These Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy on the outside, soft in the middle, and filled with cozy fall spices. Pumpkin adds warm seasonal flavor, while creamy white chocolate provides a sweet contrast, making them the perfect treat for autumn baking!
Chewy on the outside and soft in the middle, these Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with warm spices, creamy white chocolate, and plenty of pumpkin flavor. They have crisp edges, soft and chewy centers, and a rich, buttery taste that makes them the perfect fall twist on classic chocolate chip cookies.
Made in one bowl without a mixer, these cookies are a breeze to make with simple pantry ingredients. Enjoy them as a cozy afternoon treat, a festive fall party dessert, or a sweet the whole family will love.
For more cozy fall recipes try my pumpkin spice donuts, banana bread with streusel topping or carrot cake pound cake .
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect fall cookie - Pumpkin puree and warm spices make these cookies taste like fall in every bite.
- Soft and chewy texture - Pumpkin keeps the cookies moist while white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness.
- Easy to make - One bowl and no mixer required.
- Festive & versatile - Great for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just a weekend baking session.
Ingredient Notes
- White Chocolate Chips: Use good quality white chocolate chips. They melt better and have a creamier flavor than lower-quality varieties. You can also use white chocolate chunks for a more rustic look.
- All-purpose flour - Creates structure while keeping cookies soft.
- Pumpkin pie spice - Adds that classic warm fall flavor. You can use a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if you don't have it.
- Baking soda - Helps the cookies rise slightly and stay soft.
- Salt - Balances the overall sweetness.
- Unsalted butter - Melted butter helps with structure and makes these chewy.
- Pumpkin puree - Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Brown sugar & granulated white sugar - Brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper flavor, while granulated sugar gives it crispy edges.
- Egg yolk - Since pumpkin puree adds extra moisture, we only use the yolk to avoid cakey cookies.
- Pure Vanilla extract - Enhances overall flavor of the cookies.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make these pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies recipe. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Melt the butter. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3: Blot the pumpkin puree. Over a small bowl place the pumpkin puree in several layers of cheesecloth or paper towels and press gently to remove the extra liquid until 1 cup of pumpkin puree gets reduced to ⅓ cup.
Step 4: Beat butter and sugars. In a large bowl cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until well combined.
Step 5: Add pumpkin & egg yolk. Add the pumpkin puree to the butter mixture along with egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
Step 6: Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
Step 7: Scoop and Chill the Dough (Recommended). Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls and place on a baking sheet. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or two (upto overnight).
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 8: Bake. Place the chilled cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until edges are set but centers look soft.
Step 9: Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot the edges in to make them thicker and perfectly round. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Pat pumpkin dry: Pumpkin puree has a lot of moisture, so blot it with paper towels to avoid overly cakey cookies.
- Don’t Skip the Chill time: Chilling the dough for at least an hour is highly recommended. It helps the flavors meld and, most importantly, prevents the cookies from spreading too much, resulting in a thick, chewy cookie.
- Don't overbake: Cookies should look slightly underdone when you pull them out. They'll set as they cool.
- Extra white chocolate: Press a few chips on top of the cookies right after baking for a bakery-style look.
- Spice variation: Add extra cinnamon for a stronger spice flavor, or a pinch of cardamom for a twist.
FAQs
Yes! You can use homemade pumpkin puree, but make sure it's thick and not too watery. Make sure to drain any excess moisture before using.
Chilling the dough may feel inconvenient, but skipping it will cause the cookies to spread too much. Chilling allows the butter to firm up and the flour to hydrate, which helps the cookies bake thick and chewy.
Pumpkin adds extra moisture, which can make cookies cakey. To get chewy pumpkin cookies, make sure to blot the pumpkin well before using and avoid overmixing the dough.
This recipe is very versatile. Try adding chopped pecans or walnuts, toffee bits, or even a different type of chocolate chips like milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Yes ! You can easily substitute it with 1 ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon cloves.
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: Store cooled Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Once completely cooled, place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until firm. Transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe container or bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: Scoop dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time
More Fall Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup+ 1 tablespoon all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- Over a small bowl place the pumpkin puree in several layers of cheesecloth or paper towels and press gently to remove the extra liquid until 1 cup of pumpkin puree gets reduced to ⅓ cup.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until well combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. Then stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined.
- Slowly mix in the dry ingredients into the wet, until no white streaks of flour remain. Then gently stir in the white chocolate chips until just combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop, portion the dough into 1.5-tablespoon balls and place them on a baking sheet. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared cookie sheets. Make sure to leave a little room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread a little while they bake.
- Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and the top is set.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Optionally, While still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot the edges in to make them thicker and perfectly round. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not skip the chilling the dough as it prevent spreading and keeps the cookies thick and chewy.
- For bakery-style round cookies, use a large round cookie cutter to scoot the edges right after baking.
- Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- You can swap white chocolate chips with dark chocolate chunks or add chopped nuts for extra texture.
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