Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Add the pumpkin puree, sugars, molasses, pumpkin pie spice extract, and whisk to combine until smooth.

Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 11 equal-sized mounds of dough and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.

Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.

Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes (12 1/2 minutes is perfect in my oven), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.