Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies combine warm pumpkin pie spices with white chocolate, pecans, and homemade toffee pieces. If you love cookies that are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and full of classic fall flavours. Then this will definitely be a recipe you need to try!

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe takes a classic chocolate chip cookie base and elevates it with brown butter, pumpkin purée, and a blend of warm pumpkin pie spices. And if that wasn’t enough, we’re also adding in white chocolate, homemade toffee, and pecans for creaminess, nuttiness, and crunch.

The brown butter brings deep, nutty notes, while the pumpkin adds subtle sweetness and moisture, keeping the cookies soft and chewy in the centre. The pumpkin spice mix infuses every bite with that cosy autumnal warmth that we all love. The addition of white chocolate, homemade toffee pieces, and pecans create a cookie that’s sweet, toasty, nutty, and full of texture.

Why you’ll love these pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies

• Crisp edges with soft, chewy centres
• Deep caramelised flavour from the brown butter
• Perfectly balanced flavour between sweetness and warm spices
• Studded with white chocolate and homemade toffee chunks for texture and flavour
• Easy to make, no mixer needed!

I prefer white chocolate for these pumpkin spice cookies

While I do enjoy the combination of pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and milk/dark chocolate. I much prefer the combination with white chocolate instead. Milk/dark chocolate tend to have more of that cocoa intensity which can often compete and even overpower the more subtle flavours – i.e. the pumpkin purée and spices.

White chocolate, on the other hand, enhances and softens the spice blend. This creates a much smoother and rounder flavour profile. The dairy notes of the white chocolate also pair perfectly with the toasted and caramelised flavours from both the brown butter and toffee.

Homemade toffee takes these cookies up a level

One of the things that makes these Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies so special is the homemade toffee. They add the perfect amount of buttery crunch as well as a deep caramelised flavour. As the cookies bake, the toffee pieces melt slightly into the dough, creating chewy, golden pockets that are one of my favourite textures.

Store-bought toffee pieces will work in a pinch, but making your own allows you to control the degree of caramelisation. This way, you can end up with a far more complex and caramelised flavour. You’re also able to control the size and texture of the pieces, so you can have a mix of small shards that melt into the cookie and larger chunks that stay crisp. Plus, it literally takes minutes to make!

What makes these cookies so special

Honestly, it all comes down to the flavour combination and textures here. When it comes to pumpkin spice desserts, the spices are usually the more prominent flavour. The pumpkin tends to be slightly behind or often more of a background note.

The pumpkin purée keeps the texture of these cookies soft and chewy without being cakey, while the homemade toffee creates little pockets of crunch and buttery sweetness. When paired with brown butter, white chocolate, and pecans, we end up with a huge depth of flavour and complexity. They’re nutty, caramelised, warm, and toasted – but they also have a creamy, dairy note from the white chocolate which really brings everything together.

Let’s talk about some of the ingredients

I’ll cover the main ones below but the full recipe can be found at the end.

• Plain flour/All purpose flour
• Large eggs – I always use large eggs when baking, which is generally the standard size. In the UK, each large egg will weigh between 63-73g. These may be classed as extra large eggs in the USA
• Pumpkin purée – use 100% pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• Spices – I use a homemade blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cardamom, but you can also use 2–3 tsp of ready-made pumpkin spice mix
• White sugar AND dark brown sugar – a combination of both is used in the cookies and the toffee. White helps with crispness and structure, while brown adds chewiness, moisture, and a deep caramel flavour (due to the molasses)
• Full fat milk powder – also commonly sold as full cream milk powder. Skimmed/non fat milk power will work but the cookies will lack the additional richness and flavour
• Pecans – walnuts can also be used if preferred
• White chocolate – chop up a high quality bar of white chocolate rather than pre-chopped chunks or chips for best results

What is pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is a warm and aromatic blend of spices traditionally used to flavour pumpkin-based desserts. Despite the name, there’s actually no pumpkin in the mix, instead, it’s a combination of spices that enhance the natural sweetness and earthiness of pumpkin purée.

A classic homemade pumpkin spice mix usually includes:

• Cinnamon – the dominant spice, adding warmth and sweetness
• Ginger – for a subtle heat and depth
• Nutmeg – adds a mellow, nutty aroma
• Allspice – provides complexity with hints of clove and pepper
• Cloves – rich and slightly sweet, rounding out the mix
• Cardamom (optional) – adds a gentle floral note and brightness

My version includes a touch of cardamom for extra dimension. It complements the pumpkin and balances the other spices beautifully. However, you can absolutely adjust the blend to your preference, e.g. add more cinnamon for warmth, more ginger for zing, or omit cloves if you’re not a fan.

If you’d rather save time, you can use a ready-made pumpkin spice mix. It will work perfectly in this recipe.

The key tips for perfect pumpkin spice cookies

• Browning the butter – this serves two purposes, the first is to allow the milk solids within the butter to brown and caramelise, thus creating a toasted and nutty flavour. The second, is to allow some of the water in the butter to evaporate to account for the moisture within the pumpkin purée
• Add milk powder to the butter as it browns – they toast up along with the milk solids to ramp up the flavour
• Chill the dough – for a minimum of 12 hours but the flavour continues to improve when chilled up to 72 hours
• Don’t overbake – remove when the edges of the cookies are just firm to the touch but the centre should still be soft. This will ensure they’re crisp around the outside and chewy inside

How to make pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies

First, how to make homemade toffee chunks

Start by melting the sugars and butter together in a pan. It will initially look grainy and split, so don’t worry!

Slowly but surely it will start to come together into a toffee sauce, just keep stirring

Pour the hot sauce onto a silicon mat/baking paper and spread out into a thin layer. Allow to cool completely before smashing into pieces with the end of a rolling pin

Then, making the pumpkin spice cookie dough

To make browned butter, start by melting the butter in a pan. It will initially start to sputter and foam, but this will then slowly subside

You should begin to see a translucency appearing and the milk solids starting to separate/turn brown. At this stage, whisk/mix in the milk powder. Stir continuously to prevent clumping and continue to cook

Once the butter has browned and smells nutty and toasted, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Immediately stir in the pumpkin pie spices and allow to bloom in the residual heat

Allow the butter to cool to room temperature, then add in the sugars and vanilla and mix to combine. Once combined, add in the egg yolks (no whites!) and mix well once again

Add in the pumpkin purée and mix to combine once again

Add the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate until almost no dry flour remains. At this stage, add in the toffee, white chocolate, and pecans

Finish mixing the cookie dough together, then scoop into a tray lined with baking paper using a 2″ ice cream scooper. Cover and place into the fridge to chill for at least 12 hours

Space the chilled cookie dough out onto a lined baking tray and bake until just firm around the outside but still soft in the centre. These will spread out more than the average cookie, so make sure to tidy the shape up with a large cookie cutter or large bowl as soon as they come out of the oven

Frequently asked questions

Can I use store-bought toffee or caramel pieces?

Yes! While homemade toffee has the best flavour and crunch, store-bought bits work well too.

Do I need to chill the dough?

Yes, chilling helps the flavours develop and also firms up the fat in the cookies. This prevents them from spreading out too much when baking.

Can I use milk or dark chocolate instead of white?

Absolutely. White chocolate does pair better (in my opinion) as the dairy notes complement the spices and pumpkin. But feel free to use milk or even dark chocolate for a cookie with a more intense cocoa flavour.

How should I store them?

For the cookie dough:

1. Keep covered in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days
2. Alternatively, place on a lined baking sheet and freeze uncovered for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for 3-4 months

For the baked cookies:

1. Keep covered in an air tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days
2. Keep covered in an air tight container in the fridge for ~7 days
3. Flash freeze baked cookies (spaced out and uncovered) for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for 3-4 months

For more pumpkin spice recipes, try my:

• Baked Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake
• Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

If you enjoyed this recipe

Please do let me know! Leave a review and a rating below, I’d love to know how you got on.

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Until then, happy baking!

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe