Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
It’s the great pumpkin cookie, Charlie Brown! This ultra chewy pumpkin cookie is absolutely fantastic and sure to satisfy your fall cravings.
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Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
This pumpkin cookie is perhaps the tastiest thing a pumpkin has ever produced! Incredibly soft, pleasantly chewy, spiced to perfection and rolled in bougie cinnamon sugar, my pumpkin cookies simply cannot be beat.
I love this recipe for pumpkin spice cookies because it checks all the boxes for a crowd pleasing dessert. They’re aesthetically appealing, unique without being complex, and make you say an audible “mmm” when you bite into them. Plus pumpkin cookies are a breeze to whip up, freeze so well and are so festive! Really, you cannot go wrong with this one.
Ingredients in Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
- Salted butter, softened – I always use salted butter!
- Brown sugar – I only use brown sugar in this recipe because it creates a chewy texture which is the goal here!
- Egg
- Pumpkin, liquid removed (see instructions) – The reason we take the liquid out of the pumpkin is to help keep the cookies chewy. The extra liquid reacts with the leavening agents and tends to make things fluffy and cakey.
- Canola oil – The canola oil will help the cookies spread instead of puffing up and being cakey. It will also give the edge of the cookie a buttery crisp texture!
- vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon – This is the STAR of the show.
- baking soda
- salt
- Cinnamon and sugar mixture – I love to roll my cookies in cinnamon and sugar to give them a high end look, but this, I suppose is optional.
How to Make Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Set aside.
- Reduce your pumpkin by lining a dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels. Measure out the 1/2 cup of pumpkin and then spread onto the paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and gently press down onto the pumpkin to remove the liquid from the pumpkin. Repeat this step until the pumpkin is thick and has reduced down to about 1/3 cup.
- Add the egg, pumpkin, canola oil and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Portion out the cookie dough into 1 1/2 tbsp portions (using #40 scoop) and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture before arranging on the prepared pan.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies flatten, and the centers of the cookies no longer look wet and glossy.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Enjoy! Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How should I store chewy pumpkin cookies?
Once cooled, store your cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days!
Can I make chewy pumpkin cookies in advance and freeze them?
You sure can! These cookies freeze really well and can be stored in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. I have a post all about how to freeze cookies if you’d like more tips! When you’re ready to serve these cookies, simply allow them to thaw on the counter or reheat quickly in the microwave (or oven) – here’s a post with more tips on how to reheat cookies, just in case you’re interested!
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Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (222g) salted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup (308g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin, liquid removed to 1/3 cup (see instructions)
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (380g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cinnamon + sugar mixture
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Set aside.
- Reduce the pumpkin by lining a dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels. Measure out the 1/2 cup of pumpkin and then spread onto the paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and gently press down onto the pumpkin to remove the liquid from the pumpkin. Repeat this step until the pumpkin is thick and has reduced down to about 1/3 cup.
- Add the egg, pumpkin, canola oil and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Portion out the cookie dough into 1 1/2 tbsp portions (using #40 scoop) and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture before arranging on the prepared pan.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies flatten, and the centers of the cookies no longer look wet and glossy.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Enjoy! Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If I’m not a lover of using canola oil, can I swap and use more butter?
You could do vegetable oil or melted butter.
Hey! I made these and they turned out cakey! Grrrr! I really want them to turn out! Should I reduce my flour? Maybe I took too much moisture out of the pumpkin? It was less than 1/3 cup. Thanks!
Hi Trish! Did you accidentally over bake the cookies? The more moisture in the pumpkin the more cakey they will be so I don’t think it was a pumpkin issue!
Can I use vegetable oil in place of canola oil?
Yes
by pumpkin do you mean canned pumpkin? like puree?
Yes! You will used canned pumpkin puree and reduce it down so the liquid doesn’t create cakey cookies.
Excellent! I subbed avocado oil for the canola oil and they are so soft. They taste like a perfect pumpkin snickerdoodle!
Hello!
I feel like this is a dumb question, but can you use canned pumpkin for these cookies? Would I still reduce it? Thank you! love your recipe books!
Hi! I use canned pumpkin and then reduce it for these chewy pumpkin cookies.
Can I use melted coconut oil instead of canola oil? If not what else could I use as a healthier alternative?
Hi! I haven’t tried this substitution, but it should work. However, it may impact the texture and flavor of the cookie!
After a tasting, my husband said they were dangerous. 😉 Definitely a good thing.
These turned out so amazing!!! So fluffy and soft! Love ❤️
Did I miss the the cinnamon sugar ratio for the “bougie blend?” Sound great! Happy Fall!
Hi! I recommend mixing 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
hello! I’m making these cookies and am wondering what is the ratio of the sugar cinnamon mixture? Is it just a personal preference in measuring this mixture? Thanks!
Hi! This is definitely a personal preference thing. I would start with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and adjust from there.
These are delicious and came out perfectly! Love the slight crunch on the outside but the softness inside. I used pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon because that’s what I had. Reminds me of a soft molasses cookie recipe from my childhood.
can the dough be frozen? And use them as you want them?
Yes, absolutely! I would freeze the dough in balls so they’re easier to use! Just use within 3 months.