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With just three simple ingredients, pumpkin drop cookies are quick and easy to make. Fluffy, chocolatey, and full of delicious (and healthy!) pumpkin.
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Three-ingredient cookies are almost too good to be true! They are full of pumpkin spice flavors, fragrant ginger, and cloves without having to measure out a bunch of spices. We make them often, especially when cookie cravings strike and we don’t have time for a longer recipe. These pumpkin drop cookies are the perfect combination that is so quick and easy to make!
These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the best fall treat that is full of pumpkin flavor, and sweet and savory spices, with the comforting warm cookie that melts in your mouth every time! With only three basic ingredients that can be stored in the pantry, you can make these pumpkin drop cookies over and over throughout the colder months. Cozy up with your hot chocolate and pumpkin cookies for the best night yet!
Three Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies
That’s it, only three ingredients! The spice cake mix gives the cookies a rich flavor and complements the dark chocolate. With the creamy texture of the pumpkin, you will never even miss the oil or eggs!
- Spice Cake Mix – This box of spice cake mix gives this recipe all the dry ingredients it needs and takes the place of having to measure ground cinnamon, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cloves, allspice, ground nutmeg, etc.
- Pure pumpkin – You can use canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie filling, or fresh pumpkin. No need for eggs, oil, vanilla extract, or butter for this recipe! The can of pumpkin puree will soften, add moisture, and thicken the cookie batter.
- Chocolate chips – Use a bag of chocolate chips that is about 12 ounces. The chocolate chips are ideal for this recipe and balance out the pumpkin pie spice flavors perfectly
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Drop Cookies
It is so simple to make pumpkin drop cookies with only three ingredients. These are quick and easy to make. My kids love to help make them with me! All the fall flavors are added into one cute little pumpkin cookie recipe!
- Combine – Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix together dry spice cake mix and pumpkin until completely blended. Stir until well combined.
- Fold – Carefully fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cookie scoop – Using a medium cookie scoop, drop the pumpkin cookie dough mixture onto a prepared cookie sheet. The cookie dough balls will land perfectly and uniquely from the cookie scoop.
- Bake – Bake for 8 to 9 minutes in the oven until the outside of the cookies are firm and the chocolate has melted. Cool on a wire rack.
Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Easy pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips are simple to combine the ingredients and create a fall-flavored cookie in every bite. Follow these helpful tips to make them even better and turn out perfectly delicious every time. This fall season is ready for these delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
- Mixing dough – Try not to overmix the pumpkin dough. Once the ingredients are combined stop mixing the ingredients together in the large mixing bowl.
- Cookie scoop – Using a cookie scoop will ensure that each cookie is relatively close in size and will help bake them evenly in the oven.
- Parchment paper – Use a silicone mat or cover the baking sheet with parchment paper before dropping the pumpkin batter on the baking sheet. This will help the baked cookies removed from the pan more easily.
- Measure ingredients – There are only three ingredients to this pumpkin drop cookies recipe but it is best to make sure you are balancing out all the ingredients. If you are not using the correct amounts of each ingredient they may not cook properly.
- Cook all the way – When baking these cookies, be sure they are cooked through. Oven temperatures vary and can have slightly different times due to the location you are in. Make sure the cookies are done by seeing a little browning on the top of the cookies.
- Cooling – Let the cookies cool on a cooling rack before serving.
- Serving – These pumpkin drop cookies are perfect for pairing with hot chocolate or a cold glass of milk.
- A batch – One batch makes 24 cookies. Double your batch to make even more of this sweet treat! If you do double or triple the batch use an electric mixer or stand mixer to combine the ingredients better.
Add-ins for Pumpkin Cookies
Three ingredient pumpkin cookies are so versatile, you can add all sorts of yummy ingredients to make different flavors. Instead of chocolate chips, try some of other ideas that are just as delicious!
- Nuts – Chopped pecans or walnuts are a great way to add texture and a crunchy inside.
- Dried fruit – Raisins or cranberries give a soft and squishy texture that is fruity and sweet.
- Chocolate – Dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or mini milk chocolate chips are a fun way to change up the chocolate flavor.
- Topping – Dust powdered sugar on top for a fun look and appearance when serving them.
“I made these for Thanksgiving… They were a hit!!! I love how quick and easy they are to make with just 3 ingredients. I definitely plan to make them again… Maybe try a different cake mix.”
-Lori
Frequently Asked Questions
Because you’re omitting sugar, eggs, and oil, this is one easy cookie recipe you can feel pretty good about eating. Larger cookies (you can get about two dozen in this recipe) are approximately 95 calories a cookie! Smaller cookies, using a small cookie scoop or spoon are only about 60 calories each.
Plus, pumpkin is good for you! It’s chock full of vitamins and fiber. So you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying a cookie or two…or three.
Pumpkin drop cookies are a fall favorite treat! They are soft with a cakey texture and a spiced cookie flavor. A drop cookie means that the cookie dough is literally dropped on the cookie sheet. How it lands, is how it is cooked. Each pumpkin drop cookie is shaped differently because of the drop.
Sure! You can use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree. You will need to cook the pumpkin and puree it and drain the excess moisture. Try to make the puree similar to the consistency of a can of pumpkin.
This is a fun idea and an extra step that sets these pumpkin drop cookies above the rest! Add the extra sweetness by mixing together powder sugar and a small amount of milk. Once the consistency is what you like, drizzle the glaze over top the cooled pumpkin cookies.
Yes! I haven’t tried it this way but if you find a spice mix or a cake mix that is gluten free, you can substitute it for the spice mix that we used in this recipe.
How to Store Homemade Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Stroing these pumpkin drop cookies properly will ensure they last a little longer and are still delicious every time you open the lid. Either store your pumpkin drop cookies at room temperature or freeze them to last longer. Enjoy these pumpkin drop cookies stored in the freezer or pantry!
- Room temperature – Place the pumpkin cookies in an airtight container for three to four days. No need to warm them up unless you want a warm inside and re-melt the chocolate slightly. Warm in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Freeze – Take the cookies and freeze-dry them in the freezer. Place the cookie dough or baked cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once the cookie dough or baked cookies are frozen, place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for three months.
More Pumpkin Favorites
Our favorite season is pumpkin season! All the fall colors, leaves falling, and everything pumpkin is just what we love. Try these delicious recipes that are our favorite and so simple to make! Impress your friends and family this season with the best pumpkin recipes at your next get-together!
How To Make Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix unprepared
- 1 (15 ounce can) 100% pure pumpkin
- 1 (12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together dry spice cake mix and pumpkin until completely blended.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop onto sprayed cookie sheet
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes
Notes
Nutrition Information
This are so good. Sometimes I use only half the amount of chocolate chips and substitute cinnamon chips for the other half. These are so great when I’m craving autumn comfort food!
I love how easy and delicious these are! The perfect fall treat!!
These look so good and super easy to make!! I love pumpkin desserts.
Tried these baked for 15 minutes turned out so soft and yummy!
Can you freeze the dough balls before baking for future use. I am 1 person and recipe makes too many at a time for one.
We haven’t frozen them before but I don’t see why not! Most doughs freeze great! Hope this helps!
Just made first time last week and las5 night, unbelievably flavor and dense rich Cookie. I baked 8 Minutes
I also froze MOST last Night and the pumpkin prevent full hard freezing, their stull soft CD and chocolate is still very soft, I’ll use this as my number one cookie recipe
Thanks!
Hi Donna! Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing how you had success freezing these cookies! We haven’t frozen them before but it’s good to know they freeze well! Thanks for the 5-stars!
Pretty easy recipe, although the amount of chocolate chips is wayyyy too much. Would recommend only half a bag.
My dad who is a diabetic loves these cookies. They don’t kill his sugar and one after dinner is perfect. I have done both semi-sweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips. Both were delicious, my dad prefers the milk I prefer the semi. Depends on what’s in the pantry drawer! These are delicious, easy and my 12 year old who doesn’t seem to like anything he used to like, loves these in his lunches! They are a dense cookie, but ohh so good! Thanks!
Thank you so much for your comment 🙂 Definitely a WIN if a 12-year-old approves! 😀
The bake time was way off on this recipe. 9 minutes the cookies were raw at 16 minutes they still were not cooked.
Different altitudes can alter the baking time GREATLY. What altitude are you at?
This recipe sounds Amazing! Love the chocolate chips, but I was thinking about using raisins. What do think?
I think that would be delicious!
I had some cooked mashed pumpkin in the fridge and a yellow cake mix that had been in my cupboard for a while so I decided to try this recipe. this is how I tweaked this recipe. 1yellow cake mix, 1Tbl. Pumpkin pie spice, 1lb2oz mashed cook pumpkin (the recipe calls for 15oz but I didn’t want to put any back in fridge or throw it away so I just used it all), 6oz raisins was plenty and 1/4 cup skim milk as the dough seemed too dry for muffins. Preheat oven at 350. spray muffin tin. Fill 12 muffin tins to the top. Bake for about 20 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. TADA!! They turned out great!
206 calories per muffin.
I calculated and in case anyone wants to know, this recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies at ~155 calories a piece.* That’s pretty darn good for how thick and hearty they are!
*using Betty Crocker spice cake mix and Nestlé Toll House chocolate chips
Does anyone know about how many cookies this makes? (Assuming a small/medium sized cookie.)
One recipe makes approximately 2 dozen cookies. They are delicious! Thanks for asking!
Very good!!! Are they supposed to be super soft?
Yes, they are way soft and chewy!
These are terrific and so easy to make! I made these in the muffin style and I think they are wonderful and somehow I just dont feel as guilty knowing all that pumpkin is in there. >=) Thanks for sharing this great idea ladies!
On a side note if I were to make the cookies i might dress them up with some cream cheese icing that would be great!
Thank you! And great idea with the icing! YUM!