Grab your pumpkin spice latte, light your sweater weather candle, and put on Taylor Swift’s Red album. It’s officially autumn, and we’re baking cookies. Specifically, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. These treats are cakey, autumn-esque, simply delicious and so easy to make, even I can do them (and I can’t even cook a grilled cheese).
To get started, here are the ingredients you will need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 ½ cup chocolate chips

You will also need cookie sheet and some way of mixing the ingredients. I use my dad’s ancient stand mixer, but a hand mixer or even a whisk will work. This recipe makes two dozen cookies, so, I use two sheets.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In my case, my ancient oven takes about a half hour to struggle up to the correct temperature, which is just about enough time to prepare the dough.
I like to say I am professionally clumsy and messy, so I throw on my overpriced apron and start mixing the dry ingredients. Remember that sugar does not count as a dry ingredient when baking. Ever! I’m sure there’s some scientific reason, but don’t ask me what it is.
So we throw in our flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt then mix them all together. Make sure to do this by hand so the powder doesn’t fly everywhere (I learned this the hard way). Set it aside.
In a larger bowl, start to mix together your sugar and oil. This is when you would pull out your stand mixer or hand mixer, if you have one. Once those ingredients are fully combined, you’ll add in your egg. Mix again. Now throw in that vanilla extract. Mix again.
Go ahead and throw in your pumpkin puree. It is very important that you do not use pumpkin pie filling, since this has added sugar and spices that will make the cookies too overwhelming. I like to get a large can, so I can give the leftover pumpkin to my dog, since plain pumpkin is good for their tummies.
Mix together your current wet mixture, and once it is completely combined, start to slowly mix in your dry mixture. Don’t throw it all in at once, because you will end up with a cloud of powder in your face.
Once the mixture is fully combined, it’s time to add the chocolate chips — measure with your heart or use 1 ½ cups. Fold the batter until the chocolate chips are completely incorporated.
I love to chill my batter before cooking it so I can scoop and shape the dough better. Give them about 20-30 minutes in the fridge if you like, then scoop 2 tablespoons of batter in three rows of four.
The cookies take about 13-15 minutes to bake, but make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. These delights are best served warm with a glass of whatever kind of milk tickles your fancy (team oat milk here!).