Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies are one of the best pumpkin cookie variations there is! Perfectly balanced flavors with pumpkin spice and white chocolate – soft, chewy inside, and barely crisp around the edges. These white chocolate pumpkin cookies are the perfect fall baking recipe.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Homemade pumpkin cookies with white chocolate

If you’ve never tried pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies before, you’re in for a treat! The addition of pumpkin puree and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice accentuates the creamy chocolate flavor. The recipe makes thick, chewy pumpkin cookies that are impossible to resist.

The pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies quickly whip up and taste like they came from a fancy bakery. Although the cookies are made from scratch, they don’t take long at all. And these cookies baking will make your house smell warm and cozy. Is there a better aroma than warm, freshly baked cookies? Me thinks not.

My family adores pumpkin spices everything. Some of our other favorite pumpkin recipes include these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, my easy pumpkin pudding, and this pumpkin chocolate swirl bundt cake from my friend Fida of Sweet & Savoury Pursuits.

Ingredients for pumpkin white chocolate cookies

These tasty fall cookies call for all your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe ingredients plus canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. To make them, you’ll need:

• Pumpkin: You can make the cookies with canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin pie filling won’t work because it’s sweetened and pre-seasoned.
• White chocolate chips add a deliciously sweet flavor and creamy texture. You can use any white chocolate you want for this white chocolate pumpkin recipe, chips, chunks, or chop a chocolate bar.
• Pumpkin pie spice is a must in fall baking recipes and adds a rich, warm aroma to the cookie base. I used my homemade pumpkin pie spice mix, but a premade spice blend is fine, too.
• All-purpose flour is all you need for soft, chewy pumpkin cookies. Use a spoon to fill your flour into the measuring cup. Scooping out the flour with the measuring cup will compress the flour, and you end up using too much flour, which makes the cookies dry.
• Sugar: A mix of white and brown sugar gives these cookies the best taste and texture. Granulated sugar makes the cookies spread, and brown sugar adds extra moisture because it has molasses. Light and dark brown sugar can be used interchangeably.
• Butter: Good-quality butter is so important in baked goods. I always use salted butter for cookies, but if you prefer unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt to the dry ingredients. Take the butter from the fridge 15 minutes before you start making the dough. We need it softened, but not super soft.
• Egg yolk: 1 egg yolk is all you need for this pumpkin cookie recipe. It provides structure and extra chewiness. Save the egg white for meringue kiss.
• Baking soda gives these cookies a subtle rise and airiness.

How to make pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies

Pumpkin white chocolate cookies are the perfect remedy for chilly autumn days. Here are the simple steps for how to make them:

Step1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180° C / gas mark 4 and line a cookie sheet with parchment (baking) paper. Set aside.

Step 2: Blot the pumpkin puree

Fill the pumpkin puree into a shallow bowl and press a paper towel on the surface. Repeat a couple of times, and the paper towel will absorb any excess moisture.

Step 3: Cream the butter and sugars

Add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light, fluffy and pale in color, for 2 to 3 minutes. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Step 4: Add wet ingredients

Add the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix on medium speed until well combined, and you no longer see bits of pumpkin puree. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary.

Step 5: Fold in dry ingredients

Add the flour and baking soda to the pumpkin mixture. Using a cooking spoon or rubber spatula, fold together until the cookie dough looks smooth and the flour mixture is completely incorporated. I like to switch gears and do this step by hand, so I don’t overmix. Using an electric mixer can make the cookies tough.

Step 6: Add chocolate chips

Add the white chocolate chips and incorporate them evenly throughout the dough.

Step 7: Shape the cookies

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls, dropping them 2 in / 5 cm apart on the lined baking sheet. The cookies will spread during baking.

Step 8: Bake

Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are set, and the centers have risen but are still gooey. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool, so you want them slightly underbaked when taking them out. Optionally, press a few extra chocolate chips into the warm cookie tops, being careful not to burn yourself.

Step 9: Cool and serve

Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips for the best white chocolate pumpkin cookies

To help you get the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies every time, here’s a few helpful tips:

• Blot the pumpkin to remove moisture. My secret for the chewiest pumpkin cookies is to blot out some of the moisture. Pumpkin is mainly made up of water, which we don’t want in our pumpkin spice white chocolate chip cookies. Don’t skip this step!
• Don’t flatten the dough balls. The cookies will come out thicker if you leave the dough balls as is.
• Chill the dough though for 30 minutes to let the ingredients mingle and get extra thick cookies. I’m usually too impatient and bake without chilling and still absolutely love these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They will just spread more and be a tad thinner.
• Bake the cookies until almost done. It’s okay if the center looks undercooked. The cookies keep baking as you let them cool on the cookie sheet.
• Add extra chocolate chips after baking. For that bakery-style look, carefully press a few extra chocolate chips into the cookies immediately after taking them out of the oven.

Variations

Think of these white chocolate pumpkin cookies as a base recipe. You can easily customize the cookie recipe to your liking. Try these mix-ins:

• Dried cranberries: For cranberry pumpkin white chocolate cookies, stir 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins) into the cookie dough. The pumpkin flavor pairs surprisingly well with cranberries and white chocolate.
• Pecans: For a little extra crunch, add 3/4 cup chopped pecans or other nuts to the cookie dough. We love a good cookie with pecan, as you in see in Irena’s Danish wedding cookies.
• Oats: If you like a triple combination of pumpkin, white chocolate, and oatmeal, fold 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal into the cookie dough (right when you’re adding the flour).

White chocolate pumpkin cookies FAQ

How many cookies does the recipe make?

The recipe yields 40 white chocolate chip pumpkin cookies. I used the medium cookie scoop from this set, which equals 2 tablespoons.

Can I swap in another chocolate?

Of course! If white chocolate is throwing you off, substitute it with the same amount of dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips.

Substitute for pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is a tasty blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and other warming spices you would find in pumpkin pie. Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Not a problem. You can either make your own following this simple recipe or replace it with the same amount of cinnamon plus a pinch of nutmeg.

And in case you’re not a fan of pumpkin spice, omit it from the recipe and add 1 tsp vanilla extract instead.

Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?

For dairy-free pumpkin cookies, swap the butter with the same amount coconut oil. The texture will be different, but the recipe works regardless. Be sure to opt for deodorized coconut oil, or your cookies will have a coconut taste.

Storage instructions

How to store pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies?

Store your pumpkin and white chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. For that gooey, fresh from the oven feel, pop a cookie in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying.

Can you freeze white chocolate pumpkin cookies?

Yes, you can freeze these white chocolate chip pumpkin cookies and have warm cookies whenever you need a quick treat or visitors drop by unexpectedly. There are 2 ways you can go about it:

• Baked cookies: Let the cookies cool completely. Then put them into a freezer-safe ziplock bag and freeze. I recommend placing sheets of wax paper between the layers so the cookies don’t stick together.
• Unbaked cookie dough: Scoop the cookie dough as described above and arrange the cookie balls on a lined baking sheet. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the balls into a large freezer-safe bag.

How to bake frozen cookie dough

You don’t have to thaw the cookie dough balls when you’re ready to bake. Instead, simply bake them on a lined cookie sheet and add 2 to 3 extra minutes to the regular baking time. How simple is that?

How long do pumpkin spice white chocolate cookies last?

The chocolate chip cookie recipe will last at room temperature for a week. Frozen baked cookies can be kept for 3 months, and frozen cookie dough is good for about 2 months. Fresh cookie dough can be chilled for up to 4 days.

Tools for white chocolate pumpkin cookies

The following tools are helpful to make pumpkin cookie recipe:

• Mixing bowl: I use these glass mixing bowls all the time, and they hold up very well.
• Cookie scoop: A cookie scoop ensures you get perfectly sized cookies every time.
• Baking sheet: Light cookie sheets are best for drop cookies because the cookies won’t burn as easily as on dark nonstick pans.
• Parchment paper (baking paper) ensures that cookies aren’t sticking.
• Cooling rack: I love how sturdy this cookie rack is.

More chocolate chip cookie recipes

If you are a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, you will love our other recipes:

• chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar
• matcha chocolate chip cookies
• lemon white chocolate cookies
• peppermint chocolate chip cookies