such a treat when you can have 2 for 5 points!!!
So glad you liked them!
Made these! So yummy! Love how soft, cakey and moist these cookies turn out! Right balance of pumpkin & chocolate!! Satisfies my sweet tooth!!
Great!!!
Sounds good, I’ll try it. I’m sure the family will enjoy them.
Thank You 🙂
when do we add the chocolate chips?
Step 4
Can you substitute unsweetened applesauce or nonfat greek yogurt for the unsalted butter? I usually do in cake recipes but not sure if it would work in cookies.
Sounds delicious and I am going to make these.
Is there a non-dairy alternative that can be used for the buttermilk?
I made these last week and they are absolutely delicious! Easy to make too. I added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. They freeze well too! Yum!!!
This looks great. Wondering if almond flour could be substituted for regular flour? Would reduce the carbohydrates!!
Not sure?