Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies are dense, soft, chewy cookies full of pumpkin spice flavor and creamy white chocolate. The fabulous flavors and texture of these cookies continues to improve for days!
Why you'll love this recipe
- These pumpkin cookies are fabulouly chewy, not cakey at all.
- Lots of pumpkin spice flavor in every bite.
- No chill time is required.
- Because the flavor and texture gets even better over time, these are great make ahead or care package cookies.
These Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies are exceptional. If you prefer a chewy cookie over a cakey cookie, then you need this recipe.
The cookies get their soft, dense texture by using drained pumpkin puree. Draining removes the extra moisture that can lead to a cakey cookie.
Brown sugar and molasses not only add flavor, but boost the chewy texture as well.
Pumpkin pie spice adds fall flavor that pairs perfectly with the creamy white chocolate chips.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Place pumpkin puree in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Mix and press the puree against the strainer to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Combine the ingredients to form a thick cookie dough.
- Fold in white chocolate chips.
- Portion the dough using a medium cookie scoop. Roll each portion into a ball and place 2"-3" apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Flatten each cookie to ¼" by placing a square of wax paper over the cookie then gently pressing down with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and allow the soft cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet to firm.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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Tips
- Different brands of pumpkin puree contain varying amounts of liquid. Remove as much liquid as possible before using the puree in this recipe.
- Depending on the brand of pumpkin used, one cup of puree straight from the can will be reduced to the 6 tablespoons (or just over) needed for this recipe.
- These cookies don't spread much in the oven. For the flatter, denser cookies in the photos, use a spatula to gently press down on each cookie immediately after removing from the oven.
- Adding a few chips to the tops of the cookies immediately after baking, is optional but makes the cookies picture perfect.
- Substitute butterscotch or semisweet chocolate chips for a flavor variation.
- The baked cookies will be soft directly from the oven and will firm as they cool completely on the baking sheet.
Frequently asked questions
To make vegan cookies, replace the butter with solid coconut oil or margarine and replace the milk with plant/nut based milk or water. Be sure the chips used are vegan.
This dough is best frozen after the cookie dough balls have been formed. Freeze the raw cookies for 2 or more hours on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Once frozen the raw cookies can be placed in a freezer weight ziplock bag and kept frozen for at least one month.
Bake directly from the freezer without defrosting. Just add a few minutes to the recipe baking time.
Related recipes
These crunchy Pumpkin Biscotti full of pumpkin flavor, are the ideal fall season cookie with your coffee!
Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread is soft and moist with lots of pumpkin and spice flavor. This quick and easy recipe can be made into muffins too.
Make these beautiful little Pumpkin Butterscotch Cakes to enjoy at home or share with friends to celebrate fall baking.
Pumpkin Brownies (flourless) are a soft, fudgy seasonal treat that's naturally gluten free.
Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake is a quick and tasty way to enjoy cake that tastes like a pumpkin spice latte!
Pumpkin Pie Cookies are soft, chewy pumpkin spice cookies topped with caramel frosting that look like little pies.
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Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree drained to about 6 tablespoons
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ¼ cups white chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the pumpkin puree in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix and press the puree against the strainer to remove as much liquid as possible.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars.
- Mix in the vanilla, molasses, milk, and 6 tablespoons of drained pumpkin puree until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- At low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl to form a thick, slightly sticky dough.
- Fold in 1 cup of the white chocolate chips.
- Portion the dough using a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) and place the dough balls 2"-3" apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The centers should look dry but will be soft. Remove from the oven.
- Immediately, use a spatula to gently press down on each cookie to flatten. Add a few chips to each cookie for decoration.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
-
- Different brands of pumpkin puree contain varying amounts of liquid. Remove as much liquid as possible before using the puree in this recipe.
- Depending on the brand of pumpkin used, one cup of puree straight from the can will be reduced to the 6 tablespoons (or just over) needed for this recipe.
- Substitute butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, or semisweet chocolate chips for a flavor variation.
- The cookies will be soft directly from the oven and will firm as they cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Double wrap pairs of cookies in plastic wrap, with bottoms together, or make small stacks of 4-6 cookies and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Package in airtight container or zip lock bag.
Nutrition
First Published: October 8, 2014. Last Updated: September 7, 2023. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.
Cindy
Love this tip for straining the pumpkin purée. Great strategy for avoiding too much moisture.
Putting extra white chips on top after forming the cookies is a lovely way to get picture perfect cookies.
Thanks for breaking it all down for us Wendy!
Wendy Sondov
All tips gained through the school of hard knocks, Cindy! 🙂 I made two batches of fluffy cookies (not what I was going for) before I read about removing the excess moisture from pumpkin puree. Some people use paper towels, but I found that too be less effective and very messy. I also tried adding the white chocolate chips on top before baking. They browned in the oven, so adding them after baking was the picture perfect answer.
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
I've just done a boxing workout and could eat the whole plate of these cookies! Of course, I would then undo all my hard work in exercising LOL:) Thanks for sharing with us at #overthemoon link party.
The Monday Box
Good for you, Sue! Don't you dare undo all that hard work!! I suggest 1 cookie as a reward and the rest you can use to reward others. 😉 Thank you for hosting Over the Moon!
April J Harris
How lovely to have 15 pounds of flour to play with - especially from Bob's Red Mill! Love these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - as well as the variety of different ways you have glazed them. Pinned! Thank you for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul.
April J Harris
Sharing on the Hearth and Soul Facebook page today, Wendy 🙂 I've also pinned these again. I'm so pleased to see how similar the results of the versions of the recipe are, even with the different types of flour. This is definitely a keeper 🙂 Thank you so much for your support of the Hearth and Soul Link Party!
The Monday Box
Oh my, April! I have been enjoying Hearth and Soul for over a year! Thank you for all of your kindness; hosting, pinning, and your sweet comments! Have a great week!
Lysha @ Magnolia Mom
These look really good and super cute for fall! Pinning!
themondaybox
Thank you, Lysha for the kind words and for the pin! Pumpkin tastes like fall to me. These cookies are chocolate covered fall!
shannon
i love your comparison chart for these cookies! always interesting to see how different types of flour work in the same recipe (at least to geeks like me). 🙂 love these little cookies, too.
themondaybox
Thank you, Shannon, but no one does a chart quite as artistically as you! Your pie charts are a thing of wonder. 🙂 Truthfully, I was amazed that all three versions of this cookie were almost indistinguishable! Good for those trying to use whole grains and good for those who are gluten free.
chrisscheuer
These are so cheerful looking Wendy. They made me smile at the first look. And it's wonderful that you found a recipe that will work well and have great results with all these different types of flour. BRAVO!
themondaybox
Thanks, Chris! I think the sprinkles definitely added some cheer to these. Working with chocolate is always a work in progress for me, but I take it as a kitchen challenge. 🙂 There is so much chemistry in baking that I still don't understand. So my flour experiments were a learning experience!
Candi Elm
What a fun recipe, I love anything pumpkin and these look so good.
themondaybox
Thanks, Candi! The chocolate and pumpkin are a great combination!
bree west
15 lbs of flour!! That's crazy, I'm jealous of everyone who's getting to try all the treats you'll be making! These look so good, I'm going to have to give them a try, I'm a total sucker for the pumpkin and chocolate combo!
themondaybox
Thanks, Bree! The most crazy part is that I am baking enough to use it all up! A care package here, a care package there and before you know it dozens of cookies have made their way out the door. 🙂 These pumpkin cookies were a big hit once they reached their care package recipients!
selfproclaimedfoodie2014
These look fantastic! I can't wait to make them for my kids. Who doesn't love pumpkin and chocolate?!?
themondaybox
Thanks, Krissy! They were fun to make and even more fun to eat! I hope your kids love them!
Erin
Oh my goodness these look GOOD! My kids would be over the moon excited about these.... hmmm. Perhaps I know our plans for the weekend?
themondaybox
Thanks, Erin! Be prepared to eat the whole batch in one sitting! But pumpkin is a veggie so its ok. 😉
Melissa Ringstaff
Looks delicious!
themondaybox
Thanks, Melissa!
Angi @ SchneiderPeeps
These look wonderful! One thing I'm excited about cookie month is finding some sweets that I can confidently make for guests who are gluten free. I've always struggled with that.
themondaybox
Thanks, Angi! Living with my gluten sensitive daughter, I am excited about finding recipes for sweets that taste so good, you can make gluten free for everyone. Making separate of everything is too time consuming!!
Pure Grace Farms
Love the tutorial and the option of different types of flour. You can't go wrong with Bob's Red Mill. btw the cookies look fantastic.
Blessings,
Shari
themondaybox
Thanks, Shari! I was amazed that all three flours tasted equally wonderful in this recipe! Chocolate covered wonderful! 🙂
Ashley
Whoa that is a lot of flour! But so cool! And these cookies look fantastic! I'm all about the pumpkin / chocolate combo - it's such a good one!
themondaybox
Thanks, Ashley! Even scarier than the amount of flour I started with (and don't even look in my chocolate chip cabinet!!), is the fact that I am baking my way through all of that flour! 🙂 My husband's employees (the recipients of much of my baking experiments) are demanding gym memberships as part of their salary package!
Monica
I love this experiment of yours, Wendy! I totally agree - sometimes it's a matter of using different flours for different recipes and, unfortunately, we can't just interchange randomly. It's interesting (and makes sense) that the moisture from the pumpkin puree was probably key here. These cookies look wonderful and it's so great to be able to use those different types of flours for the same tasty result. And I'm a fan of Bob's Red Mill - enjoy your flours! It'll come in handy for the holiday baking season. : )
themondaybox
Thanks, Monica! I really have been like a kid in a sandbox, playing with all of that flour (not to infringe on your blog title!) My daughter has tried a lot of commercially produced gluten free products and as a result is less bothered by the difference in texture that gluten free baking can produce. I was looking for something that would taste "normal" even with gluten free flour. You are so right. We can't interchange flours randomly. I wish I knew the true chemical culinary secret, but without that info all I can do is play and experiment. At least I am having fun!