As a sophomore in college, my three roommates and I decided to bake sweet treats for all of our friends’ birthdays in our apartment complex. However, we never actually delivered them on time. We were usually just a few days late, but one guy received his almost two months after his special day!
We said it was because we lived in the “Delayed Reaction” apartment, where the TV took a minute to turn on, the internet needed a few extra seconds to start up, and the microwave always started a good twenty seconds after you pressed start. So we were just following suit! Everyone laughed when we arrived carrying plates of cookies on their doorsteps, and they never minded our “Delayed Reaction.” It meant that they could celebrate their birthday for at least a week!
We always tried to slyly ask people’s roommates what their favorite cookies were since those wouldn’t compete with the typical birthday cakes. With the first person’s birthday coming up, his roommate revealed that his favorite cookies were pumpkin chocolate chip, and I thought that was the strangest combination ever.
Pumpkin? A vegetable? With… Chocolate??
But I baked them anyway, and we split two extra cookies between the four of us girls to sample. Oh my goodness! The sweet pumpkin… The warm cinnamon… The rich chocolate… I nearly swore on the spot to always include pumpkin in the chocolate chip cookies from then on!
Yet the problem with pumpkin cookies is that they often turn out cakey, not quite as soft and chewy as regular chocolate chip cookies. So this past month, I set out to create the Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. After six different batches, I finally did it!
The dry ingredients are fairly straight forward (well, minus the cornstarch twist. It helps keep the cookies chewy—read about it here or just trust me on that!). On the other hand, the wet ingredients required some testing and tweaking, especially the pumpkin purée.
Pumpkin purée contains a lot of moisture, which dries out baked goods and leaves them cakey. However, it can also act as a binding agent to hold the cookie dough together. Eggs do the same thing: add lots of moisture and bind cookies together. To balance that out, I omitted the egg and used all pumpkin purée instead. This kept the cookies soft and maximized the pumpkin flavor.
To make the cookies chewy, I used melted butter. Unlike regular softened butter, melted really helps increase the chewy factor. This means you can put away your mixer—no butter and sugar to cream!
For slightly healthier cookies, I turned to pure maple syrup, an unrefined sweetener, instead of granulated sugar. Be sure you buy the good stuff when it comes to maple syrup! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs. (I’ve also bought it online!)
Because maple syrup is a liquid, it makes the cookie dough really moist and tacky, so you must chill the dough before baking. Chilling is mandatory. Only 30 minutes—just enough time to wash the dishes and wipe up any spilled flour.
Now that your cookie dough is chilling, you’re probably wondering… Why did I use miniature chocolate chips? I prefer lots of littler bursts of chocolate over just one or two bites containing big chocolate chips. Their smaller size also helps ensure that the cookie dough binds together better and doesn’t break apart in your hands while eating. That’s always a plus, especially if you’re dunking them in milk!
Because the cookie dough will still be somewhat tacky after chilling, do not try to shape it with your hands. Use a cookie scoop or a spatula to shape it into rounded mounds. If you prefer extra thick cookies, make sure they’re as tall as they are wide. If you prefer wider and thinner cookies, flatten them just a bit before popping them in the oven.
To ensure the cookies stay soft and chewy, we’ll underbake them just a tiny bit; then leave them on the warm baking sheet for at least 10 minutes to allow the centers to set and finish baking. This gives them the most irresistible texture—if you can wait long enough for them to cool!
So there you have it! The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, in all of their cozy fall glory. Packed full of pumpkin and lots of decadent chocolate, they taste like pure comfort food—not healthy at all!
I sent a batch with my guy when he visited his friend, and he said that in the 30 seconds it took him to run out to his car and walk back inside his friend’s house, four of the cookies had already disappeared from the bag. Four whole cookies!
That’s the best compliment a baker could ask for. ♥
| The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (168g) agave or pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir in the agave. Add the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. (If chilling longer than 1 hour, cover the top of the bowl with foil.)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough into 12 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly, and press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of the cookie dough. Bake at 325°F for 15-17 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
For the gluten-free flour, use the following: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.
For the best pumpkin flavor, use agave instead of pure maple syrup. Honey may be substituted for either the agave or pure maple syrup. Coconut sugar or granulated sugar may be substituted as well. However, when made with either coconut or granulated sugar, the cookie dough does not spread at all while baking, so you will need to flatten the rounded scoops of cookie dough on the baking sheets before placing in the oven. They’re generally done baking in about 13-15 minutes instead.
Do NOT overbake these cookies! They’ll turn out cakey instead of chewy if baked for too long.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Anything I could sub for corn starch? Perhaps arrowroot starch/powder? Can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Thanks for explaining the science/details behind your recipe.
It’s my pleasure Rachel! Arrowroot starch isn’t quite as strong as cornstarch, but I think it should still work okay. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies! 🙂
I was wondering what size cookie scooper you used for this recipe. Also, if I decide to a baby cookie scooper, what will be the new estimated bake time?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Katie! If you watch my video directly above the recipe, you’ll see how I transfer the cookie dough to the baking sheet (hint: I don’t actually use a cookie scoop!). 😉 If you make smaller cookies, then you’ll probably bake them for less time, but I don’t know how much less. They’ll be done when the centers still look and feel a little underdone though! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these cookies!
How do we make the pumpkin puree for the cookies ?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Harshi! I actually buy canned pumpkin purée to make all of my pumpkin recipes. It’s much easier and less time-consuming for me than making my own pumpkin purée! 😉 If you click on the pink “pumpkin purée” text in the ingredients list, that’s a link that shows what the canned pumpkin that I use looks like! (The link wasn’t working earlier, if you tried previously, but it is now!) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
Can I use oat flour in place of the substitutions?
Yes, oat flour should work! Just be careful with measuring it since it tends to be a bit more absorbent. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Caroline!
If I use coconut sugar instead of agave, do I also add in with the wet ingredients just like how I would with the agave? Will it make the mixture too dry?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Ringu! Yes, add the coconut sugar exactly where you would add the agave. The mixture shouldn’t be too dry, but your cookies won’t spread at all. If you’re really concerned about the mixture being too dry, then add 3-4 tablespoons of milk (any kind will work!), and the cookies should spread just a little. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
I used AP GF flour and coconut oil. These came out delicious! Love the small batch size. Will make again…probably soon 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Amber! That means the world to me that you’d consider making them again. That’s the best kind of compliment! 😉
I got my new special cookie recipe. I wrote it. I’ll decide to help my mother to make a special pumpkin chocolate chip cookies next month.
I’d love to hear what you and your mother think of these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies if you try making them Jennifer! 🙂
Hi! Would Almond flour work ok in this recipe?
Hi! Would Almond flour be an ok substitute in this recipe?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Christina! The texture will be a bit different with almond flour, but the taste should remain the same. You might need to add a bit extra almond flour as well because it’s not as absorbent as wheat flour or the gluten-free alternatives I provided in the Notes section. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
I made these today, they were easy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe
It’s my pleasure Anna! I’m so glad you loved these cookies — thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂