The Best Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, I know we've all made a batch of these cookies at one time or another (and if you haven't yet, that needs to change asap, because these cookies are straight up Fall in countless ways), but have we really found that perfect recipe yet? I'm here to tell you, my friends, that these are straight up the best soft pumpkin cookies I've ever had. Why? Here's why:

Harmons. Yep, that blessed neighborhood grocery store. You go into the heavenly bakery section, and as early as mid-August, there are those heavenly pillows of pumpkin heaven sitting right there on the table. The softest, most heavenly, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies you've ever laid eyes on - and taste buds on! They are the standard, in my book, and if I could somehow make cookies in my own kitchen that can taste even half as good as them, I'd be set for life. And then recipes like this are found, and you actually do make cookies that taste EXACTLY like those heavenly pillows of pumpkin heaven from their bakery. The biggest WIN of the pumpkin season, I say! Let's get some of these into your oven asap, shall we?

A major plus to this recipe is that it makes a bazillion pumpkin cookies. So get yo' friends', yo' husbands, yo' wives, yo' kids, and yo' dogs and gather them 'round to enjoy every sweet soft morsel of the fleet of cookies you're about to make. 60 cookies easily come out of a single batch, so if you're thinking about doubling the recipe, I want your autograph, because you're my cookie hero. 

First, you combine the dry ingredients, and whip together the wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Toss them together ever-so-slowly (overmixing is not your friend with these, I promise), and they will come together beautifully. 

What I love to use for cookies is either my cookie scoop, or even my ice cream scoop with trigger release. You get an equal amount of dough per drop, you don't have to get your hands messy for every baking-sheet-worth you put into the oven, and your cookies end up perfectly round and the same size! So if you have one of those, use it like crazy for these. The dough is super soft and wet (as it should be with these classic cookies!), so rolling them into balls isn't really an option. Find a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop with a trigger release, and you should be all set. 

Another win for these cookies, is that they get better with time for a couple days. Day one they are incredible, day 2 they are perfect (the softest and tastiest day, in my opinion), and day three they are still the bomb. No need to store these babies with a slice of white bread to keep them soft, they stay soft indefinitely. 

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we did! We had quite a few to go around, and each and every one of them was happily consumed within only a week. Happy baking! 

The BEST Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 60 cookies

ingredients:

4 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

6 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups granulated sugar

2 15oz cans pure pumpkin

1 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, pumpkin, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat for another minute. 

4. With the mixer on the lowest speed possible, mix in the dry ingredients to the wet (with the exception of the flour) until just combined (don't overmix). 

5. Slowly mix in the flour cup by cup until all 5 cups have been incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

6. Using a large ice cream scoop or 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from: Foodie Crush