Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 65 votes

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy, moist and perfect treat for fall - made healthier by using applesauce and whole wheat flour, but no butter!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to bake, have a chewy consistency and perfect for fall! It only takes 15 minutes to make a batch of these yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! And if you have leftover pumpkin puree and chocolate chips from this recipe, then you have to try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best fall treat ever...made healthier by using applesauce, whole wheat flour and organic cane sugar!
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I promise you that you will absolutely love these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and they will probably be gone in your house in a jiffy. They’re soft and chewy with a cake-like texture, rich in flavor from the chocolate chips, and I’m seriously thinking…addicting! I had 4 of these just during the photo shoot…it’s a must-have fall cookie recipe!

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies don’t need butter! They need a little oil, a little applesauce and a lot of tender, love and care in whisking that yummy batter!

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

When the season turns cooler, nothing beats the comfort of a homemade cookie that brings together the rich flavors of pumpkin and chocolate. Here are a few reasons why these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will become a favorite in your household:

  • Simple and Easy: This recipe is straightforward to follow, making the process of baking cookies a breeze even if you’re not a pro in the kitchen. Simple steps and easy-to-find ingredients mean you can have a batch of cookies ready in no time.
  • Moist and Fluffy Texture: Thanks to the inclusion of pumpkin and applesauce, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have a wonderfully soft and moist texture, different from your regular chocolate chip cookies. Every bite is a perfect blend of fluffy and chewy textures, giving you the ultimate cookie experience.
  • Warm and Comforting Flavors: The pumpkin brings a comforting warmth, paired wonderfully with the familiar sweet notes of chocolate. The hint of cinnamon adds a spicy touch that ties everything together, offering a comforting feeling of fall.
  • Wholesome Ingredients: Utilizing white whole wheat flour adds a wholesome touch to these cookies, allowing you to enjoy a treat that is slightly more nutritious compared to those made with refined flours.
  • Perfect for Fall: The blend of pumpkin and spices makes these cookies the perfect companion for a cozy fall day, giving you all the autumnal vibes in one delightful package.

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

  • Canned pumpkin: Provides a moist base for the cookies and gives that signature pumpkin flavor. Opt for pure pumpkin puree without added spices or sugars.
  • Cane sugar: Adds sweetness. You can adjust the quantity slightly based on your preference.
  • Avocado oil: Gives the cookies a tender texture. If preferred, you can replace it with a similar oil like vegetable oil.
  • Unsweetened applesauce: Works as an added moistening agent without introducing too much sugar.
  • Milk: Helps dissolve the baking soda, ensuring an even texture in the cookies.
  • Egg: Acts as a binder, holding all the ingredients together.
  • Vanilla extract: Gives an added depth of flavor. Always go for pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
  • White whole wheat flour: A healthier flour option that still provides a soft cookie texture. Regular all-purpose flour can also be used if needed.
  • Baking powder & baking soda: Helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
  • Cinnamon: Adds a warm spice note that pairs wonderfully with pumpkin.
  • Salt: Just a bit to enhance all the flavors.
  • Semisweet chocolate chips: For that delightful chocolatey bite. If you’re a chocolate lover, feel free to add a bit more!

How to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, sugar, oil, applesauce and egg until smooth. You can use a handheld electric mixer or just a whisk will do.
  2. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk in a small bowl, and stir into the wet ingredient mixture.
  3. Measure out the dry ingredients in another bowl.
  4. Whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Process shots showing the wet ingredients getting mixed and then the dry ingredients getting mixed

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Then it’s time to fold in the chocolate chips.

Process shots showing the batter getting mixed, then chocolate chips getting added

Drop the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough by spoonful on two cookie sheets or a baking sheet lined with a silpat and bake the cookies for 10 minutes until browned and firm. You want to let them cook for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Cookie dough on baking sheet before baking

Tips for making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

  1. Use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. The cans sit right next to each other on shelves, so it’s easy to mistake them for each other. But you want to make sure the only ingredient is pumpkin puree since you’ll be adding the sugar and spices to make the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
  2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat, but don’t grease the pan. Otherwise, this will result in the cookies spreading too much or browning too much.
  3. Flatten the cookie dough when you put them on the baking sheet. Because we’re not using butter in these cookies, you’ll notice they don’t spread as much as other cookies, so flattening them will help them spread more.
  4. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them onto a cooling rack. That’s because they will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet and firm. Otherwise they may crumble if you try to lift them too soon.


Popular substitutions & additions

  • Swap out the chocolate chips. While the recipe calls for semisweet chocolate chips, feel free to use dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even butterscotch chips for a different flavor profile. Adding in some chopped nuts can introduce a crunchier texture to your cookies.
  • Experiment with spices. This pumpkin chocolate chipe cookie recipe uses cinnamon, but don’t hesitate to try adding a pinch of nutmeg or a pumpkin spice blend to enrich the fall flavors in your cookies.
  • Use different flour. If white whole wheat flour isn’t available, you can replace it with all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend to cater to different dietary needs.
  • Change the sugar type. Instead of cane sugar, you can use coconut sugar or a sugar substitute that measures equally, creating a lower-calorie cookie.
  • Alter the wet ingredients. If you’d rather not use avocado oil, melted coconut oil or butter are great substitutes. Similarly, if applesauce isn’t available, simply increase the amount of oil to a quarter cup to maintain the cookie’s moist texture.

Frequently asked questions

Can I refrigerate the dough overnight before baking?

Yes, you can make the dough and refrigerate overnight. The cookies will be more moist though since the dough will absorb all the moisture from the pumpkin puree.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

Yes you can substitute fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree. If you’re doing that, I recommend draining some of the liquid with a colander and then dabbing it with a paper towel as much as possible to remove some of that moisture. The result may be more moist cookies though.

How long will pumpkin chocolate chip cookies keep?

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, and they will be good for around 7 days. You can also freeze them. Freeze them uncovered on a baking sheet and then transfer to freezer bags when they’re solid. Thaw them at room temperature.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on a plate

Incorporating the flavors of pumpkin and chocolate together might seem unexpected, but one bite of these cookies will have you wondering why you didn’t try it sooner. Perfect for fall, or frankly, any time of the year when you’re in the mood for a comforting treat, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies strike a fine balance between rich, chocolaty goodness and the mellow warmth of pumpkin.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we did! They are full of the flavors of fall and so easy to make!

If you make this healthy-ish feel good Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy, moist and perfect treat for fall – made healthier by using applesauce and whole wheat flour, but no butter!
5 from 65 votes
Servings 24 servings
Course Dessert
Calories 161
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, sugar, oil, applesauce, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the wet ingredient mixture.
  • In another medium bowl, toss together the flour baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  • Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to drop cookie dough on prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.
  • Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Recipe: This recipe adapted from AllRecipes because it had over 1000 comments and 5 stars. I made a couple changes though with a few modifications:
  • I swapped ¼ cup of the vegetable oil for applesauce
  • I used organic cane sugar instead of white sugar
  • I also used 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips instead of the recommended 2 cups.
Storage: They will typically stay fresh in a sealed container for up to 5 days and they will continue to soften overtime due to the moisture from the pumpkin puree.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutions:
  • To make it vegan, substitute the egg for a flax egg, which is made by mixing together 1 tablespoon flaxseed with 2 tablespoons water and letting it rest for 5 minutes. You can also skip the egg entirely. And you can use non-dairy milk.

Nutrition

Serving: 2g, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 105mg, Potassium: 144mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 1605IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1.2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Dessert

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Comments

  1. I am very surprised that you list canola oil or vegetable oil in what seems to be a very nice recipe. Those two oils are very inflammatory. I look for much healthier options.
    I would sub avocado oil or coconut oil.

    1. Since the studies about canola oil and vegetable oil are pretty recent, I used to use these oils in older recipes of mine. I have recently switched to using avocado oil as my neutral oil of choice for these types of recipes. I do however still use organic canola oil when making my garlic sauce since avocado oil will turn the sauce green.

  2. Thanks Yumna for this awesome recipe! They are delicious and you really can’t stop eating them! The only change I made was I used carob chips because I can’t have chocolate.

  3. My daughter and I made these cookies this weekend for her backyard Homecoming, and they were delicious. Everyone loved them. My husband already requested a second batch.

  4. I’m looking forward to making these cookies. Your recipe sounds yummy! One question… in the substitute section you talk about peanut butter but I don’t see that listed in the ingredient list.

    1. I recommend draining some of the liquid out first with a paper towel if you’re doing that. But you may end up with slightly more moist cookies.

  5. I’m so excited to try these cookies! Would they taste the same if I used GF flour or GF almond flour?

    1. Yay! I hope you like them. You can use a gluten-free flour mix, and it should work fine, but I haven’t tested in with gluten-free flour. I would avoid using almond flour though.

  6. Hi! I would love to make these cookies but my boyfriend is allergic to eggs. Is there anything I can substitute for that? Thanks so much!

    1. Hi there, you can actually substitute the egg for a flax egg, which is made by mixing together 1 tablespoon flaxseed with 2 tablespoons water and letting it rest for 5 minutes. You can also skip the egg entirely since the pumpkin will help bind the cookies

  7. I just made a batch of these cookies and they were a hit! My son is an extremely picky eater with no swwet tooth whatsoever unless there is a lot of chocolate involved… He gulped three cookies at once and he even agreed to have the milk too, just so I will allow him to get the 3rd cookie… The cookies will be perfect for his lunch box! One question: my hubby is GF, but I hate all those GF mixes with added gums and starches. Any suggestion for a GF flour swap? Buckwheat, oat, any combo? Thank you so much!

    1. Hi Daniela – I’m so glad that your son loved the cookies! They are so delicious! As for GF swap, I really like Bob’s Red Mill GF flour mix. It does have potato starch, but that’s pretty natural and it has no gums. The ingredients are super basic and it works the best for swapping in baked goods. Let me know if you try it and it works out. Thank you!