Giant Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe makes giant, soft, and chewy cookies packed with warm fall spices and just the right touch of pumpkin. Perfectly toasted on the outside and gooey in the middle—not cakey or gummy—these cookies are the ultimate fall treat!
THE SECRET TO CHEWY PUMPKIN COOKIES
I know what you’re thinking—all the pumpkin cookies you’ve tried are either cakey or have that weird gummy texture. And honestly, that’s pretty normal when pumpkin puree is a main ingredient. Pumpkin is naturally very high in moisture, which makes it amazing for breads, muffins, and cakes—but not so great when you’re aiming for thick, chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
The secret to keeping that rich pumpkin flavor while avoiding cakiness is removing excess moisture from the pumpkin puree. This simple hack is a total game-changer!
HOW TO REMOVE EXCESS MOISTURE FROM PUMPKIN PUREE
- Scoop the Pumpkin: Measure 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and place it on a sheet of paper towel.
- Spread it Out: Use a spoon to evenly spread the pumpkin into a thin layer.
- Top it Off! Place another sheet of paper towel on top of the spread out pumpkin.
- Gently Press: Apply light pressure so the paper towels absorb the extra liquid.
- Repeat: Swap out the paper towels and press again until most of the moisture is gone.
- Check the Consistency: You’ll want about 1/4 cup of thick pumpkin paste — now perfectly ready to add to your cookie dough.
This extra step only takes a few minutes, but it completely transforms your cookies, giving you that thick, chewy, bakery-style texture we all know and love. No gummy cookies here!
INGREDIENTS FOR GIANT PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- A Stand Mixer with the Paddle Attachment
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar (light or dark)
- Pumpkin Puree (*see notes*)
- Baking Soda
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- Salt
- Corn Starch
- Chocolate Chips (Milk, Dark, or Semi-Sweet)
- Paper Towels
- Cookie Sheet (I love this 3 Piece Set from Amazon, and it’s usually on sale!)
- Food Scale (optional, but highly recommended)
- Parchment Paper (optional)
- Oven Thermometer (optional)
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR GIANT COOKIES
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first. We don’t want to risk over-mixing the wet and dry ingredients! This common mistake can cause flatter cookies.
- Cold Butter: Cold butter helps cookies not spread as much and keeps that giant, bakery-style look we love!
- Higher Flour to Sugar Ratio: Adding more flour to sugar than standard cookie recipes helps keep the cookies thick as they bake.
- Food Scale: Use a food scale to weigh the flour and sugar. It’s super easy to accidentally add too much flour!
- High Oven Temperature: A higher oven temperature is crucial for nailing that toasted outside and gooey, soft, and chewy inside.
- Cookie Size: Weigh the cookie dough on a food scale, this gives a consistent cookie size every time. I weighed these at about 150 grams each and was able to form 6 giant cookies. You can always make them smaller if you’d like, just adjust the baking time as needed.
- Shape the Dough: What is the tall cookie trick? Shaping the dough! Shape the cookie dough into tall mounds. This simple hack keeps the cookies nice and thick as they bake.
- Oven Thermometer: All ovens bake differently—use an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy. For example, my oven beeps early and needs about 10 extra minutes to reach the correct temperature. Hang the thermometer from the center rack for best results.
And there you have it—a few tips and tricks and a game-changing hack on the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! Now, enjoy ringing in the fall season by baking up a batch of these perfectly chewy pumpkin cookies, you’ll be so happy you did!
Continue below for the easy-to-follow recipe, dig in, and enjoy every bite!
Giant Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 Giant Cookies 1x
Description
This easy-to-follow recipe creates giant, gourmet-style cookies that are perfectly toasted on the outside, soft & chewy on the inside, and are bursting with fall spices and the perfect touch of pumpkin. And the best part? These pumpkin cookies are not cakey!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (cold)
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cups Brown Sugar (light or dark)
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree *see notes*
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (heaping)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt (heaping)
- 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips (Milk, Dark, or Semi-Sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Pumpkin Paste Prep: Take ½ cup of pumpkin puree and spread it out on a paper towel. Lay another sheet on top and gently press to soak up the moisture. Keep repeating with fresh towels until it’s thick and paste-like—you’ll end up with just under ¼ cup (about 40 g). Peek at the video above to see the texture you’re looking for!
- Butter: Add cold, cubed butter to stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on med-high for 1 min. Scrape sides, mix again for another 30 seconds.
- Cream the Sugars: Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to butter and mix on medium until combined and fluffy.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, egg yolk, pumpkin paste, and vanilla extract until just combined. (don’t over mix!)
- Mix It Up! Start adding flour mixture in increments on low until just combined. Don’t turn mixer on too high or you could end up with flour all over your kitchen!
- Chocolate Chips: Stir in the chocolate chips—I like using mini chips so there’s a little chocolate in every bite! Feel free to use semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips—whatever you love most.
- Rolling the Dough: Roll each cookie into a ball and place on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. These cookies weighed about 160 grams each and I was able to form 6 giant cookies.
- Bake: Bake on middle rack for 10-12 minutes, depending on cookie size.
- Pro Tip: If you’d like to add chocolate chips to the tops after baking, gently press them into the cookie immediately after coming out of the oven when the cookie is still super soft.
- Let Cookies Set: Let sit for 10-15 minutes after baking before moving to a cooling rack, this gives the cookies time to set
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months—just microwave for 10–15 seconds before enjoying.
Notes
- Pumpkin Tip: Be sure to remove the excess moisture from the pumpkin puree to get the perfect texture. Instructions are in the ‘The Secret to Chewy Pumpkin Cookies’ section and in the recipe steps above.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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Yummy. It was not an overwhelming taste of pumpkin which I liked. The cookie had a great texture. baked at 390 for 15 minutes and they were perfect. I let them sit on the cookie sheet for about half an hour.
Yes! I personally don’t love a strong pumpkin flavor, and the fall spices brings it all together! I’m so happy you liked them! Thank you so much for the comment 🙂
Best pumpkin cookies I have ever tried. Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you Farha! I’m so glad you enjoyed them, and thank you so much for coming back to comment 🙂