Giant Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

This pumpkin chocolate chip cookie is baked into one giant skillet dessert for the quickest and easiest cookie craving fix. It's made with gooey chocolate, warm pumpkin spice, and is naturally eggless (but you would never be able to guess it!) It bakes up fudgy and chewy and NOT AT ALL cakey - and you don't even need to blot the pumpkin puree! It also all comes together in ONE bowl and is ready in around 40 minutes start to finish.

the keys to a chewy pumpkin cookie

Pumpkin puree (while delicious) can cause some consistency problems when making cookies. Pumpkin is high in moisture and this can cause cookies to lean towards the cakier side of things. While some pumpkin cookie recipes involve blotting the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture, we're skipping that and using a few simple tricks to make the cookie equally fudgy with less work!

1. Brown butter - Not only does this add INCREDIBLE flavor to these cookies, it also plays a very important role in the texture of the cookies. The process of browning butter does two things: toasts the milk solids (which is where the flavor comes from) and evaporates water (which reduces the overall moisture in the cookie dough). With some of the water in the butter gone, it offsets some of the water from the pumpkin puree.
2. No eggs - Eggs contain water, so I figured that leaving them out of the cookie dough would also help keep the cookie chewy - and it worked like a charm! Pumpkin puree is often used as an egg substitute in vegan baking, so we don't even need to do much else to the cookie dough to make up for its absence! All we need is a bit less flour and a bit more liquid to keep the consistency balanced.
3. Molasses - Using molasses adds more weight and fudginess to the cookies - thus keeping them denser, chewier and preventing cakiness! Make sure you're using light or dark unsulphured molasses and NOT blackstrap. Light / dark molasses has a milder, sweeter taste that makes them much better for baking. Grandma's brand is my personal favorite.
4. Chocolate chips - Finally, the chocolate chips you use can make all the difference in the texture of the cookie. Try to go for chocolate that doesn't keep its shape after it's baked. Some brands of chocolate chips are specially designed to hold their shape, so try to avoid those. If there's a brand of chocolate chips that you know melts well, feel free to use them. Usually the safest bet is to use a chopped up chocolate bar or baking disks because they will melt into extra gooey puddles in the cookie dough - which also makes the dough more dense and fudgy! But is it the end of the world if you use regular chocolate chips? Absolutely not - melty chocolate just helps make everything a little extra fudgy.

how to brown butter

Browning the butter for these pumpkin cookies is the first step to ensuring they bake up dense and chewy. The process is very simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind while browning the butter:

Add butter to pan - If you're using a darker colored pan, the butter will appear slightly darker than it actually is. So keep that in mind as you brown the butter.

Heat until browned - Place the pot onto your stove and cook, while stirring, until it melts, starts sizzling, and eventually darkens in color and releases a nutty aroma. The whole process should take around 5 minutes total. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you mix because that's where the browning will form - mixing ensures it browns evenly and prevents burning on the bottom.

Immediately transfer to a cup - The residual heat in the pan can continue to brown / burn the butter, so pour it into a measuring cup as soon as it's ready. Make sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan - that's where all the flavor is! The final volume of the butter should be a little over ¾ cup - if it's short, you can add a few knobs of fresh butter while it's still hot to bring it back up to at least ¾ cup.

Cool before using - Pour the butter into a large bowl and set it aside for about 15-20 minutes to allow it to cool. It's OK if it's a tiny bit warm but it shouldn't be hot and should still be liquid.

how to make giant pumpkin chocolate chip cookie

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when making this cookie so it comes out perfect every time:

1. Measure the flour carefully - This goes back to the topic of making sure the cookie bakes up chewy. Too much flour will produce a cookie that's dry, crumbly, or cakey. It's always best to measure flour by weight for the most accurate results, but if you prefer to use cups, make sure you don't scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour. This can pack it in and leave you with more weight. Instead, use a spoon to lightly fluff the flour in the bag and then spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
2. Pure pumpkin puree - Make sure you're using 100% pure pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. I personally love Libby's brand. Pie filling has added sugar and spices and can interfere with the sweetness and flavor of the cookie. Also avoid using homemade or organic puree as they tend to contain even more moisture and can make the cookie cakey.
3. Pumpkin spice - If you don't have any on hand, you can easily make your own at home - HERE'S HOW. If you don't love it, you can substitute the pie spice for ground cinnamon or your favorite blend of cozy spices - or you could even leave it out entirely if you prefer.
4. Mixing the dough - Don't overmix the cookie dough - especially after you add in the flour. Not only is it unnecessary added work, but it can also make the cookie tough. Mix just until the ingredients come together!
5. Baking - To tell when the cookie is done baking, it should be a little puffed with slightly darker brown edges and the surface should no longer look wet. As it cools, the center of the cookie will sink and the surface will crinkle.
6. Serving - Let the cookie cool for a few minutes at room temperature so it's safe to handle. You can serve this cookie with a sprinkling of sea salt, a few scoops of ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or with whatever else you like! It's even delicious just plain on its own. I personally love serving this cookie when it's warm and the chocolate is gooey, but it can also be served at room temperature. You could also reheat leftovers in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes or until warm.

FAQs

Can I make this pumpkin cookie ahead?
Yes! You could whip up the cookie dough and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. You may need to add up to 5 minutes to the bake time if you're baking the dough cold.

Why is my cookie cakey?
A few common reasons your cookie may have come out cakey instead of chewy include over measuring the flour, using high moisture organic or homemade pumpkin puree, overmixing the dough, or overbaking the cookie.

How long does the baked cookie last?
After the cookie cools completely to room temperature, cover it and keep stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

How do you serve giant pumpkin cookie?
This cookie is best served warm (for an extra gooey cookie) or room temperature (if you prefer a chewier, more set cookie).

check out these other pumpkin recipes!

• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Spiced Pumpkin Truffles
• Super Moist Pumpkin Bread
• BEST Pumpkin Muffins
• Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
• Perfect Pumpkin Cake

check out these other cookie recipes!

• Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
• S'mores Cookie Skillet
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies
• Iced Butter Pecan Cookie Bars
• Apple Pie Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

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Enjoy!

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