(Not Cakey) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Angela Gallardo in Desserts, Holiday, Recipes

1 comment

I wasn’t sure a non-cakey pumpkin chocolate chip cookies was even possible.

I’d never had one before.  And the cake-as-cookie variations never did it for me.  I honestly think they are downright gross.  If I want cake, I’ll make some cake!

Granted, there isn’t nearly as much pumpkin in these as other recipes.  But it’s really all about the spices.

The combo of melted butter (rather than creamed) and granulated sugars was the secret to getting these to turn out like a “normal” chocolate chip cookie.  Chewy and soft on the inside with crisp edges and bottom.  In fact, I am so in love with the texture of these that I prefer it over the butter creaming method in my basic CCC recipe and will likely be modifying the recipe ASAP.

The pictures make them look almost like overcooked CCC’s but it’s the pumpkin and the muscovado that gives them that dark golden look naturally.

Edit: after multiple sets of feedback that this recipe could be sweeter, I’ve increased the sugars slightly!  If you are very sensitive to sugar, feel free to cut back to 1/4 cup for each.

Get a printable PDF of the recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: 24 medium cookies

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/3 c. coconut palm sugar

1/3 c. dark muscovado sugar or organic sucanat*

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp. butter, ghee, or coconut oil

2 tbsp. refined avocado oil (or other neutral oil)

1/4 c. pumpkin puree

1 3/4 c. blanched almond flour

3 tbsp. arrowroot starch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2+ c. dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment or a silpat mat.
2. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, coconut palm sugar, muscovado sugar, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed to incorporate.  Move the speed to high and mix until the sugars have fully dissolved and the egg has gotten very fluffy, about 1-2 minutes total.
3. While the egg is mixing: add the butter, avocado oil, and pumpkin puree to a small saucepan.  Heat over medium low heat until the butter is melted.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
4. Once the eggs have sufficiently whipped, turn the mixer to low speed and drizzle in the pumpkin mixture.  Move the speed to medium briefly to fully incorporate.
5. Whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot starch, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Add it to the stand mixer and mix until combined.  The dough will be soft, like a thick brownie batter.  Add the desired amount of dark chocolate chips (I like to keep mine on the low end as to not overwhelm the pumpkin).
6. Drop the dough onto the lined sheet pan, leaving a good amount of space around them for some spreading.  Bake for 11-12 minutes for chewy with a little crisp, or 14-15 minutes for an extra crisp cookie.
7. Leave for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.  Cool for 5-10 minutes on the rack for best results before enjoying (a cooling rack is essential for a crisp exterior).  Leftovers are great when gently reheated or enjoyed straight from the freezer.

*Note on sweeteners: dark muscovado or sucanat really help this cookie crisp up (and the molasses content also pairs really well with the pumpkin and spices).  You can sub out for more coconut palm sugar but add 2 tsp. molasses to the recipe (in with the eggs) and keep in mind that the cookies won’t get as crisp.  To offset this, you can leave the cookies on a cooling rack for much longer (minimum 2 hours) to dry them out and keep them crisp.