Did you know that 72% of home bakers avoid pumpkin recipes because they believe they’re too complicated?

I used to be part of that statistic, my dear reader. The thought of roasting, pureeing, and wrestling with a whole pumpkin felt like a weekend project, not a spontaneous baking session. I’d gaze longingly at autumnal bakery windows, convinced that soft, spiced pumpkin cookies were a dream reserved for professional kitchens. That is, until I discovered the secret to the most Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe—a recipe that requires just one bowl and relies on the humble can of pure pumpkin puree waiting in your pantry.

It all started on a crisp October afternoon, the kind where the light turns to gold and you can smell woodsmoke in the air. I was craving that quintessential flavor of fall—the warm hug of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger—but I had precisely one hour before my book club arrived. A from-scratch pie was out of the question. As I stared into my cupboard, my eyes landed on that little can of pumpkin, and a memory surfaced: my grandmother’s famous “kitchen sink” cookies, thrown together with whatever was on hand.

With a spark of that same spirit, I began to experiment. What if I used the pumpkin not just for flavor, but for moisture, creating a cookie so tender it practically melts? What if I folded in generous handfuls of dark chocolate chips, creating little pockets of rich, gooey contrast to the spiced cake-like crumb? The result was nothing short of magic. These cookies are the antithesis of fussy. They come together in minutes, filling your kitchen with an aroma that feels like a warm blanket and tastes like pure, unadulterated autumn joy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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• Author: Dorothy Miler
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 24 1x

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Description

Soft, cake-like cookies with warm pumpkin spice and melty chocolate chips.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
4. Gradually mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Method: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 150
• Sugar: 14g
• Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Protein: 2g

The Coziest Autumn Treat: My Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

There’s a certain slant of light this time of year that just begs for a warm oven and the scent of spice. It’s the kind of afternoon that finds me pulling out my favorite mixing bowl, the one with the little chip on the rim, and dreaming of soft, cakey cookies that taste like a hug in pastry form. This recipe is my absolute go-to for when that autumn baking itch strikes. It’s wonderfully simple, incredibly forgiving, and fills the whole house with the most magical aroma. Let’s gather our ingredients and get started.

Gathering Your Autumn Baking Basket

Here’s what you’ll need to create these little pockets of joy. I always find measuring everything out first makes the process so much more peaceful, like a little meditation before the creative fun begins.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened – This is the heart of our cookie! I always take mine out about an hour before I plan to bake. You want it soft enough that your finger leaves a gentle indent, but not melty. This creates the perfect texture.
• 1 cup of granu
  lated sugar – For that classic sweetness we all know and love.
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed – Don’t just scoop it—really pack it into the measuring cup! This is the secret to a chewy, molasses-kissed depth of flavor.
• 1 large egg, at room temperature – Another candidate for coming out of the fridge early. A room-temp egg blends into the batter so much more smoothly.
• 1 teaspoon of
  pure vanilla extract – The supporting actor that makes all the other flavors sing.
• 1 cup of pure pumpkin puree – Not pumpkin pie filling! We want the plain, unsweetened puree. This is what gives our cookies that gorgeous color and moist, tender crumb.
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour – I give mine a quick fluff with a spoon before measuring to avoid packing too much in.
• 1 teaspoon of
  baking soda – Our leavening agent, making these cookies puff up beautifully.
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt – Crucial for balancing all the sweetness and spice.
• 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon – The quintessential cozy spice.
• 1/2 teaspoon o
  f ground nutmeg – A little goes such a long way in warming up the entire flavor profile.
• A generous pinch of ground cloves – This is my little secret. It adds a warm, almost peppery note that makes the pumpkin taste even more pumpkin-y.
• 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips – Because pumpkin and chocolate are a match made in autumnal heaven. I sometimes use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate for a sweeter twist.

Let’s Bake

Some Magic: The Method

Now for the fun part! Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. There’s something so satisfying about the crinkle of parchment paper, isn’t there?

Step 1: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed. We’re looking for a light and fluffy consistency, which usually takes a good 2-3 minutes. This step is key for giving our cookies structure, so don’t rush it!

Step 2: Beat in the room-temperature egg and the vanilla extract until they are fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth. Now, add in that glorious cup of pumpkin puree and mix until just combined. The batter might look a little curdled at this point—that’s perfectly okay, I promise! It will all come together beautifully.

Step 3: