These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies have plenty of pumpkin flavor, warm pumpkin spice, and a crisp spiced-sugar coating. Blotting the pumpkin purée removes excess moisture, while brown sugar and egg yolks give the cookies soft, chewy centers instead of a cakey texture.
The dough does need an hour in the refrigerator, but that chill helps the cookies hold their shape and bake up thick and chewy with lightly crisp edges.
Pumpkin cookies took me a little experimenting because pumpkin adds so much moisture to cookie dough. I started by blotting the pumpkin purée with paper towels, which definitely helped, but my first batch still spread more than I wanted.
I initially used a whole egg, then switched to two egg yolks. That made a noticeable difference. The yolks give the dough richness and structure without the additional liquid from the egg white, so the cookies stay thicker.
I also tested the dough with 220 grams of flour, but those cookies spread a little more than I wanted. Increasing it to 230 grams gave me the thicker, soft and chewy cookie I was looking for.
I finish them by rolling the dough in pumpkin spice sugar before baking. It gives the outside a delicate sugary crust and adds another layer of warm spice without overpowering the pumpkin.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and chewy, not cakey – Blotting the pumpkin and using egg yolks helps control the extra moisture that can make pumpkin cookies cakey.
- Thick cookies with soft centers – The flour ratio and one-hour chill help control spreading while keeping the middle tender.
- Plenty of fall flavor – Real pumpkin and pumpkin spice go into the dough, with another touch of spice in the sugar coating.
- Crisp spiced-sugar coating – Rolling the dough in pumpkin spice sugar gives these soft cookies a lovely contrast around the edges.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – I use softened unsalted butter rather than melted butter. Creaming it with the brown sugar gives the dough structure while keeping the baked cookies soft.
- Light brown sugar – Brown sugar brings sweetness, moisture, and a subtle caramel flavor that works particularly well with pumpkin. It also contributes to the chewy texture.
- Pumpkin purée – Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. I start with ½ cup and blot it well with paper towels before adding it to the dough. Removing that excess moisture is important for getting a cookie texture rather than a cakey one.
- Egg yolks – Use two yolks rather than one whole egg. I tested both, and the whole egg made my cookies spread more. Yolks provide fat and richness without adding as much additional water to the dough.
- All-purpose flour – I use 230 grams. I originally tested the recipe with 220 grams, but the cookies spread more than I wanted. Those extra 10 grams give them just enough additional structure.
- Pumpkin spice – Adds warm cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove flavor. You can use store-bought pumpkin pie spice or homemade pumpkin spice.
- Baking soda and baking powder – I use a little of each to give the cookies enough lift without making them overly puffy or cakey.
- Vanilla and salt – Vanilla rounds out the pumpkin and spice flavors, while salt balances the sweetness.
- Pumpkin spice sugar – Granulated sugar mixed with pumpkin spice creates a lightly crisp, spiced coating around the cookies as they bake.
How to Make Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Blot the pumpkin
Spread the pumpkin purée over a plate. Place a few sheets of paper towel over the top and gently press to absorb the excess moisture. Replace the paper towels and repeat until you’ve removed a good amount of liquid and the pumpkin has become noticeably thicker.
Don’t worry about getting an exact final volume. You’re simply trying to remove the excess water, not dry the pumpkin completely.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and light brown sugar until smooth and well combined.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Add the blotted pumpkin purée and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until you no longer see dry flour.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Shape and bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine granulated sugar with pumpkin spice in a small bowl.
- Scoop approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls.
- Roll each dough ball generously in the pumpkin spice sugar.
- Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough room between them for some spreading.
- Bake until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. We should put your actual tested baking time here rather than me inventing one.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Variations
- More pumpkin spice – For a stronger spiced flavor, increase the pumpkin spice slightly or add a little extra to the sugar coating.
- Cinnamon sugar coating – You can replace the pumpkin spice in the coating with cinnamon for a simpler cinnamon-sugar finish.
- Add chocolate chips – Fold in semisweet, dark, or white chocolate chips after adding the dry ingredients. Keep the amount modest so the cookies remain thick and soft.
- Add nuts – Chopped pecans or walnuts add a nice crunch and work especially well with pumpkin and brown sugar.
Storage and Make Ahead
- Room temperature – Store the completely cooled pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Their high moisture content keeps the centers soft.
- Refrigerate the dough – You can make the cookie dough a day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature briefly if it becomes too firm to scoop, then shape and coat the cookies just before baking.
- Freeze the cookie dough – Portion the chilled dough into balls and freeze them on a tray until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Coat them in pumpkin spice sugar before baking.
- Freeze baked cookies – Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies have thick, tender centers, plenty of pumpkin and warm pumpkin spice, and a lightly crisp pumpkin spice sugar coating. Blotting the pumpkin and using egg yolks helps control excess moisture for a chewy rather than cakey cookie.
Video
Ingredients
- 170 g (¾ cup) Unsalted butter softened
- 220 g (1 cup) Light brown sugar
- 2 large Egg yolks
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ cup (½ cup) Pumpkin purée before blotting
- 230 g (1¾ cup) + 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Pumpkin spice
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 50 g (¼ cup) Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pumpkin spice
Method
- Blot the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin purée in a thin layer over a plate. Place paper towels over the pumpkin and gently press to absorb the excess moisture. Repeat with fresh paper towels until the pumpkin is noticeably thicker. Set aside.½ cup Pumpkin purée
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar until light and well combined.170 g Unsalted butter, 220 g Light brown sugar
- Add the yolks. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until smooth and incorporated.2 large Egg yolks, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Add the pumpkin. Mix in the blotted pumpkin purée until evenly combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.230 g + 1 tbsp All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Pumpkin spice, ½ tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Salt
- Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Chill. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the coating. Combine the granulated sugar and pumpkin spice in a shallow bowl.50 g Granulated sugar, 1 tsp Pumpkin spice
- Shape. Scoop approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Roll each generously in the pumpkin spice sugar.
- Bake. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them to spread. Bake until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. Use your actual tested baking time here.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Notes
- Pumpkin: Use 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Blot it well before adding it to the dough.
- Egg yolks: I tested this recipe with a whole egg, but the cookies spread more. Two yolks help keep the cookies thicker while maintaining a soft, chewy center.
- Flour: Weigh 230 grams for the best result. I tested 220 grams first, but those cookies spread more than I wanted.
- Chilling: Don’t skip the one-hour chill. It helps control spreading and makes the dough easier to portion.
- Cookie size: A 3-tablespoon scoop makes large cookies with thicker, softer centers.
- Doneness: Remove the cookies while the centers still look soft. They will continue to set as they cool.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Tips for Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
- Blot the pumpkin well. Pumpkin adds considerable moisture to cookie dough. Removing some of it helps the cookies stay thick and chewy rather than becoming cakey.
- Use egg yolks, not whole eggs. I tested this recipe with a whole egg and the cookies spread more than I wanted. Two yolks gave me a thicker cookie with a soft center.
- Weigh the flour. I settled on 230 grams after testing 220 grams and getting more spread. With such a small difference affecting the result, weighing is much more reliable than using cups.
- Don’t skip the chill. Refrigerating the dough for an hour firms the butter and helps control spreading.
- Make large cookies. I use about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. The larger size gives you a soft, chewy center surrounded by lightly crisp edges.
- Don’t overbake. Take the cookies out while the centers are still soft. They’ll continue to set on the hot baking sheet.
More Pumpkin recipes
- Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Maple Pumpkin Trifle Dessert Cups
- Moist Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread too much | Pumpkin had too much moisture, dough wasn’t chilled enough, or flour was under-measured | Blot the pumpkin well, weigh 230 g flour, and chill the dough for the full hour. |
| Cookies are cakey | Too much moisture in the dough | Blot the pumpkin thoroughly and use only the two egg yolks rather than whole eggs. |
| Cookies don’t spread enough | Too much flour or pumpkin was blotted excessively | Weigh the flour accurately and blot the pumpkin to remove excess water without drying it completely. |
| Cookies are dry | Too much flour or overbaking | Weigh the flour and remove the cookies while the centers are still soft. |
| Dough is too sticky to roll | Dough is too warm | Refrigerate it longer rather than adding more flour. |
| Cookies lose their soft centers | They baked too long | Look at the edges rather than waiting for the centers to appear completely done. The centers will continue setting as the cookies cool. |
More Cookies you may like
- Soft Amish Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Churros Cookies
- Soft Ginger Cookies
- Ultimate Gingersnap Cookies
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies
Frequently asked questions
The key is controlling the amount of moisture in the dough. I blot the pumpkin purée, use two egg yolks instead of a whole egg, and chill the dough before baking. The 230 grams of flour also gives the cookies enough structure to stay thick without making them dry.
Yes, I recommend it. Pumpkin contains a lot of water, and adding it straight from the can can make the cookies spread differently or develop a more cake-like texture. Blotting concentrates the pumpkin while removing some of that excess moisture.
Yes, but homemade pumpkin purée can contain even more water than canned pumpkin. Blot it particularly well before adding it to the cookie dough.
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. I tested a whole egg, and the cookies spread more than I wanted even after I blotted the pumpkin. Two egg yolks give the cookies richness and help them stay thicker.
I wouldn’t. The one-hour chill helps firm the butter and gives the flour time to absorb moisture from the dough. This helps control spreading and gives you thicker cookies.
These are chewy pumpkin cookies made with brown sugar and rolled in pumpkin spice sugar. Traditional snickerdoodles contain cream of tartar, which gives them their characteristic tang and texture. If you’re looking for that version, try my Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Don’t lose this recipe! Save it for Later!
📌 Save this Recipe for later on Pinterest so you can easily find it again.
⭐ Add Veena Azmanov Kitchen to your Google Preferred Sources.
It helps Google show you more of our recipes.
📧 Subscribe for new recipes delivered to your inbox.
🎥 Follow us for more recipes
Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
