Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
These pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies are the perfect fall upgrade to your cookie jar. They feature a soft, cakey pumpkin cookie base that's tender in the middle with a slight chew at the edges, loaded with creamy pools of white chocolate and warm pumpkin spice in every bite. Ready in under 30 minutes, this one-bowl recipe is simple enough for a weeknight treat and special enough for holiday cookie swaps, making regular chocolate chip cookies feel plain in comparison.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop recommended for consistent sizing
- Baking sheets USA Pan Aluminized Steel Baking Sheet recommended for even heat distribution
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling; Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin recommended
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips recommended; extra for topping
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl until evenly distributed.
- Beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for about 2 minutes until pale, fluffy, and lighter in color. Scrape down the bowl halfway through.
- Add pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture and beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears. Be careful not to overmix to avoid tough cookies.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Reserve a small handful to press onto the tops of the shaped cookies for a bakery-style finish.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to firm up the butter and prevent spreading. For a faster alternative, chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F while the dough chills. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop dough into 1.5-tablespoon balls using a cookie scoop and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a few extra white chocolate chips onto the top of each ball for visual appeal.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven has hot spots.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm with the chocolate still soft.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, never pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices that throw off the recipe.
- Blot excess moisture from the pumpkin puree with a paper towel if it looks especially watery to prevent flat cookies.
- Don't skip the chilling step – it's the key to soft, puffy cookies instead of flat ones.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag, to avoid dense cookies.
- Pull cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone for the softest, most tender texture.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
- Swap white chocolate chips for semisweet, dark chocolate, butterscotch, or cinnamon chips for a different flavor profile.
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, or stir in dried cranberries for a tart contrast.
- Warm cookies in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to soften them back up before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.8gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 4mg
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