Name: Delish Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 57 min
Ingredients: 2.25 cup all-purpose flour; 0.5 tsp baking soda; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt; 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground ginger; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 0.5 cup unsalted butter (softened); 0.75 cup light brown sugar (packed); 0.5 cup granulated sugar; 0.75 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling; blot excess moisture); 1 large egg; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1.5 cup white chocolate chips; 0.5 cup chopped pecans (optional)

If fall had a cookie, it would be this one: soft, chewy pumpkin cookies laced with warm spice and puddles of melty white chocolate. They’re not cakey (promise), they hold their shape, and they make the house smell like you’ve been baking all afternoon even if you threw them together between meetings. These are Delish Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies that actually taste like pumpkin, not just cinnamon, and yes, they’re very snackable straight off the sheet pan.

My husband calls these “cozy buttons” and our kid calls them “the orange cookies with the sweet dots,” and either way, the batch never lasts a full day. We made them for a neighborhood movie night and I had to hide six in the freezer to make sure I’d have one with coffee the next morning. Pro tip: if you press a few extra white chocolate chips on top right after baking, everyone thinks you bought them from a fancy bakery. We do not correct them.

Why You’ll Love This Delish Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies

– Chewy, not cakey. You blot the pumpkin and use just a yolk—texture heaven.
– White chocolate + pumpkin spice = dessert sweater weather.
– No mixer needed. Bowl, whisk, done.
– They bake up with those crinkly edges that make you feel like a cookie pro.
– The dough chills fast, so you’ll be eating cookies in under an hour.

How to Make It

Let’s keep this easy. Brown half a cup of butter till it smells nutty (the scent is wild—like toffee). Let it cool so it doesn’t scramble anything. While it chills out, take 1/3 cup canned pumpkin and blot it in a paper towel nest—gets rid of extra water so your cookies don’t puff into muffin land.

In a big bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with 1/4 cup neutral oil, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar till glossy. Drop in 1 egg yolk (just the yolk!) and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in that blotted pumpkin. It might look a little split for a second—keep going.

In another bowl, whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and a little extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon if you’re a spice person. Fold dry into wet. When you’ve got a thick dough, toss in 1 cup white chocolate chips (and 1/2 cup chopped pecans if you’re feeling fancy). Chill the dough 30 minutes—this is the “chewy” insurance.

Scoop onto a lined sheet, bake at 350°F till the edges set and the centers look just a hair underdone—about 11 minutes for a 1.5-tablespoon scoop. The magic move: press a few extra chips on top as soon as they come out, then let them sit on the sheet for 10 before moving to a rack. They finish cooking on the pan and settle into chewy perfection.

Ingredient Notes

– Pumpkin puree: Blot it! Lay it on paper towels and dab until you’ve got 1/3 cup firm, not watery. Too wet = cakey cookies.
– Brown butter: Adds toffee notes that love pumpkin. Pull it off the heat when the milk solids are golden, not black.
– Egg yolk: Just the yolk keeps chew without cakiness. Whole egg will puff them more.
– Pumpkin pie spice + cinnamon: Spice is the vibe. If your spice blend is old, double it. Stale spice = blah cookie.
– White chocolate: Chips are easy; chopped bar melts into puddles. Either way, save a few for topping hot cookies.
– Flour (AP): Spoon and level. Overpacking flour is the #1 way to get dry, cakey cookies. Ask me how I know.
– Neutral oil: A little oil keeps them tender for days. You can swap for melted butter if you want, but they’ll firm up faster.
– Pecans (optional): Toast them. Ten minutes at 350°F. The nutty crunch is worth the extra pan.

Recipe Steps

1. Brown butter and cool: Melt 1/2 cup butter; cook until golden and nutty, then cool 10–15 minutes.
2. Blot pumpkin: Pat 1/3 cup pumpkin puree dry with paper towels until thick.
3. Mix wet: Whisk cooled brown butter, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar; add 1 egg yolk, 2 tsp vanilla, then the pumpkin.
4. Combine dry: Whisk 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon; fold into wet.
5. Add mix-ins and chill: Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips (and 1/2 cup pecans if using); chill dough 30–60 minutes.
6. Scoop and bake: Heat oven to 350°F; scoop 1.5 tbsp balls onto a lined sheet; bake 10–12 minutes; top with extra chips; cool on pan 10 minutes, then rack.

What to Serve It With

– Hot coffee or a maple latte, obviously.
– Cold milk for the cookie-dunkers.
– Vanilla or cinnamon ice cream—make little sandwich cookies.
– A mug of chai when you want to lean into the cozy.

Tips & Mistakes

– Blot the pumpkin. I keep saying it because it matters.
– Don’t skip chilling. Warm dough spreads like a pancake.
– Underbake slightly. They should look a touch soft in the center when you pull them.
– Measure flour right—spoon into the cup, level with a knife.
– Press extra chips on top after baking for that “bakery” look.
– If your cookies still spread, add 1–2 tablespoons flour to the remaining dough and chill longer.

Storage Tips

Room temp: Keep in an airtight container 3–4 days. They actually get chewier on day two and are dangerously good with morning coffee.
Fridge: Not necessary, but they’ll last up to a week—eat them cold if you like a firmer bite (no judgment).
Freeze baked cookies: Up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp or give them 5 minutes in a 300°F oven for fresh-baked vibes.
Freeze dough: Scoop, freeze solid, then bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 1–2 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 GF baking blend with xanthan gum. Chill a bit longer; they’ll still be great.
– Dairy-free: Vegan butter + dairy-free white chips. Skip browning (vegan butter doesn’t brown the same), just melt.
– Less sweet: Reduce granulated sugar to 2 tablespoons; cookies stay chewy, just slightly less glossy.
– Maple vibes: Swap 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar for maple syrup; add 1–2 tablespoons flour to balance moisture.
– No pumpkin pie spice: Use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, pinch of clove.
– Add-ins: Dried cranberries, chopped candied ginger, or dark chocolate chunks if you’re anti-white-chocolate (we can still be friends).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really have to blot the pumpkin?

Yep. It takes 60 seconds and keeps the cookies chewy instead of cakey. Lay it on paper towels, press, and measure after blotting.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

You can! Roast, mash, and then drain it really well (even overnight in a sieve). Fresh pumpkin runs wetter, so blot extra hard.

My cookies baked up puffy—what happened?

Too much flour or not enough blotting. Spoon-and-level your flour, and make sure you used only the yolk. Also, don’t overbake—pull them when the centers still look soft.

Can I chill the dough overnight?

Totally. Let it sit 15–20 minutes at room temp before scooping if it’s rock-hard. If it feels dry, fold in a teaspoon of milk to loosen it up a bit and you’re good to go.

How sweet is this? Can I tone it down a bit?

For sure. Cut the white sugar to 2 tablespoons or use all brown sugar. You can also swap a little sugar for maple syrup—just add a tablespoon of flour to balance moisture.

Delish Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies