These pumpkin pudding cookies are full of pumpkin spice flavor and have the perfect soft and chewy texture. Use a box of pudding mix to make your new favorite pumpkin cookie recipe!
Need another pumpkin recipe? Try soft pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie bars, or cinnamon pumpkin bread next.
I’m a chocolate chip pudding cookie girl through and through, but sometimes you need a really good pumpkin cookie in the fall.
Out of all my pumpkin recipes, this is a classic. It’s right up there with pumpkin streusel muffins and pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
If you couldn’t tell by my favorite pistachio pudding cookies or chocolate pudding cookies, I’ve been testing and perfecting pudding cookies for years. I have some tried and true tips that will guarantee perfect cookies every single time.
They spread just enough with ultra thick centers that stay soft for days. Just like all my cookie recipes, I especially love them 20 minutes out of the oven when they’re warm and gooey.
Love pudding cookies? Try pistachio pudding cookies, chocolate pudding cookies, Reindeer tracks peanut butter pudding cookies, or M&M pudding cookies next.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies. Jump to recipe for exact measurements.
- Flour: make sure you measure it correctly, or weight it for best results.
- Baking soda: to help them rise.
- Salt and vanilla: for flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice: homemade or store bought works.
- Butter: I like unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Brown butter: I’ve made them successfully with both light and dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar: for more sweetness and texture.
- Pumpkin spice instant pudding mix: not the cook and serve kind. You don’t actually make the pudding, just empty the pudding package into the cookie dough.
- Egg: use room temperature for best results.
- Pumpkin: press as much moisture out of it as possible.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: you can also use chopped chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate.
Have leftover pumpkin puree? Try pumpkin muffins with cake mix, pumpkin snickerdoodle cobbler, or pumpkin pecan toffee bars next.
How to Make Pumpkin Pudding Cookies
These are the step-by-step instructions for this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe. Jump to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
Step 1. Wet ingredients. Beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, pumpkin, and pudding mix and beat again.
Step 2. Dry Ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
Step 3. Stir in the Chocolate. Add chocolate chips and stir them well. I like to save about 1/3 cup for the tops of the cookies.
Step 4. Scoop and Bake. Drop 1/4 cup of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges and tops are just set.
Expert Tips
- Measure your flour correctly. Use the spoon and level method rather than sticking the measuring cup in and shaking it off. better yet, weigh it (and all your ingredients) with a food scale!
- Use truly room temperature butter. This is not soft, almost melted, butter. True room temperature butter should be about 60°F and feel cool to the touch. Just soft enough to cream. I find 1-2 hours on the counter is best.
- Blot the pumpkin dry: pumpkin adds a lot of moisture to these pumpkin cookies, so this is a must.
- Cream the butter and sugar the full time. This isn’t a suggestion—there’s a scientific reason this is a must. The sugar cuts into the butter, leaving little air pockets that rise and make your cookies thick and tall.
- Underbake them slightly. When it doubt, pull them out before you overbake them for the softest cookies. The edges should be set and the tops just barely wet and golden.
- Save some chocolate for the top. I love to press extra chocolate into the tops of freshly baked cookies. They
Most of these tips apply to all of my cookie recipes!
Storage and Freezing
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to one week. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze pumpkin cookie dough: scoop the dough into balls and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Transfer the entire tray to the freezer and freeze until solid. You can then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag to save space and they stay fresh for up to 4 months. Bake from frozen! Add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Freeze baked cookies: allow them to cool completely until the chocolate sets again. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and enjoy room temperature or warm them up.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3.4 ounces pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup pumpkin pure blotted dry with paper towels
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice and set aside.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Using a stand or electric mixer in a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, 2-3 full minutes. Do not skip this step.1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Blot the pumpkin dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible then add it to the dough with the pumpkin spice pudding mix, egg, and vanilla and beat on high for 2-3 additional minutes, until light and fluffy.3.4 ounces pumpkin spice instant pudding mix, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup pumpkin pure, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and turn the mixer on low to start so the flour doesn’t get everywhere. Turn the mixer up to high and mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and repeat until dough is just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Drop cookies by ¼ cup onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden and just set on the top. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Place baked cookies an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Kate Poskochil
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Hi Molly,
Would it possible to make a bar cookie using this recipe? If so, can you give me any special instructions, please?
Hey Judy! I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work! I would press the dough into a parchment lined baking pan (maybe square?) and bake for 20-30 minutes. You’ll have to keep a close eye on them to see when they’re done! Let me know if you try it I’m sure others would love to hear what you did. Thanks!
Amazing!!!!
Hey Molly!
Excited to try these cookies. This is basically the same recipe I use for all my cookies, just swap out tbe pudding flavor for whatever cookie I’m making. But this is the first I’ve ever seen that adds an additional “liquid”, the pumpkin purée. They still firm up enough to handle but keep that perfectly pudding cookie softness?
Hey Lindsey! Yes, they do. They’re a bit softer so if you feel like your dough is too sticky and prefer them more firm you can add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to see if that helps!
Whatever genius person first thought to put pudding in cookies is my idol. These look absolute amazing- can’t wait to try them!
Seriously, pudding cookies are hands down my favorite dessert!