These Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are super moist, chewy and festive for fall! Made with coconut oil instead of butter, they’re packed with sweet pumpkin flavor and rich dark chocolate chips.
I’ve made a discovery – taking a bite of a warm chocolate chip cookie full of spiced pumpkin flavor and melty chocolate chips is an instant stress-reliever. These heavenly treats come together in under 20 minutes! So if you need a quick pick-me-up that won’t leave you feeling guilty, these healthy pumpkin cookies are here to help you out.
Not only do they use less sugar than a normal cookie, but they’re also made with no butter, milk or eggs. And guess what? They still taste every bit as decadent as a chocolate chip cookie should. They’re super moist and chewy, and you can make them softer or crispier according to your preference.
What You’ll Need
Let’s go over each ingredient that goes into this pumpkin cookie dough. Since it’s made without eggs, feel free to give it a taste before handing things over to the oven.
- Refined Coconut Oil: You won’t taste any coconut flavor in the cookies.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark – your call!
- Sugar: While the brown sugar provides your cookies with moisture and chewiness, the white sugar ensures crispy edges.
- Pumpkin Puree: Canned or homemade. If you’re using homemade puree, make sure you drain it thoroughly.
- Vanilla Extract: To enhance the other flavors.
- White Whole Wheat Flour: Or a gluten-free alternative.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: To supplement the pumpkin puree.
- Salt: This will make your cookies even chewier.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: You’ll need 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder and half a teaspoon of baking soda.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Or chopped chocolate.
Making these cookies on a whim couldn’t be easier. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare the dough!
- Heat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking sheet.
- Combine Sugar, Coconut Oil & Vanilla: Place the coconut oil, sugar and vanilla extract into the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend until smooth.
- Add Pumpkin: Add in the pumpkin puree end blend until incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Add in the chocolate chips and blend until there are no more chocolate chip clumps.
- Form Cookies: Scoop balls of dough onto the baking sheet using a small cookie scoop.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or until they reach your desired crispiness.
- Let Cool: Let the cookies rest on the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time?
You sure can. This dough can be made a day or two in advance and kept in an airtight storage bag in the fridge. Alternatively, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I recommend rolling the dough into a log so you can cut and bake it with ease. Otherwise, you’ll have to let it soften at room temperature before forming your cookies.
This dough can also be stored in the freezer if you’d like to make it further in advance. Warp it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in an airtight freezer bag and store it for up to 2 months. Thaw it out in the fridge before using.
Tips for Success
Make sure you get your cookies right by following these easy recipe tips. Truthfully, there’s not much to mention!
- Pumpkin Puree ≠ Pumpkin Pie Filling: It’s important not to confuse pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added ingredients, and it should not be used for these cookies.
- Drain Homemade Puree Well: If you’re using homemade pumpkin puree for your cookies, take extra care to drain all of the excess moisture out of it. Otherwise, your batter will be too liquidy and the cookies will spread.
- Avoid Over-Baking: Even if you want your cookies to be crispy, I don’t recommend cooking them for much longer than 12 minutes. If you over-bake them, they won’t come out as moist.
Add-In Ideas
There are countless add-ins that can make these healthy pumpkin cookies even more irresistible. Try out one or two of my top ideas!
- Chopped Pecans
- Peanut Butter Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Shredded Coconut
- Chopped Walnuts
- M&Ms
- Raisins
You have a couple different options when it comes to storing these cookies. At room temperature, they’ll last for up to 3 days. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week.
However you store them, they should be kept in an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag with all the air squeezed out. Do not store them until they’ve cooled completely.
Can I Freeze These?
Yes, you can. First, freeze the cooled cookies on a baking sheet for about 1 hour. Once they’re frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight freezer bag and store them for up to 6 weeks. Thaw out frozen cookies in the fridge before enjoying them.
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PinDescription
These Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are super moist, chewy and festive for fall! Made with coconut oil instead of butter, they’re packed with sweet pumpkin flavor and rich dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup of white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 10 oz. dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer, put coconut oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- Add pumpkin puree. Blend until incorporated.
- Add in white whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend until incorporated.
- Add in the chocolate chips and blend until there are no more chocolate chip clumps.
- Scoop on baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.
Notes
- To Store: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week
- To Reheat: Warm up single servings in the microwave if desired
- To Freeze: Flash-freeze the cookies on a baking sheet until frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 6 weeks. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: healthy pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spice cookies, healthy chocolate chip cookies
More Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies to Try
Chocolate chip cookies are one of those classic desserts that could never get old. The recipes below make them yummier than ever!
30 Min
Paleo
Gluten Free
Low Carb
Vegetarian
Vegan
Whole30
Wow. These are great! Had some leftover pumpkin that I needed to do something with and thought I’d try these. Glad I did & thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Krista, these look absolutely FAB! Conveniently I always have some pumpkin sitting around at ALL times of the year. Do you happen to know the serving size and calories? Thanks! Oh p.s Cason has got to the cutest thing I have ever seen! He must have one heck of a personality… those fases are a piece of work. What a cutie pie!
He is a gem Alison and his personality is amazing, so blessed to have him!
I just updated the recipe to show the calorie count and such.
Hi! I am excited to make these but wondering if you melt the coconut oil or use it solid?
Hey Hagar, I usually melt it and then measure. 🙂
I made these today and I was a little worries bc I’ve never cooked with coconut oil but it was amazing! It tasted great! I didn’t have pumpkin spice but I added in some cinnamon and nutmeg instead and it was great. The cookies stuck together great and were moist. Thanks so much!
OH yeah, coconut oil is one of my favorites to bake with. SO glad you liked these cookies girl!
I made these tonight and they are so good! I am used to healthier recipes having that “healthy” tast, but these are just delicious. Have you tried freezing them? Or how do you typically store them so they don’t get yucky?
I know right! So delicious and super moist.
I haven’t tried freezing them yet but I’m sure they would be fine, just like regular cookie dough. I would pre-portion them though so its easier to pull out and just pop in the oven.
I store them in an air tight container, I had them for about a week and a half and they were still just as moist when I had them on the first day. 🙂
These are really yummy! My daughter and I live 1,000 miles apart so we did a cookie swap and I sent her some of these.
Question: mine seem a little greesy. And crumbly. But still delicious!… Now just going for the “perfect cookie look”. Any suggestions?
★★★★★
Hey Suzanne, the “greasy” is probably from the coconut oil. You could decrease that a bit and increase the pumpkin puree or even add yogurt or apple sauce for more of binding. Mine were a little crumbly when they were in dough form but as soon as I cooked them they hardened up. Hope that helps.
PS love that you are sending cookies to your sweet daughter! So sweet… now.. I just need to get my mom to do that! 🙂 hehe
These are delish… But why don’t mine look like yours?!? LOL
My dough is brown– chocolate cookie lookin… Hmmmmmm
haha….. you could add more pumpkin to give it more of the orangish color if thats what your looking for. It will just make them extra moist.. which is always a good thing. 🙂
These look amazing, Krista! I need to make some of these instead of all of the pudding pie recipes I’ve been making lately. Haha, they are not being friendly to the waste-line. 😉 Pinned!
haha… oh.. the good old waistline. Never friendly when you are a food blogger. But I’ve seen you AND your waistline and pretty sure you are the cutest thing ever! 🙂 Thanks for the pin girl!
Such a cute little boy and one smart way to change a behavior 😀 These cookies looks delicious! Love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate chips.
Thanks Cindy! 🙂
you are so not kidding. Parenting is the hardest job in the world. I am so with you! Love these cookies, and don’t mind if I do stuff my face with them. Ha ha.
Right!? My prayer every day is… give me patience and wisdom!
In the mean time though, we all need to take a cookie break. haha 🙂
Ohhh Krista, be careful when praying for patience! Trials and tribulations build patience! Just sayin’ !
haha.. I know I have heard that. 🙂
These pumpkin cookies look fantastic Krista! Love that you they’re jam packed with pumpkin and you made them skinny with coconut oil and whole wheat flour. Aaw Cason is so so adorable, love his silly faces 🙂 Making scrumptious cookies are a great idea to help with the tantrums, I need to try that next time hehe 🙂
Well, the cookies are really more for me to chill out. He’ll be in timeout.. without the cookies!! haha. 🙂
What yummy little treats! I love that they are made with coconut oil as an alternative to butter!
“Dare to Discipline” ah yes, a James Dobner book right?? Yes, I remember reading that myself when my boys were younger. It is definitely a great read and very helpful. Hang in there Krista!! 😉
Yes, its a James Dobson book. Great start so far, need to get into the “meat” of it. 🙂 thanks for the “good luck” wishes Renee, your too sweet! 🙂
Sounds delish! In case this is helpful: Loving Our Kids on Purpose – Making a Heart to Heart Connection by (Pastor) Danny Silk really helped me with a challenging child….quick and easy to begin implementing and I saw positive results right away. 🙂 We were all much happier and enjoyed each other more. I wish I had been parented this way.
Great recommendation Kemily! Totally going to check that out! Hugs! 🙂
some of your recipes sound wonderful but still use a lot of fattening ingredients. I would loke to see calorie counts etc included since you state this is a healthy eats bolg. thanks, Fran
Thanks so much Fran, I try to include the calorie counts on some of them when I have time. 🙂
Clear my calendar…..I’ve got pumpkin cookies on my mind!!! Delicious Krista!!!
★★★★★
haha… I know right! 🙂 Well, I have your bread on my mind so we’re even! 🙂
Fall’s greatest flavor combo!
And what a cutie! Love those faces.
Enjoy the weekend girl!
Totally the best flavor combo! 🙂
Thanks Melanie!