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Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

Pumpkin chocolate cookies with a fudgy cocoa base and warm pumpkin spice depth, finished with crinkled edges and flaky sea salt. Easy drop-cookie method with a quick bake for tender centers and rich chocolate throughout.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 175
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup pumpkin puree blotted dry
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
Chocolate and topping
  • 0.75 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 flaky sea salt for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and line
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment or nonstick liners.
  2. Set the lined baking sheets aside while you mix the dough.
Mix the dry ingredients and prep pumpkin
  1. Blot the pumpkin puree dry, then set it aside so the cookies bake up thick instead of spreading.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
Cream and build the dough
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
  2. Beat in the blotted pumpkin puree, then mix in the eggs and vanilla until the batter looks cohesive.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Fold in the dark chocolate chips so they’re evenly distributed through the dough.
Scoop, bake, and finish
  1. Scoop 1-1/2 tablespoon rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them apart.
  2. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges look set and slightly crinkled while the centers remain soft.
  3. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top immediately after baking so it adheres while the cookies are still warm.

Notes

Pro tip: blotting the pumpkin puree dry helps prevent excess moisture so the cookies stay fudgy and don’t spread too thin. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that’s designed for cookies.