Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe tastes like a pumpkin pie and a snickerdoodle had the coziest little cookie baby, and it comes together in about 35 minutes start to finish. This recipe works perfectly for busy parents, college students in tiny kitchens, or anyone who wants fall flavor without babysitting a mixer all afternoon. I test pumpkin cookie recipes year-round in my small Seattle kitchen, and my neighbors never complain about the leftovers.

Why You Should Try This Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies stay thick, tender, and moist without turning cakey or dry. Warm spices, brown sugar, and real pumpkin puree give them a rich flavor that tastes like a bakery cookie, not a muffin in disguise.

You mix everything in one bowl, chill briefly, then scoop and bake. The dough handles easily, so kids can help without covering your entire kitchen in flour.

“These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies taste like a bakery treat, stay tender for days, and disappear in minutes at every potluck. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
  • Use a standard unbleached all-purpose flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Or use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices if you want a shortcut.

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • Use real butter, not margarine, for the best chewy texture.
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor.
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • Use canned Libby’s or store brand; just check the label for 100% pumpkin.

Sugar coating (optional but highly recommended)

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional mix-ins

• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

You can skip the mix-ins for a classic soft and chewy pumpkin cookie. I like half the batch plain and half with white chocolate chips for variety.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale (optional but very helpful)
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons size works great)
• Cooling rack

Tips & Tricks

• Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture and keep the cookies chewy, not cakey.
• Melt the butter, then let it cool until just warm so it does not scramble the egg yolk.
• Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes so the cookies bake thick and soft instead of thin and flat.
• Use a cookie scoop for even sizes so every cookie bakes at the same rate.
• Roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar right before baking to add a crackly, sweet crust.
• Slightly underbake the cookies and pull them when the edges look set but the centers still look soft.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they finish setting without drying out.
• Bake one test cookie first if you want to check spread and adjust chill time or oven temp.

How to Make Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Prep the pumpkin and pans

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set them aside.

Scoop the pumpkin puree onto a few layers of paper towels. Gently pat the top with more paper towels to soak up extra liquid, then measure 1/2 cup of the blotted pumpkin.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Make sure no streaks of baking soda or baking powder remain.

Set this bowl aside.

Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted, cooled butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture looks thick and smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and whisk again until the mixture looks glossy.

Stir in the blotted pumpkin puree until everything combines evenly.

Step 4: Combine wet and dry

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until no dry flour streaks remain.

If you use chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in gently now. The dough will feel soft and slightly sticky.

Step 5: Chill the dough

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. The dough should firm up enough to scoop and roll without sticking badly to your hands.

If your kitchen runs warm, chill closer to 45 minutes.

Step 6: Preheat and prep the sugar coating

Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the coating.

Set the sugar mixture near your baking sheets.

Step 7: Scoop and roll

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll each portion into a ball between your palms.

Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated, then place it on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Step 8: Bake

Place one sheet in the center of the oven. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set and the tops look slightly puffy and crackly.

The centers should still look soft and a bit underdone. That softness gives you the chewy texture after they cool.

Step 9: Cool

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will finish cooking and firm up just enough.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

What to Serve with Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

Serve these soft and chewy pumpkin cookies with cold milk, hot chocolate, or a cozy mug of chai or coffee. Kids love them with vanilla yogurt or a simple fruit salad on the side. I also like to sandwich two cookies around a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream for a quick dessert. Pack them in lunchboxes or bring them to fall potlucks, and watch them disappear faster than you can say “save me one.”

Storage Options

• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
• Add a slice of sandwich bread to the container to keep the cookies soft and chewy longer.
• Freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.
• Freeze unbaked dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and keep up to 2 months.
• Bake frozen dough balls straight from the freezer at 350°F, and add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
• Refresh cookies by warming them in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes or in the microwave for about 8 to 10 seconds.