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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 pumpkin purèe 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.
I sing in a large symphonic chorus (120 singers) and bake cookies for every concert. I doubled the recipe and made these yesterday for a concert coming up in a two weeks. When I make them again, I think I will change the leavening to at least equal parts baking soda and baking power and start them in a 375 degree oven and then turn the oven down to 350 or even 325. This might eliminate having to slam the baking sheets on the counter-top. I used cinnamon chips rather than chocolate chips and liked the bump in cinnamon flavor. To cut the sweetness back a bit, I sprinkled the cinnamon sugar rather than rolling each ball in the sugar-cinnamon mix. Good flavor, outstanding crumb/texture, and easy to prepare. I love the umami the comes with the browned butter.
Hey Nancy,
Happy Monday!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying and your feedback! xT
These cookies are absolutely delicious and so creative! You are so talented.
Mine came out more cakey and less flat than yours. The dough did not end up spreading out much. I live in Houston, so I am wondering if the weather and low elevation is causing the difference in cookie shape and texture?
Or could it be something else?
Any advice on how to make the dough spread out like yours is appreciated! 🩵
Hi there! I would add a little less flour if you feel like they’re coming out super cakey! Hope this helps! xT
Hi Tieghan- could you put this dough in a pumpkin (or other shaped) cookie cutter? Would love to shape them into something festive, thank you!!
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried that before, I think this dough will spread a bit so I’m not sure how that will go! xT
I make these cookies multiple times a year once it gets cold. They are truly fabulous. I have a stressful week ahead, so going to make a batch of dough to freeze and have cookies on demand whenever I need them. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you so so much! So glad you’re loving these pumpkin cookies! xT
So good!!! I used bob’s red mill 1:1 gluten free flour and Trader Joe’s vegan buttery spread to make them gluten free and dairy free. Turned our perfect. Great recipe!
Love to hear this! Thank you so so much! xT
I just made these for the 2nd time tonight. They are outstanding and a huge hit with everyone. The cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice addition adds a great Fall/Winter twist. In my kitchen I drop the pan 4 times and then put them back in the oven for 3 minutes. I love to cook, but I don’t particularly enjoy baking. These are so easy and the recipe produces consistent results which I appreciate as an infrequent baker.
Hey Shauna,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Hello! I made this recipe repeatedly throughout the fall, and it was a hit every time! I brought a whole batch in for my fellow teachers right before Thanksgiving, and people were emailing me for the recipe! They’re the perfect amount of pumpkin and chocolate. Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Hey Margaret,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ So glad to hear that this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks so much for making it so often and sharing your feedback! xT
Tapping the pan on the counter was key to making these cookies a great chewy texture. The pumpkin butter was soo good I found myself just eating it with a spoon. Great cookies, kids loved them, and the sugar cinnamon on top gave it snickerdoodly vibe!
Hey Beth,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
Made these for a Friendsgiving. I just ate one for breakfast… INCREDIBLE! and so much fun to make!
Hey Caitlin,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
I made these last Halloween. They were such a hit!!! So much so, that a whole year later my boyfriend has been mentioning he wants me to make them again! I dug through all your cookie recipes to find this needle in a bay stack and I found it!!! I’m so excited to make them again tomorrow ❤️😍
Awe love to hear this Gabrielle! I hope they are as good as you remember! xT
As much as I am a chocolate lover, I was really hoping that the pumpkin would come through! I also found the texture to be more cake-like. I made my own pumpkin butter, so if I give this recipe another go, I definitely plan on switching up those ratios.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you didn’t love the cookies! xx
Hi, I’m excited to try this recipe but was wondering if there is a substitute for the “cinnamon sugar” or how to make your own with the measurements. Thanks!!
Hi Katryna,
You can make your own cinnamon sugar using 1/4 cup of cinnamon and 1 cup of sugar. I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
I’ve had this recipe saved since last fall and I finally got to make it this week. It did not disappoint! The pumpkin butter is a great replacement for pumpkin puree and I enjoyed the trick to tap the cookies on the counter to help the texture. I didn’t end up rolling the cookies in cinnamon sugar but like someone below said, I added a few extra chocolate chips. Truly the perfect fall cookie! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Hey Sam,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
I made these for an annual pumpkin carving party- they were a hit! I did find that they needed to be baked much longer as they were still raw in the middle after the recommended times in the oven. I did 8 minutes, took out and banged on counter twice, then put them back in for 7 minutes and banged on counter again another two times. They came out PERFECT! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Will definitely be making these again!!
Hey Lauren,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx