These White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies have chewy centers and crisp edges. Paired with white chocolate and pecans, they ring in the fall season in a classy and luxurious way.
First published September 2013
When I made this Pumpkin Spiced Fudge I realized how great white chocolate and pumpkin go together. So I also wanted to combine them in this cookie recipe.
Additionally, I added a pecan nut on top of each pumpkin spice cookie because I like crunchy contrasting textures. I highly recommend doing this. The pecans get a nice toasty flavor while being baked on top of the cookie.
Pumpkin cookies can often be cakey but I wanted chewy cookies. To increase the chewiness of the cookies, I added 1 tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten to the all-purpose flour. This is the protein from the wheat grain and makes for denser baked goods.
Similarly, to achieve the same effect, bread flour can be substituted for the all-purpose flour as it contains higher levels of protein.
Due to the high water content of pumpkin puree, the dough will be quite sticky initially. For this reason, it HAS to be chilled before shaping into cookies. I recommend at least half an hour, but 1-2 hours are even better.
If the dough seems extremely sticky (due to varying water contents of pumpkin), you can stir in a little more flour and use parchment paper.
The cookies don't spread too much in the oven, so be sure to flatten the cookie dough balls as you shape them.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- butter melted
- brown sugar packed
- vanilla extract
- pumpkin puree
- all-purpose flour or bread flour
- vital wheat gluten optional
- sea salt
- baking soda
- baking powder
- pumpkin pie spice - store-bought or use my homemade mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice
- white chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped chocolate bar
- pecans optional
See recipe box for detailed measurements.
Instructions
1. Mix Wet Ingredients: Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until well combined.
2. Combine with Dry Ingredients: In another bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in white chocolate. Chill the sticky dough for at least 30 minutes.
3. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Form the dough into 16 cookies, flatten them, and place them on a lined baking sheet. Optionally, top each cookie with a pecan half. Bake for about 12 minutes.
4. Add Extra Chocolate: Place a few more white chocolate chips/chunks on each cookie as you pull them from the oven. Flatten the cookies if necessary.
5. Cool and Store: Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Tip
Any type of chocolate chip cookie looks better with additional chips on top of the cookies. I recommend adding additional white chocolate chips/chunks on top of the baked cookies only as you pull them from the oven. If you add them on top of the unbaked dough already, the white chocolate might brown/burn.
Random Questions
No, these pumpkin cookies are not gluten-free as the cookie dough recipe calls for either all-purpose flour or bread flour. Additionally, the optional vital wheat gluten also contains gluten.
Yes, pumpkin cookies tend to be soft. In this recipe, the combination of pumpkin puree and the added vital wheat gluten (or using bread flour) contributes to a chewy texture with crisp edges, resulting in the best pumpkin cookies that are delightful soft and have a chewy center.
While these cookies contain nutritious ingredients like pumpkin puree and pecans, they are still a treat and contain butter, sugar, and white chocolate chips. They can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet but are not specifically designed to be a health food.
Pumpkin cookies will stay fresh for about 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
Yes, pumpkin cookies can be frozen. To freeze, let the cookies cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To enjoy, thaw the cookies at room temperature.
Related
More fall recipes:
Recipe
Pumpkin Cookies with White Chocolate and Pecans
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten optional
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or chunks; add more to decorate the tops
- 16 pecan halves optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl stir together melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until well combined. In a large bowl whisk together all other dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in white chocolate. The dough will be sticky, so chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Form dough into 16 cookies, flatten (the cookies don't spread much in the oven) and place on a lined baking sheet. Top each cookie with an optional pecan half. Bake for about 12 minutes. I like my cookies slightly underbaked. Adjust baking time for 'doneness' preference.
- Place a few more white chocolate chips/chunks on each cookie as you pull them from the oven (flatten cookies if necessary).
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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Debi
Hi Regina!
These cookies look fabulous!
Any suggestions for adjusting for subtropical, humid weather?
I love pumpkin and spice. I would love to try these.
Saludos!
Debi
Regina | Leelalicious
Hi Debi, I don't think any adjustments for weather are needed with this cookie recipe.
Katie F
I made these tonight, they took a few extra minutes in my oven and could have used a few more but they are so yummy! I ended up loading the dough with white choclate chips and cooking them on my sil-pat and the white chocolate came out perfect. Husband and toddler approved!! I am so making these agian for thanksgiving.
Regina
I am so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed these cookies! And definitely adjust the baking time for your oven and personal preference. I seem to prefer slightly underbaked cookies, but I will make a note in the recipe for others. Thank you for pointing it out Katie 🙂
Jacquee
You make thee look so good, Regina...and they sound so yummy! Loving the warm feel of your photos. Very fitting for fall. 🙂
Regina
Thank you very much Jacquee 🙂 Fall definitely has arrived around here as well.
shobelyn
I will certainly make this since I got all the ingredients except the pumpkin. I am bookmarking it. Thanks.
Regina
It certainly is the season to stock up on pumpkin 🙂 Hope you make and enjoy these!