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Perfect Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Soft, cakey pumpkin cookies loaded with chocolate chips and topped with a tangy cream cheese icing. The secret to perfect texture is draining the pumpkin puree before mixing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree, drained
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups (270g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Drain the pumpkin first. Open your can of pumpkin puree and dump it into a bowl lined with a few layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes while you prep other ingredients. After resting, gather the towel around the pumpkin and gently squeeze out the excess liquid. You should end up with about ¾ cup of drained pumpkin. Set it aside.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven if baking both sheets at once.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy—about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with your spatula.
  4. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and the drained pumpkin puree. Mix on low speed until just combined.
  5. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
  6. Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed. Stop when the flour is just incorporated—overmixing will make the cookies tough.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips. Use your rubber spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  8. Scoop the cookies. Using a cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies should look puffed, set around the edges, and still slightly soft in the center.
  10. Cool completely. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before icing (about 20-30 minutes).
  11. Make the cream cheese icing. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with a whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk until combined. Add milk or cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
  12. Ice the cookies. Once cookies are completely cool, spread or drizzle the cream cheese icing over the tops.

Notes

Draining the pumpkin is crucial to avoid soggy cookies. Room temperature ingredients ensure even mixing. For best results, chill the scooped dough for 15-20 minutes before baking. Let cookies cool completely before icing to prevent melting.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cream cheese frosting, fall baking, pumpkin dessert, soft cookies

Find it online: https://evabakery.com/perfect-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies-with-cream-cheese-frosting/