Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a light-colored aluminum half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 30 seconds until fully combined and uniform.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking each fully into the mixture before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until the batter is fully uniform — about 20 strokes.
- Switch to a silicone spatula. Add the flour, baking soda, fine sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves directly to the bowl. Fold with slow strokes from the bottom of the bowl upward — stop the moment no dry flour streaks remain, approximately 15 to 20 strokes. Do not overmix.
- Fold in ¾ cup (128g) of the dark chocolate chunks using 5 to 6 strokes — reserve the remaining ¼ cup (42g) for pressing onto the tops of the dough balls before baking.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the dough surface and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the chilled dough onto the parchment-lined pan spacing each ball at least 2 inches (5cm) apart. This batch yields 16 cookies. Press 3 to 4 reserved chocolate chunks onto the top of each dough ball.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11 to 13 minutes. Pull the pan when the outer edges of the cookie base look just set and defined — the tops will still look domed and matte and the centers will look underdone. This is correct.
- Leave the cookies on the hot pan for exactly 5 minutes — do not move them. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.
Notes
Pure pumpkin only — pumpkin pie filling has added sugar, spices, and thickeners that will throw off every ratio in this recipe.
Do not skip chilling — unchilled dough spreads flat and loses the domed profile.
Pull by the edge, not the top — pumpkin cookies never develop a golden surface cue. The set outer edge is the correct doneness signal.
Dark pan warning — reduce oven to 325°F (165°C) and check at 9 minutes if using a dark non-stick pan.
Spoon and level the flour — scooping directly from the bag adds up to 30% more flour and produces dry, dense cookies.
Baking soda freshness test — add ½ tsp to hot water with a few drops of vinegar. Active soda bubbles vigorously.
Spice freshness — smell each spice before using. Faint or dusty aroma means flavor will be flat. Replace ground spices older than 6 months.
Scaling — this recipe doubles cleanly. Do not scale the baking soda beyond 1.5x without testing — leavening does not scale linearly.
Freezer (dough) — freeze portioned dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, add 2–3 minutes to bake time.
Freezer (baked) — individually wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature 45–60 minutes.
Allergens — contains gluten, eggs, dairy, soy (check chocolate). Not suitable for nut-free facilities depending on chocolate brand.
High altitude (above 3,500 ft) — reduce baking soda to ¾ tsp, add 2 tbsp flour, increase oven to 375°F (190°C).