Consider this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe a fall holiday peacemaker. It delivers a bit of everyone’s favorite things: nuts to remind you of gooey-chewy pecan pie, warm spices to induce flashbacks to the best pumpkin pie filling, and dark chocolate chips—the healing balm that connects us all (though milk chocolate or white chocolate would be equally delicious). Amanda Mack, owner of Crust by Mack in Baltimore, calls them “The Holiday Triple Threat Cookie.” We think that’s pretty apt.
When shopping, look for canned pure pumpkin purée, not pie filling. Then, to elevate the pumpkin flavor, you’ll make your spice blend, though you could certainly substitute your favorite store-bought mix or add in whatever spices you like with pumpkin, such as cardamom, cloves, allspice, or black pepper. The other add-ins here are chocolate chunks, which offer a secondary texture to the chips, melting into rich chocolate puddles; and the pecans, which you can consider optional, or swap out for walnuts or pistachios as you see fit.
If you prefer smaller cookies—ideal for gift-giving or sandwiching with cream cheese frosting—use a no. 60 cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to yield 40–48 cookies and bake for about 10 minutes.
