Soft Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies with Spice Cake Mix

Here is my favorite chocolate chip pumpkin cookie recipe, with soft spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, and plenty of chocolate chips for the perfect fall treat.

These cookies are what my kids ask for every October when the weather starts getting cooler. I love making a big batch because they freeze well, and honestly, there’s nothing wrong with having pumpkin cookies for an afternoon snack with coffee.

What Kind of Pumpkin Puree Should I Use?

For these cookies, you’ll want to grab a can of plain pumpkin puree from the baking aisle, not pumpkin pie filling. The difference is important – pumpkin puree is just cooked and mashed pumpkin with no added spices or sweeteners, while pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in. Most grocery stores carry brands like Libby’s or store brands, and they all work great for baking. If you happen to have fresh pumpkin on hand, you can absolutely roast and puree your own, but the canned stuff is convenient and gives consistent results every time.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Spice cake mix: If you can’t find spice cake mix, yellow cake mix works great too. Just add an extra ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to get that warm spice flavor back.
• Pumpkin puree: Make sure you’re using plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you only have pie filling, reduce the pumpkin pie spice to ½ teaspoon since the filling already has spices added.
• Egg: For an egg substitute, try 3 tablespoons of applesauce or ¼ cup of mashed banana. The cookies might be slightly more tender but still delicious.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Feel free to swap these with white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or even chopped walnuts. You could also use mini chocolate chips if that’s what you have on hand.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Mix together ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch each of ginger and cloves to make your own blend.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making these cookies is using pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree, which will make your cookies too sweet and throw off the texture completely.

Another common error is overmixing the dough once you add the chocolate chips – just fold them in gently to avoid tough, dense cookies that lack that soft, cake-like texture you’re after.

Don’t skip chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking, as this helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too thin on the baking sheet.

Finally, resist the urge to overbake these cookies since they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven – they should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out.

What to Serve With Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies?

These soft, spiced cookies are perfect on their own, but they’re even better with a tall glass of cold milk or a warm cup of coffee. I love serving them as an after-dinner treat alongside some vanilla ice cream – the cool, creamy texture is a nice contrast to the warm fall spices. They also make a great addition to any autumn dessert spread, paired with apple cider or hot chocolate. For a fun twist, try crumbling them over plain Greek yogurt for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Storage Instructions

Store: These soft pumpkin cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to put a piece of bread in the container with them – it helps keep the cookies nice and chewy! They’re actually even better the next day when all those spices have had time to meld together.

Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just make sure they’re completely cooled first and layer them with parchment paper so they don’t stick together. I also love freezing balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet, then transferring them to a bag once frozen – fresh cookies anytime!

Serve: Frozen cookies thaw quickly at room temperature in about 30 minutes, or you can pop them in the microwave for just 10-15 seconds to warm them up. If you froze the dough, just add an extra minute or two to the baking time – no need to thaw first.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	12-15 minutes
Total Time	22-30 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2900-3100
• Protein: 28-34 g
• Fat: 90-105 g
• Carbohydrates: 480-500 g

Ingredients

• 1 large egg (room temperature for better mixing)
• 1 box spice cake mix (Duncan Hines or your favorite brand)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (freshly measured for best flavor)
• 1 can pure pumpkin (15 oz, not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended for classic cookie texture)

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace and Preheat

Heat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

This gives your oven time to reach the proper temperature while you prepare the dough, ensuring even baking.

Have all your ingredients measured and ready before you start mixing—this is especially important since we’re working with a simple dough that comes together quickly.

Step 2: Combine Wet and Dry Base Ingredients

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 can pure pumpkin
• 1 large egg

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, and room temperature egg.

Mix these together until you have a smooth, consistent batter with no lumps of dry cake mix remaining.

The room temperature egg incorporates more smoothly into the batter, giving you a better texture.

I find that using a sturdy wooden spoon works great here—you want to blend these ingredients thoroughly but not overwork the dough.

Step 3: Layer in Spices and Chocolate Chips

• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Add the pumpkin pie spice to the batter and stir until evenly distributed—this prevents any pockets of concentrated spice flavor.

Gently fold in the chocolate chips last, being careful not to crush them.

I like to fold the chips in slowly so they stay whole and create those nice pockets of chocolate throughout each cookie rather than breaking them into smaller pieces during mixing.

Step 4: Portion and Arrange on Baking Sheet

• cookie dough from Step 3
• parchment-lined baking sheet from Step 1

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

This gives the cookies room to spread slightly as they bake without touching each other.

You should get approximately 18-24 cookies depending on your scoop size.

Step 5: Bake Until Set and Lightly Golden

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are set but still soft to the touch—they should look slightly underbaked in the center, which keeps them tender.

The edges will be lightly golden when they’re ready.

Don’t overbake these cookies; they’ll continue to set slightly as they cool, and that’s what keeps them wonderfully soft.

Step 6: Cool and Serve

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.

They’ll reach their ideal soft, cake-like texture once fully cooled.