Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Pre-baking Prep
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Line your baking sheets with either silicone baking mats or parchment paper; do not grease them directly.
Dry Ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt for about 20 seconds to ensure they are thoroughly combined.
- Set this mixture aside.
Wet Ingredients (Base Recipe)
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, blend together the granulated sugar, light-brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined and smooth.
- Next, mix in the large egg and vanilla extract, blending until just incorporated.
- Finally, add the canned pumpkin puree and blend until the mixture is uniform and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combining Wet and Dry
- With your mixer on low speed, slowly add the reserved flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Mix just until the flour is nearly combined and no dry streaks remain, avoiding over-mixing as this can lead to tough cookies. The batter will be quite wet.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
Folding in Chocolate Chips
- Remove the bowl from the mixer.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough, without overworking it.
Scooping and Baking
- Using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons), drop mounds of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about two inches apart.
- Bake for approximately 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden and the centers look slightly puffed but still soft. They may appear slightly underdone in the center, but will set as they cool.
Cooling and Initial Storage
- Once baked, remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for several minutes to set and firm up.
- After a few minutes, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For optimal softness and flavor development, allow cookies to rest in an airtight container for a few hours before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
For an unparalleled depth of flavor and chewier texture, the recipe author highly recommends replacing the vegetable oil with browned butter and infusing it with spices, allowing it to rest overnight. Always use canned pumpkin puree and measure flour accurately using the spoon and level method. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days; they are often best after a few hours of resting. Baked cookies or raw dough can also be frozen for longer storage. Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.