I have never loved pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and I will tell you why: too much spice, and too much cakey-y fluff. I want tender, FUDGY pumpkin cookies. I’ve found the 10-minute secret to getting chewy, tender cookies with a delightfully crisp edge, that DON’T taste like muffin tops.

A pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out, showing melted chocolate and flecks of sea salt.

What’s the most 2026 thing that’s happened to you recently? I was at Target last week, paused on the side of the big main aisle, checking my to-do list. There wasn’t much traffic going by. From each end of the store walking toward each other are two bros, early 20s maybe, each with their own red shopping cart. They greet each other: “Bro.” “Bro!” As they pass, one says to the other, “Bro, I’m pumpkin-maxxing.”

A smile, a quick bro-hug, and without even breaking their stride, and they both continue walking straight past each other. There were indeed pumpkins in his cart, but clearly he’s got more maxxing to do.

I burst out laughing, like full on belly-giggles, and one of them looked back to see if I was laughing at them, but I was looking at my to-do list on my phone so he couldn’t tell that I was definitely laughing at them.

Oh man guys, sometimes I just love how old I’ve gotten. Kids these days are so funny. It’s like watching animals at the zoo, and I’m taking notes. No shade, by the way, I think it’s amazing and hilarious. But yeah, it’s weird being old enough that I’m watching it and not really participating. I don’t think I could pull off maxxing. Wait, is there cookie-maxxing?? I think maybe I can cookie-maxx.

Several pumpkin chocolate chip cookies arranged on parchment paper, with bowls of pumpkin puree and chopped chocolate chunks nearby.

Pumpkin maxxing

Let me tell you a true story: Not even two weeks ago, I saw my friend Jessica at a party and she had some BEEF. She said “Karen, my son wanted to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies the other day. And I said to him, Oh, Karen will definitely have a recipe for that. And I went to find it, AND IT WASN’T THERE. Why don’t you have a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe??”

I sat there in my shame, not even know what to say. Why DON’T I have a classic pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe??

I started testing the next day and here we are 😂 Now you know how to get me to test the recipe you want, guys. Tell me you’re confused why it’s not already there.

Several thick, soft-baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookies arranged on parchment paper.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are a classic!

I’m SOOOO happy with how these cookies turned out!! They are fudgy and tender and have tons of flavor from the chocolate and browned butter! They are chewy and crisp on the edges. I LOVE them. They are perfect with a glass of milk.

I will tell you the real story of why I don’t already have this recipe on my blog. The Pumpkin Cookies people (yours truly included) make are usually mini pumpkin cakes, in reality. I even put browned butter icing on mine. They are so, so good, if you are in the mood for a little frosted muffin top. We call them cookies because they are hand held and scooped and baked on a tray just like a cookie. But…they are not really cookies. They are delightfully fluffy mini cakes.

Why? Because pumpkin is a vegetable, last I checked. It’s basically 90% water. When you add a bunch of water to a buttery cookie recipe, it’s turns them into little cakes. Little baby muffin tops that rise up high and fluffy and CAKE-Y.

I love me some pumpkin cake. But I want a pumpkin chocolate chip COOKIE. Tender in the middle, crispy on the edge, fudgy and chewy and thicc. NOT light and airy.

A broken pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with melted chocolate pulling apart between the halves.

Squeeeeeze your pumpkin ✊

How do we get fudgy, chewy cookies? Getting all that water out of there, of course. Squeeze!

This is the same trick I use in my Zucchini Bread, actually. Yes, it’s annoying to squeeze vegetables. But you are going to be blown away by the texture change! Don’t be scared off by the extra step.

I tested this recipe many times, and I have pumpkin squeezing down to an art. You can get this done in 10 minutes flat. It’s not a big deal. You just lay out paper towels on a baking sheet, spread on your pumpkin, and top with another layer of paper towel. Peel off the wet one, add a dry one, peel it off, repeat. Until you end up with pumpkin that is thick and moldable, like playdough. It will be about 1/2 cup of water-less pumpkin. All flavor, no filler. We add this to our pumpkin cookies and get insane flavor AND the perfect cookie texture!

Okay, now let’s move on to the next reason many people do not enjoy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

The case for pumpkin and chocolate together

Lots of people think they don’t like chocolate and pumpkin together, but they are actually wrong. What they don’t like are pumpkin spice and chocolate together.

Which is totally valid. Pumpkin spice (which is cinnamon mixed with other warm spices like ginger and cloves) has a very strong, earthy, aromatic flavor. Then add in chocolate, and there is almost a standoff going on: Chocolate is ALSO strong, bitter, earthy, and aromatic.

WHO WINS?? Your poor tongue can get confused. Some people are really into this heavy combination. My Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are extremely popular. But some people hate it.

But what about the actual PUMPKIN? Does it go with chocolate? Pumpkin has a subtle, nutty flavor. It’s earthy and tastes vegetal, in a good way. It’s a distinct enough flavor that you can absolutely pick up on it in a cookie, if it’s not overpowered by cinnamon and ginger…can you see where I’m going here??

A pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with melted chocolate pieces on parchment paper, split open to see the chocolate.

No pumpkin spice: yes I went there

That’s right my friends: I add absolutely ZERO spices to my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 🤯🤯🤯 Let the actual PUMPKIN + CHOCOLATE reign supreme!!! Mwahaha. I like to add a mix of semisweet and dark chocolate for these cookies, since the pumpkin makes the cookies sweet.

Now before you start rioting, just remember, of course you can add the spices! I have details in the notes! Have your cake and eat it, too. (Or, have your fudgy cookie, and eat it too.)

An extra reason I like to leave the spices out out of these cookies: it makes them more orange. Most of the pumpkin spice spices are dark brown, and it completely changes the color of your dough and the resulting cookie. Leave all the spices out, and you get a bright orange cookie that looks perfectly festive for fall.

What if I LIKE fluffy cake cookies?

I mean, so many people do!! It’s what everyone expects from a pumpkin cookie. Guess what, this is still my favorite recipe to make. The recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin that you squeeze dry until there is only 1/2 cup of pumpkin going in the recipe. If you skip all the squeezing and just add 1 cup of watery pumpkin, you still get awesome cookies! They will be a little light and fluffy, but they are still SO good. Here is a picture of the inside of a cookie with 1 cup of watery pumpkin added (not squeezed dry):

A hand holds a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie broken in half, revealing the soft, textured interior. — The cookies are a little more like muffin tops when you don’t squeeze the pumpkin.

Can you see how it looks a little like a muffin on the inside? It has a lighter, airy texture. Guys, I ate like 3 in a row. No shade on this method at all. I just want you to know you have options!!

Here is a comparison photo of the inside of these cookies when you DO squeeze the pumpkin:

A stack of broken pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with melted chocolate centers.

THICK, fudgy, chewy, chocolate-y. Squeezing the pumpkin is the only change! Can you see it?

Ingredients to know about

Just a few notes to get you on your way to pumpkin-maxxing:

Use Pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling! We want just the pure pumpkin goodness in these cookies. One thing unique to this recipe is that we are squeezing the heck out of this puree to get rid of as much moisture as possible. That means the pumpkin is more concentrated and can pack a bigger flavor punch! But don’t use pie filling, it already has spice in it and we don’t want that.
A combo of chocolate helps compliment the pumpkin! In this recipe we’re using both semi sweet chocolate and dark chocolate chips.
One lone egg yolk helps bind the dough and add richness. Also, since pumpkin is naturally moist and provides structure, skipping the whites means the cookies will avoid getting too spongy or moist. SAY NO TO THE CAKE

How to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Here is your lineup of ingredients! Pumpkin spice optional :)

Ingredients for baking, including flour, sugar, pumpkin puree, chocolate chips, and spices, alongside a metal pot containing melted butter and a stick of butter.

Start buy melting your butter in a pot on the stove. You can leave it here if you want…

A split-screen image showing butter melting in a saucepan, transitioning from solids beginning to separate in the top photo to bubbling brown butter in the bottom photo.

Or you can cook it until it foams up and you see these little brown specs swirling up. BROWNED BUTTER. It does a body good. (I swear) Set this aside to cook for a bit.

A top-down view of a saucepan containing a bubbling cream mixture, and a measuring cup filled with pumpkin puree next to a can of pure pumpkin.

Now it’s time to squeeze that pumpkin! I timed myself: this process takes 10 minutes, 12 max. Which is about how much time you need for your butter to cool anyway, so it works out.

Spread 1 cup of pumpkin all the way to the edges of a few paper towels. I used 3 half-sheet paper towels on a half baking sheet (12×18 inches).

A two-part image showing dollops of orange pumpkin puree being spread across a parchment-lined baking sheet with a spatula.

Spread it out…

then top with another set of paper towels.

A hand peels a paper towel off a rectangular sheet of food, revealing an intricate, pressed geometric pattern on the surface.

See how much liquid it soaks up?

I like to flip the whole thing over, so that the first paper towel (which is more soaked) is on top.

A hand peels a sheet of parchment paper off a thin, orange layer of dehydrated pumpkin puree on a metal baking sheet.

Then peel off the paper towel. It comes right off! It’s so saturated the pumpkin stays behind, easy.

Then top with another set of paper towels,

Two-part image showing a sheet of baked cake on a tray covered with parchment paper, then revealed to show an intricate circular pattern embossed on the surface.

press it in to soak up the liquid (flip again, so you are peeling off the more-soaked one on the bottom), and remove the paper towel.

A hand peels a patterned paper towel off a flat, orange layer of cooked pumpkin or fruit leather on a baking sheet.

Repeat a couple more times! I use 5 sets of 3 paper towel half sheets.

When your pumpkin feels dry like playdough and not wet and squishy anymore, fold the final paper towel in on itself, like this:

A hand presses a paper towel onto orange pumpkin purée spread on a baking sheet, with a second image showing the purée dried into a thin sheet after absorbing moisture.

Then fold the pumpkin up onto itself, pressing it in.

A hand uses a paper towel to fold a square of orange, spread-out dough on a metal baking sheet.

Keep folding until you are able to pick up your little orange pumpkin friend who is all dry and full of amazing pumpkin flavor:

A hand squeezing a ball of strained orange puree in cheesecloth, and a hand holding a measuring cup filled with the same puree.

You can see that it fits perfectly in a 1/2 measuring cup. If it’s more than a half cup, dry with a couple more paper towels!

Now back to your cooling browned butter: add in the brown sugar and the white sugar.

A two-part image showing a saucepan containing white sugar, brown sugar, and liquid being stirred with a spatula into a grainy brown mixture.

Stir it together, add in a little vanilla,

A two-part image showing a hand adding liquid from a measuring spoon into a bowl of brown sugar mixture, followed by a scoop of orange pumpkin puree being added to the mixture.

and the dried out 1/2 cup of pumpkin.

Two images showing a silicone spatula stirring a thick, dark brown mixture in a metal pot, with a raw egg yolk added in the second image.

Then add in the egg yolk and stir. (No egg white—too much moisture! We just worked so hard to get rid of extra moisture!)

Now it’s time to spoon and level the flour:

A hand uses a copper measuring cup to scoop flour from a clear storage container.

Add the flour and the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture:

A metal pot containing a brown dough base, with a large pile of flour added to the center, and a hand adding a small spoonful of white powder.

salt, baking soda, baking powder.

Two-part image showing a hand adding white powder from a measuring spoon into a bowl of brown dough, then using fingers to incorporate the powder into the mixture.

Mix it together to make sure there are no lumps.

I experimented a lot with the amount of leavening to add this recipe. I tried a small amount of baking soda, a small amount of baking powder, a combination of the two, all kinds of different amounts, etc. I tested this recipe about seven or eight times before I got it the way I wanted it. 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda with a 1/2 teaspoon baking powder was the magic for me.

Even after drying the pumpkin, it still has a lot of water, and it makes cookies very soft and cakey. Yes, we want super soft chocolate chip cookies in the middle, but trust me, you still want a little bit of crisp on the edge. Otherwise it just tastes mushy. The increased amount of baking soda and powder helps give us a nice little crisp on the edge.

A two-part image showing a metal pot where flour is being mixed into a dark orange batter, transitioning to a fully incorporated, dense orange dough being stirred with a silicone spatula.

You could bust out your hand mixer for stirring in the flour. It would save you a couple minutes. But then, you would have to, you know, get it out. And then put it away. I am incredibly resistant to this, anyone else?? I am also the person who will do incredible acrobatic feats trying to shut the trunk of the car with my foot rather than take one more trip to get the last load of groceries.

A metal pot containing orange cookie dough mixed with chocolate chips, and a wooden cutting board with a knife and a pile of chopped chocolate.

I like to chop up some of the dark chocolate for better distribution, but you can skip that if you want. Dump it all in! yum

Chocolate chips being added to a bowl of orange cookie dough and mixed with a spatula.

Mix it up! If your cookie dough is still warm from browning the butter, stick it in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes. This dough doesn’t need to be cold, but it should be at least room temperature when it hits the oven.

Shape the dough into balls about this size, Here is the cookie scoop I used.

A hand places a scoop of pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet alongside other dough portions.

Make sure to give them a little space to spread out.

Here are two pans baking in the oven at the same time:

Two baking sheets of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies inside an oven.

The cookies on top have had the pumpkin squeezed dry. The bottom cookies have all the pumpkin liquid. You can kind of see how the bottom cookies are puffy, like a cake. The top cookies are a little more craggy. You can see the chocolate chips still (because the dough has not risen around them.) They are still tall and fudgy, but a different texture inside.

Several pumpkin chocolate chip cookies arranged on parchment paper next to a small pumpkin and chocolate chunks.

And that’s it!! look at this gorgeous mess!! please eat one hot, but also eat one tomorrow, when they are completely cooled. SOOOO good.

How to store these cookies

Add cooled cookies to a tupperware and keep them on the counter for up to 4 days. If you don’t plan to eat them on day 1 or 2, I would freeze them!

Can you freeze them?

These cookies are so easy to freeze, both as dough or baked cookies. To freeze the dough, I recommend scooping the dough and placing the balls onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. You can squeeze them in pretty close, just make sure they’re not touching. Flash freeze for 30-60 minutes, then transfer all the dough balls to a freezer ziplock bag. The dough will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can bake from frozen! Just follow the instructions in the recipe card, but add a couple minutes to the cook time or until done.

Follow the same flash freezing method for baked cookies. Place cooled cookies close, but not touching, on a lined baking sheet and freeze for about 60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can take out a cookie or two at a time, or defrost the whole bag.

Several pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper with loose chocolate chunks.

More pumpkin sweets (what to do with the rest of the pumpkin in the can!)

The best part about baking with pumpkin is that when you are done you are left with a little bit of pumpkin in a container in the fridge, the perfect start to your next pumpkin project! It’s like a cereal and milk problem (not really a problem 😂) You can find all my pumpkin recipes on the Best Fall Recipes page (and also lots of apple, spice, and maple recipes too). Here are a few of my favorites!