Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe

I perfected a no-chill White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies recipe featuring a surprising pantry swap that readers always ask about.

I sometimes surprise myself with a cookie that tastes like fall but isn’t cloying. These Pumpkin Spice Cookies With White Chocolate Chips are exactly that.

I left out the usual heavy-handed sweetness and leaned into pumpkin pie spice for more depth, and studded the dough with melty white chocolate chips so each bite feels a little unexpected. They bake quickly, no-chill, and you might catch a soft center that almost breaks apart when you grab it.

I can’t promise they’ll last long, but they will make people ask how you got that flavor, cause it’s not your basic pumpkin cookie.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Main structure for cookies, mostly carbs, little fiber, some protein, not sweet.
• Pumpkin puree: Adds moisture and subtle sweetness, good fiber and vitamin A, it’s not sugary like syrup.
• Unsalted butter: Rich fat, gives tender crumb and flavor, high calories but great mouthfeel.
• Granulated sugar: Pure sweetener, boosts browning and crisp edges, mostly empty carbs, addictive.
• Brown sugar: Adds moisture and caramel notes, contributes to chewiness, slightly more minerals than white.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Warm spice mix, little nutrition, brings cozy fall flavor, smells amazing in batter.
• White chocolate chips: Sweet, creamy bites that melt, mostly sugar and fat, adds decadent contrast.
• Egg: Binds ingredients, adds protein and richness, helps rise and sets the cookie interior.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• flaky sea salt, optional

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats, measure flour by spooning into cup or weigh 280 g so you dont get dense cookies.

2. Whisk together 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a mixer or with a strong spoon cream 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until combined, then stir in 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling) until smooth, scraping the bowl so nothing is left stuck.

5. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined dont overmix or you’ll get tough cookies.

6. Fold in 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, save a handful to press on top of each dough mound if you want them pretty.

7. Use a 2 tablespoon scoop or a rounded tablespoon to portion dough onto prepared sheets about 2 inches apart, slightly flatten each mound with your palm or the back of a spoon for even baking; these are no chill cookies so bake right away.

8. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if you like sweet and salty, then bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set and centers still look a bit soft, rotate pans halfway through if your oven is uneven.

9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 4 to 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling, they firm more as they cool. Store airtight up to 3 days or freeze baked or raw scoops for later.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven preheated to 350°F for baking
2. Two rimmed baking sheets plus parchment paper or silicone mats to line them
3. Kitchen scale (best) or measuring cups so you can get 280 g flour right
4. Two mixing bowls one for dry ingredients one for wet
5. Measuring spoons and a liquid measuring cup for the small stuff
6. Whisk for dry mixes and a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl clean
7. Electric mixer or a strong wooden spoon to cream butter and sugars
8. Two tablespoon scoop or a rounded tablespoon and a small spoon for portioning, dont overfill it
9. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts for handling hot trays

FAQ

Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap with whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier, slightly denser cookie, or use a 1:1 gluten free baking blend (make sure it contains xanthan gum) if you need gluten free — results vary a bit but it works.
• Unsalted butter: use solid coconut oil 1:1 for a dairy free option (gives a faint coconut note and may spread a little more), or use stick margarine 1:1 for similar texture if you dont have butter.
• Brown sugar: if you’re out, make light brown sugar by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses (scale down for 1/2 cup brown sugar: 1/2 cup granulated + 1/2 tbsp molasses). It gives the same moisture and caramel flavor.
• White chocolate chips: swap with chopped milk or semisweet chocolate for richer flavor, or use dried cranberries and chopped pecans for tartness and crunch if you want something less sweet.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh your flour, seriously. Spoon it into the cup or better yet use a scale, otherwise you’ll pack too much and the cookies get dense and dry. If the dough still seems too loose add 1 tablespoon flour at a time.

2) Chill the scoops if you want taller, less-spread cookies. The recipe works right away but 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge or 10 in the freezer will give you puffier rounds, especially if your kitchen is warm.

3) For extra soft, tender centers add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the dry mix or swap 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for brown sugar for more chew. Don’t overmix once you add the flour or they’ll turn tough.

4) Press a few extra white chips on top before baking and sprinkle flaky sea salt right after they come out of the oven, not before, so the salt stays flaky. To store: freeze scoops on a tray then bag them, or warm baked cookies briefly to revive melty chips.