These chewy pumpkin cookies have soft, chewy centers, beautiful rippled tops, and plenty of warm pumpkin spice flavor. Made with real pumpkin and no chilling, this easy pumpkin cookies recipe gives you everything we want in a fall cookie without turning cakey.
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This recipe has been on El Mundo Eats since 2017, but we've completely reworked it again because we wanted one thing: genuinely chewy pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, which is great for cakes but not so great when you want a cookie with real chew and those gorgeous wrinkly tops.
After several tests, we landed on blotted pumpkin, softened butter, an egg yolk, and a simple hot-cookie swirl that makes them rounder, slightly thicker, and even more rippled. No chilling, no tray banging, and no complicated tricks. Just a pumpkin cookie that finally behaves like the cookie we wanted.
If you're in full baking mode, you'll find plenty more favorites in our Cookie Recipes collection.
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Why you'll love this recipe
These cookies have everything we want in a fall cookie: soft, chewy centers, crisp edges, warm pumpkin spice, and those beautiful rippled tops, all without turning cakey.
Soft and chewy, not cakey: These are true soft and chewy pumpkin cookies, with a tender center and just enough crispness around the edges.
Full of pumpkin spice flavor: If you love pumpkin cookies with pumpkin spice, these have plenty of warm, cozy flavor without overpowering the pumpkin.
Beautiful rippled tops: The wrinkly tops make them look bakery-worthy, especially after that quick swirl while they're still hot from the oven.
No chilling needed: Scoop, roll, bake. These are easy pumpkin cookies you can make without waiting for the dough to chill.
Perfect for fall baking: They're perfect with coffee on a cool afternoon, especially alongside our Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies for a proper cookie spread.
Ingredients you'll need
These chewy pumpkin cookies use simple baking staples, plus pumpkin puree and warm spices. A few ingredients are especially important for getting the right texture.
Pumpkin puree: We use Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin. Any plain canned pumpkin puree will work, but different brands can vary in moisture, so make sure to blot it as directed. Don't use pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.
Unsalted butter: We use softened butter rather than melted butter. Make sure it's soft enough to cream easily with the sugars, but not greasy or partially melted.
Brown and granulated sugar: Brown sugar adds chew, while granulated sugar helps with spread and lightly crisp edges. Together, they give these pumpkin spice cookies the texture we want.
Egg yolk: Just the yolk gives the dough richness and helps bind everything together without adding the extra moisture and protein from a whole egg.
Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon: Pumpkin pie spice gives these cookies their warm fall flavor, while extra cinnamon rounds it out. Use store-bought or our Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies enough structure while still allowing them to spread. Measure carefully, since too much flour will make them thicker and reduce those rippled tops.
Baking soda and baking powder: We use a little of both to get the right balance of spread and lift without making the cookies puffy or cakey.
You'll find all the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and variations
These cookies are sensitive to ingredient changes, so keep the butter, egg yolk, pumpkin, flour, and leavening as written. These are the swaps and variations we recommend.
Pumpkin pie spice: Use store-bought or our homemade version. If your blend is especially cinnamon-heavy, you can reduce the extra cinnamon slightly to taste.
Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar should work 1:1 if that's what you have. It will give the cookies a slightly deeper molasses flavor and may make them a little darker.
Spiced sugar coating: You can keep it simple with plain granulated sugar, or add a little cinnamon if you don't want to use pumpkin pie spice in the coating.
Chocolate variation: We wouldn't add too much chocolate, since this dough was developed for chewy texture and rippled tops. For pumpkin and chocolate lovers, try our Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies.
Watch the video recipe
Watch how we make these cookies, from blotting the pumpkin to getting those beautiful rippled tops.
How to make chewy pumpkin cookies
Blot the pumpkin
Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate and blot it several times with paper towels until it looks thicker and less wet.
Cream the butter and sugars
Beat the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars until lighter and fluffy.
Add the wet ingredients
Mix in the egg yolk, blotted pumpkin, and vanilla until everything is well combined.
Mix in the dry ingredients
Add the flour, spices, leavening, and salt, and mix just until no dry flour remains. The dough should be soft and scoopable.
Scoop and coat
Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough and roll lightly in the spiced sugar.
Bake
Bake until the edges are set, and the centers still look soft.
Swirl
As soon as they come out of the oven, swirl a glass around each hot cookie to make it rounder, slightly thicker, and bring out those rippled tops.
Tips for chewy pumpkin cookies
A few small details make a big difference with these cookies, especially because pumpkin adds so much moisture to the dough.
- Blot the pumpkin well: Spread the pumpkin puree out and blot it several times until it looks noticeably thicker and less glossy. Removing that extra moisture helps keep the cookies chewy instead of cakey.
- Use properly softened butter: The butter should be soft enough to cream easily, but not greasy or melted. Melted butter changes the spread and texture of the cookies.
- Cream the butter and sugars properly: Beat for 2-3 minutes until lighter and fluffy. This adds enough air for the cookies to puff slightly, then settle into those rippled tops. Don't overbeat, or they can become too puffy.
- Don't add extra flour: The dough should be soft and scoopable. Extra flour makes the cookies thicker and reduces the spread needed for those rippled tops.
- Skip the chill: There's no need to refrigerate the dough. We tested letting it sit before baking, and it didn't make the cookies thicker, so you can scoop and bake straight away.
- Keep the natural scoop shape: There's no need to press the dough down or shape it taller. We tested that too, and the natural scoop gave us the best result.
- Don't overbake: Take the cookies out when the edges are set but the centers still look soft. They'll continue to set on the hot baking sheet as they cool, which helps keep the centers chewy.
- Swirl them while they're hot: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, swirl a glass around each one. This rounds the edges, gathers them slightly inward, and helps create thicker cookies with more defined ripples.
- Use up the leftover pumpkin: This recipe only needs a small amount of pumpkin puree, so if you have some left in the can, our Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are a very good next move.
How to store and freeze
Store
- Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Once completely cooled, layer them with parchment paper if needed to keep the rippled tops looking their best.
Freeze
- To freeze, place the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 months.
- Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Too much moisture is the main reason pumpkin cookies turn cakey. Blotting the pumpkin helps keep these chewy pumpkin cookies, while using only an egg yolk avoids extra moisture and puffiness.
Yes, but fresh pumpkin puree is usually wetter than canned. Drain it in a fine-mesh sieve for 1-2 hours, then measure ⅓ cup (80 g) and blot it to about 60 g, roughly ¼ cup. We developed this recipe with Libby's, so removing the extra moisture helps keep the cookies chewy.
No. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices that would throw off this pumpkin cookies recipe. Use plain pumpkin puree instead.
The edges should look set while the centers are still soft and slightly underdone. They'll continue to set on the hot baking sheet as they cool, keeping the centers chewy.
These cookies are exactly what we wanted from a fall cookie: soft and chewy in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, full of pumpkin spice, and beautifully rippled on top.
If you make them, leave us a rating and a comment below. We'd love to know how they turned out for you!
Did you try these Chewy Pumpkin Cookies?
We'd love to hear from you! Please leave us a ★★★★★ rating and share your thoughts in the comments. If you post on Instagram, tag us, we'd love to see it!
Thank you! - Bea and Marco
📖 Recipe
Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1¾ cup (228 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice use our recipe for homemade blend
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
Wet ingredients
- ⅓ cup (80 g) pumpkin puree preferably Libby's 100% pure pumpkin, canned
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), no fan. Place the rack in the middle. Line bakings sheets with parchment paper.
Dry ingredients
- Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.1¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp fine salt
Wet ingredients
- Spread pumpkin puree over a plate. Press paper towels on top several times until the puree is thicker and less glossy. You should have about roughly ¼ cup (60 g), left after blotting.⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed, until lighter and fluffy. This adds enough air for the cookies to puff slightly in the oven, then settle into those rippled tops. Don't overbeat until very pale and airy, or the cookies can become too puffy and spread less.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg yolk, blotted pumpkin, and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and fold them in with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. The dough should be soft and scoopable. Don't overmix.
Shape and coat
- Mix the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice for rolling.½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons (48-50 g) of dough per cookie and gently roll in the spiced sugar. Keep the natural scoop shape. Don't flatten the dough or shape it taller.
Bake
- Arrange the cookies well apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the edges look set but the centers are still soft and slightly underdone.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round glass or cookie cutter around each one and gently swirl it in a circular motion. This rounds the edges, gathers the cookie slightly inward, and helps create a thicker cookie with more defined ripples.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes so the centers can finish setting, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Originally published on Oct 28, 2017. The recipe, text, and photos were updated on Sep 30, 2023, and again on Oct 10, 2026.
Vicki says
I made these cookies with butternut squash substituted for pumpkin. I used less sugar because of the sweetness of the squash. All other pumpkin cookies I've made turned out way too moist for my taste, but these are not too moist...just right! This will be my go to recipe from here on!
Bea & Marco says
Hi Vicki, thank you so much for sharing this! We’re so happy to hear the recipe worked well with butternut squash too, and that the cookies came out chewy and not too moist. That was exactly the texture we were going for, so this made us really happy. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment!
Kirsti says
My first pumpkin cookies for this year. They came out delicious.
Thank you for the recipe.
Bea & Marco says
Yeay, that's awesome! Thanks, Kirsti!
Vicki says
I made these cookies with butternut squash substituted for pumpkin. I used less sugar because of the sweetness of the squash. All other pumpkin cookies I've made turned out way too moist for my taste, but these are not too moist...just right! This will be my go to recipe from here on!
Nina says
It was wonderful, thank you
Bea says
Awesome, I'm happy that you liked it, thanks Nina!
Rain Ng says
I remember making them last year and my sisters loved them so much!! I will make them again very soon, thanks!
Bea says
Yay, I'm happy to know they liked them 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!