Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- My standard chewy chocolate chip cookies get a fall makeover thanks to the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
October 12, 2024 by Nicole Collins
Today, we’re making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I’ve been on a mission for a hot minute now…YEARS at this point…to convince everyone that pumpkin and chocolate go together. In fact, for the past two years, I’ve run a poll on my IG stories for a couple cupcake ideas I’ve had, secretly hoping the chocolate pumpkin swirl option would be the winner. And well, have you seen any pumpkin cupcakes from me lately? That’s because my front runner was not the front runner of the people.
But, I’m 100% confident that these cookies are going to do it. They’re going to win everyone over. We’re taking my standard chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s already a 10/10, making it a little more decadent by swapping regular butter for brown butter, then giving it a fall makeover with the addition of pumpkin puree and warm pumpkin spice. Anyone else drooling?
Let’s talk brown butter. You guys know this has been the year of brown butter for me. There’s just something incredibly magical that happens when you toast those milk solids and let that butter slowly simmer until it’s deep golden in color. It’s so easy to do, but you do have to stay close because things move fast at the end. We’ll simply toss a stick of butter into a medium saucepan, let it start to bubble over medium heat, then let it swirl and sizzle for just about 10 mins. We’ll transfer the butter to a heatproof measuring glass so it stops cooking and has a couple minutes to cool down. And, that’s brown butter.
While the butter is browning, we need to attend to our pumpkin. We’re using canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) for these cookies. But, that pumpkin holds a ton of moisture. And, we don’t want or need that in our cookies. So, we’re going to spread the pumpkin out onto a paper towel, then lay it over a bowl to drip off any excess moisture. You’ll be shocked at how much liquid comes out of that pumpkin. You don’t even need to squeeze. Just let the paper towel soak up the moisture, and it’ll be ready to use at the same time the butter is.
Now here’s the cool thing about pumpkin. Like bananas and applesauce, pumpkin puree actually is a triple threat when it comes to baking. Not only does it add color and flavor, it can be used as a replacement for oil, butter, or egg! We’re not giving up our brown butter, and we don’t need any oil for these cookies. So, it’s the egg that’s gotta go. You won’t even miss it!
So, we’ll mix the brown butter with some brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer until it’s all combined. Then, we’ll mix the pumpkin right in. Next, we’ll add in our dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice. And finally, we’ll stir in some dark chocolate chips.
Now because we started with melted butter, we want to let our cookie dough chill for about 10 mins in the fridge before we roll out our cookie dough balls. I find that it’s easier to portion out the dough before it’s completely chilled, so we’ll scoop our dough balls out onto our cookie sheets, then back in the fridge it goes for at least 2 hours to really chill. This will help us get fluffy, puffy cookies with ever so slightly crispy edges. You won’t see much spreading happen thanks to the chilling.
The last thing to do is bake, cool, and enjoy! These cookies are straight magic. The pumpkin and spices are subtle. They’re there but not at all smacking you in the face. Then, we have that slightly bitter dark chocolate that balances out those warm spices so well. And if that wasn’t good enough, we get those nutty undertones from the brown butter in each bite. Talk about perfection.
I’m already obsessed with my normal chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. I didn’t think it could possibly get any better, but I was wrong! I’m officially calling these my 40th birthday cookies. That’s how amazing these are!
Ok, everyone. Are you team pumpkin with chocolate now? PLEASE say yes so I can make those swirled cupcakes.
I hope you guys enjoy, and let’s eat!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Serves: 18-20 cookies Print
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cornstarch
¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp vanilla
1 heaping cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and pumpkin spice with a fork to incorporate the ingredients. Set aside.
Brown the butter: Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted and starting to sizzle, cook for 8-10 mins, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns deep golden in color and has a nutty smell. Transfer brown butter to a glass measuring cup, and allow to cool for about 10 mins.
While the butter is browning, transfer pumpkin to a paper towel, and place over a small bowl to absorb/drain off some of the moisture.
Once the butter has cooled slightly and the pumpkin has drained, add brown butter, both sugars, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fully combined. Add pumpkin, and beat until incorporated and smooth.
Reduce the mixer speed to low, and gradually add in the flour mix until it is just incorporated into the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add chocolate chips to the bowl. Stir the chocolate chips and any flour from the sides of the bowl into the dough by hand using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Place the bowl in the fridge to chill the dough for 10 mins.
Use a nonstick cookie sheet, or line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 2 tbsp balls, and place them on the prepared cookie sheet spaced roughly 2 inches apart. Place back in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove baking sheet from fridge while oven preheats. Bake for 10-12 mins until the edges just start to turn golden brown and the tops look set but still light in color. Remove from oven, and immediately smack the tray of cookies on the countertop to release any air bubbles. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat as necessary with remaining dough, making sure the cookie sheet cools down between each batch. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough using a hand mixer. Beat the butter and sugars as listed in the recipe, then add in pumpkin. But, beat in 1/3 of the flour mix at a time until it is just combined. Stir in the chocolate by hand.
*I like to use a 2 tbsp (medium) cookie scoop for portioning out the dough.
*Pumpkin holds a lot of moisture that we don’t want in our cookies, so don’t skip the step of letting it drain for a few minutes. You’ll be surprised how much liquid extracts from the pumpkin!
*It's tempting not to chill the dough, but it really does help keep the cookies from spreading like crazy. It will take a few batches to make all of these cookies, so make sure you keep your dough chilled in the fridge until it's time to roll the next batch of dough. It’s easier to roll the dough before it’s totally chilled, so if you have more than one baking sheet, definitely use it.
*Leftover cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but these also freeze really well. Allow cookies to cool completely. Individually wrap each cookie in plastic wrap, then transfer to a freezer safe bag. When you’re ready to enjoy a cookie, loosen the plastic, and microwave for 15-20 seconds. It’s like having a cookie fresh from the oven!
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