Description
These chewy pumpkin cookies are a delightful fall treat, combining warm spices and moist pumpkin puree for a soft, flavorful bite. Optional chocolate chips and nuts add extra texture and richness, making these cookies perfect for cozy afternoons or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Optional Add-ins
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure the cookies don’t stick during baking.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the canned pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until everything is fully combined, ensuring an even distribution of flavors.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the cookies.
- Add optional mix-ins: If desired, fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped nuts for extra flavor and texture.
- Portion dough: Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them adequately to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges, indicating they’re fully cooked but still chewy inside.
- Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, preventing breakage.
Notes
- For softer cookies, avoid overbaking and remove them from the oven as soon as edges turn lightly golden.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Substitute pecans or walnuts with other nuts like almonds or leave them out for nut-free cookies.
- Use fresh pumpkin puree if preferred, but canned puree provides consistent moisture and flavor.
- Adjust spices according to taste for a milder or stronger spice profile.
