Featured Recipe

Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies

Name: Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 24 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3/4 cup pumpkin puree; 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled; 1/3 cup pure maple syrup; 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips

By Kate

Created on 25 January 2026

Pumpkin puree swaps some flour, adds moisture. Brown sugar traded for maple syrup for richer notes. Vegetable oil replaced with melted butter for depth and texture. Dry mix: flour with baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger. Wet: egg, vanilla, pumpkin, melted butter, maple syrup. Fold in dark chocolate chunks for texture contrast. Batter rests 25 minutes to hydrate, flavor meld. Cookies flattened by finger tips, topped with extra chunks for visual and taste pop. Baked at 355°F for 12 minutes. Watch edges firming, centers slightly soft—cooling sets structure. Watch dough too wet? Add small flour splashes. No maple syrup? Use honey or brown sugar. Pumpkin can be swapped with mashed sweet potato.

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 40 min

Serves: 24 servings

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Introduction

Start thinking fall flavors. Moist, not cakey, pumpkin dough balanced with dark chocolate. Forget rigid clock watching; watch for tactile signs. Dough sticky but forms balls. Batter resting mandatory. Spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger—bring warmth without overpowering. Maple syrup instead sugar, subtle earthy sweetness, butter over oil for richness and slight crisp edges. Cookie tops crowned with extra chocolate chunks, melting into glossy pockets you’ll spot while baking. Oven heat tricks: 355°F hits golden edges without burning sugars. No waiting for dough firming in fridge, but let batter rest—hydration, flavor marrying quietly. Cookies firm as cooling begins, resilient, chewy inside with thin crust. Classic fall cookie, straightforward but with layers.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips

About the ingredients

Flour choice matters. All-purpose holds the right gluten for chew and soft crumb. Cake flour will bake overly soft cookies. Spices? Fresh ground or quality pre-ground—small quantity but essential for warmth. Pumpkin puree should be thick; watery types dilute dough. Substitute pumpkin with sweet potato puree for similar moisture with slightly nuttier, less sweet taste. Butter instead of oil: oil gives softer, cake-like crumb but butter adds flavor, encourages browning, slight crispness on edges. Maple syrup substitutions include honey (different flavor, similar moisture) or packed brown sugar (more dense texture). Chocolate: dark or semi-sweet chunks preferred for melty pockets and less sweetness contrast to pumpkin spice. Store-bought chips might contain stabilizers, chunks have better melt. Dough stakes: too wet? Add 1 tablespoon flour incrementally.

Method

Dry Mix

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger in a medium bowl. Ensure no lumps.

Wet Mix

In large bowl, beat egg lightly with vanilla, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and cooled melted butter till homogenous. Avoid overmixing.

Combine

Slowly stream dry ingredients into wet bowl. Fold gently to combine without overworking gluten. Dough sticky but manageable.

Chocolate

Fold in chocolate chunks evenly. Reserve handful for topping.

Rest

Chill or rest batter 25 minutes at room temp or fridge—hydrates flour and spices bloom.

Oven Prep

Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease or line baking sheets with parchment.

Shaping

Use two tablespoon-sized scoops. Drop onto sheet spaced comfortably apart. Lightly wet fingertips, gently pat tops to flatten slightly. Press 3-4 reserved chocolate chunks on top for visual appeal and extra melty spots.

Baking

Bake 12 minutes. Look for edges turning golden and set, centers still soft but not wet. Centers firm up on cooling. Oven times vary; rely on visuals.

Cooling

Let cookies rest on sheet 5 minutes post-bake to set. Then transfer to wire rack to cool fully.

Technique Tips

Folding dry into wet avoids overworked gluten, prevents tough cookies. Diligence in mixing means better texture. Resting time critical—flour hydrates, spices infuse, gluten relaxes. Skipping rest or chilling too long hardens dough, less spread. Portion dough balls uniform size for even baking. Wet fingertips patting prevents sticking; don’t press too hard or cookies flatten too much. Scattering extra chocolate chunks tops cookies — visual and flavor boost. Bake hot enough for crisp edges but watch that centers remain slightly soft under finger press. Baking time religious but watch: if edges golden brown, tops cracking gently, pull out. Let sit on sheet 5min after oven, cookies fragile straight from oven, set cooling time. Use wire rack to avoid steam sogginess. In oven, listen for quiet popping, smell nutty batter aroma transforming into warm spice, chocolate melting. Aroma cues tell half the story.

Chef's Notes

💡 Use fresh spices; pre-ground can lose potency. Better flavor. Cinnamon warm, nutmeg earthy. Grate nutmeg fresh if you can. Changes flavor profile.
💡 Let dough rest. Hydration important. Stickiness means dough's ready. Don't rush. Cold and warm spots in batter lead to uneven cookies. Resting fixes that.
💡 Pushing against dough? Not too hard. Just enough to flatten. Want even sized cookies? Use consistent scoops. Bake uniformly. Avoid hot spots; rotate halfway.
💡 Got a watery pumpkin puree? Drain it. Prevent soggy cookies. Too dry? Add small flour amounts a tablespoon at a time. Just until manageable.
💡 Baking sheets dark? Adjust oven temp lower. Watch edges. Crisped but centers soft. We've talked chocolate. Dark too sweet, yet melts nicely. Keep balance.