Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and preheat
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment for easy release and even browning.
Dry the pumpkin puree
- Blot the pumpkin puree between many layers of paper towels until very dry. This helps the cookies spread and crisp instead of turning cakey.
Mix the dry ingredients
- Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Mix until the spices are evenly distributed with no dry streaks.
Cream the butter and sugars
- Beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in 30-60 seconds so the mixture looks lighter in color and aerated.
Add pumpkin and flavor
- Beat in the blotted pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix just until the dough looks smooth and cohesive.
Combine dough and add chips
- Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains. Fold gently to keep the cookie dough tender.
Fold in chocolate chips
- Fold in the dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips so they’re evenly scattered. The dough should be thick with visible chocolate throughout.
Scoop and bake
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon rounds and space them on the lined baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers look set.
Finish and cool
- Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt right after baking. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a rack.
Notes
Pro tip: blotting the pumpkin puree until very dry is the main trick for cookies that spread and crisp. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days; refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months (thaw at room temperature). For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (check that it includes xanthan gum) and expect slightly softer centers.