Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Best pumpkin cookie ever. Chewy (not cakey), scented with warm pumpkin pie spice, and rolled in cinnamony sugar. I’m smitten! Meet your new favorite seasonal cookie!
I’m truly obsessed with these pumpkin cookies! I love that they’re chewy, not cakey, like most pumpkin cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed my share of puffy pumpkin cookies. I’ve even made the cakey ones for this blog: Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting. But this time, I wanted a true chewy cookie experience. One simple recipe hack and you can enjoy pumpkin and CHEWY in the same cookie!
These cookies are perfectly, seasonally spiced! If you’re a fan of pumpkin pie spice, you will adore these cookies. They’ve got the perfect amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in every chewy bite. And thanks to store-bought pumpkin pie spice, you can enjoy all those warming spices with one ingredient.
You can make cookies of any size with this recipe. I chose to use the smaller (1 tablespoon) cookie scoop to make more cookies. I was serving a crowd of hungry athletes, so I want more cookies to go around. If you use a larger, 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, you can make much larger cookies.
For chewy cookies, you MUST blot your pumpkin puree. We use canned pumpkin puree in this recipe, and it has a lot of moisture. When making cakey cookies, you don’t need to remove that moisture, but for chewy cookies you do. Spread the pumpkin puree out on a plate and blot it several times with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. The goal is to remove enough liquid that the 1/2 of puree is reduced to 1/4 cup.
Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
For the Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Cookies
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, Libby’s works best for these cookies
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, measured carefully
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Line two or three large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the sugar coating, combine the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well and set aside.
- Spread your pumpkin puree out on a plate and blot with paper towels. Repeat several more times until barely any moisture remains and you reduce the puree from 1/2 cup to about 1/4 cup. This is not optional; it’s necessary for chewy (not cakey) cookies! Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Beat in the pumpkin until blended.
- Beat in the flour mixture until blended.
- Using a 1-tablespoon or 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and then roll into balls. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar mixture. If your dough is too sticky to roll, refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Place the cookies on the prepared pans, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies, and 12 to 14 minutes for larger cookies, until dry to the touch.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.