Easy 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies
The first time I made these pumpkin cake mix cookies, I was surprised by how quickly a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin turned into thick, scoopable dough. I folded in chocolate chips, and the first tray was in the oven within 10 minutes.
These easy 3-ingredient pumpkin cake mix cookies require no butter, oil, milk, or eggs. Pumpkin puree provides the moisture, while the spice cake mix brings the flour, sugar, leavening, and warm fall spices.
The finished cookies are thick, soft, and filled with melted chocolate. They don’t have the crisp edges or dense chew of traditional chocolate chip cookies. Instead, their tender texture reminds me of the top of a freshly baked pumpkin muffin.
I especially like them after they’ve rested for several hours. The pumpkin keeps the centers soft, making these an easy dessert to prepare ahead of a fall gathering, Halloween party, or Thanksgiving dinner.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cookies
This is one of the simplest fall cookie recipes I make. Everything comes together in one bowl without chilling the dough or waiting for butter to soften.
Here are a few more reasons to try them.
- You only need three ingredients
- The dough takes about 10 minutes to prepare
- No butter, oil, milk, or eggs are required
- They remain soft after cooling
- The recipe is approachable for new bakers
- You can easily change the flavor with different baking chips
The cookies are also convenient when I need a quick dessert. I can keep cake mix and canned pumpkin in the pantry, then add whatever chocolate chips I have available.
How This Recipe Works
Boxed spice cake mix already contains most of the ingredients normally measured separately for cookies. It supplies the flour, sugar, leavening, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm spices.
Instead of preparing the mix according to the package directions, I combine it with pure pumpkin puree. The moisture in the pumpkin hydrates the dry mix and creates a thick, sticky dough.
Because the recipe contains no butter or oil, the cookies spread very little. They remain rounded and puffy in the oven, producing a soft, cake-like center rather than a crisp or chewy one.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips add pockets of chocolate and balance the sweetness of the cake mix. Dark chocolate also works well if you prefer a deeper, less-sweet flavor.
Ingredient Notes
Spice cake mix
Use one standard 15.25-ounce box of spice cake mix. The exact spice blend differs between brands, but most include some combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
A slightly different box size may change the consistency of the dough. If possible, use the 15.25-ounce size specified in the recipe for the most reliable result.
Pumpkin puree
Choose canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The ingredient label should list pumpkin without added sugar or spices.
Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and seasoned. Using it can make the cookies overly sweet and may affect the consistency of the dough.
I recommend canned pumpkin because its moisture level is generally more consistent than homemade puree. Watery homemade puree can produce loose dough and gummy cookies.
Chocolate chips
Semi-sweet chocolate chips provide enough sweetness without overpowering the pumpkin spices. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips can also be used.
I reserve a small handful of chips and press them into the scooped dough before baking. This creates visible chocolate pockets on top of each cookie.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies
Prepare the oven and pans
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two light-colored metal baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Light-colored pans are helpful because dark pans absorb more heat. That extra heat can cause the bottoms to brown before the centers have finished baking.
Mix the dough
Place the spice cake mix in a large mixing bowl and break apart any large clumps. Add the pumpkin puree and begin stirring slowly with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon.
The mixture may initially look dry and patchy. Continue folding from the bottom of the bowl until the pumpkin has absorbed all the dry mix and the dough is evenly orange.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl carefully. The dough is thick, and small pockets of dry cake mix can hide underneath it.
Add the chocolate chips
Set aside approximately 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for the tops. Fold the remaining chips into the dough until they’re evenly distributed.
The dough will be much stickier than traditional cookie dough. This is normal, so don’t add flour or additional cake mix in an attempt to dry it out.
Scoop and shape
Use a medium cookie scoop to place rounded 1½-tablespoon portions on the prepared pans. Leave approximately 2 inches between the cookies.
These cookies retain the shape they have before baking. Leave the scoops rounded for thick, rustic cookies, or gently flatten them with damp fingertips for a slightly wider shape.
Press the reserved chocolate chips into the tops.
Bake and cool
Bake one sheet at a time on the center oven rack for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the tops no longer appear wet or glossy.
The centers will still feel soft when the cookies leave the oven. Allow them to rest on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Cooling is part of the setting process. Give the cookies at least five additional minutes on the rack before judging their final texture.
My Best Tips
Don’t expect traditional cookie dough
The pumpkin makes this dough thick and sticky. A cookie scoop is the easiest way to portion it, but two spoons will also work.
If the dough is difficult to handle, refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes. It will still be sticky, but it should become easier to scoop and shape.
Shape the cookies before baking
The cookies don’t spread much in the oven. Smooth sharp peaks and shape the portions before they go into the oven if you want a more uniform appearance.
For flatter cookies, lightly press each mound with damp fingertips. Don’t flatten them too thin because their soft, puffy texture is part of their appeal.
Watch the tops instead of waiting for browning
These cookies won’t necessarily turn deeply golden when they’re ready. Look for set edges and tops that have lost their wet shine.
If you wait until the cookies feel completely firm in the oven, they may be dry once they cool.
Bake one pan at a time
Placing one pan on the center rack encourages more even baking. If you need to bake two pans together, switch their positions halfway through the baking time.
Let the cookies cool
A warm pumpkin cookie can seem underdone or slightly gummy immediately after baking. The center becomes more stable as the cookie rests on the pan and cooling rack.
Easy 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
These soft pumpkin cake mix cookies combine spice cake mix, pure pumpkin, and chocolate chips. They’re an easy one-bowl fall dessert with approximately 10 minutes of preparation.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 12 to 14 minutes
Cooling time 10 minutes
Total time About 32 minutes
Yield 22 to 24 cookies
Oven temperature 350°F
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix, 15.25 ounces or 432 grams
- 1 can pure pumpkin puree, 15 ounces or 425 grams
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, approximately 6 ounces or 170 grams, divided
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two light-colored metal baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Pour the spice cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Break apart any large clumps with a sturdy silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add the pumpkin puree. Stir slowly until the pumpkin begins absorbing the dry cake mix.
- Continue folding and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix until the dough is thick, sticky, and evenly orange with no pale streaks or dry pockets.
- Reserve approximately 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Fold the remaining chips into the pumpkin dough.
- Scoop rounded portions of approximately 1½ tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave approximately 2 inches between the portions.
- Smooth any sharp peaks with damp fingertips. Gently flatten the portions if you prefer wider cookies.
- Press the reserved chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the tops look dry rather than glossy.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for five minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool for at least five more minutes before serving.
Easy Variations
Using a different variety of baking chips is the simplest way to change this recipe. Replace the semi-sweet chocolate chips with an equal amount of your preferred chips.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate adds a deeper cocoa flavor and reduces the overall impression of sweetness. It’s my favorite alternative when the spice cake mix is especially sweet.
White chocolate
White chocolate creates a creamy vanilla contrast against the pumpkin and spices. The pale chips also stand out beautifully against the orange cookies.
Butterscotch
Butterscotch chips add a rich caramel-like flavor that pairs naturally with cinnamon and pumpkin. This variation is noticeably sweeter than the semi-sweet chocolate version.
Chopped nuts
Replace up to half of the chocolate chips with chopped pecans or walnuts. Toasting the nuts first will give them a stronger flavor and crisper texture.
Adding nuts or extra spices means the cookies will no longer be a three-ingredient recipe, but they’re easy ways to customize the basic version.
Troubleshooting
Why is my dough so sticky?
Sticky dough is expected because pumpkin puree contains a considerable amount of moisture. Portion it with a cookie scoop, use two spoons, or refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes.
Don’t add flour to make it resemble traditional cookie dough. Additional flour can make the baked cookies dry.
Why didn’t my cookies spread?
These cookies contain no butter or oil, so they hold their original shape. Flatten the dough gently before baking if you want wider cookies.
Why are the centers gummy?
The cookies may need another minute or two in the oven, particularly if the portions are large. They can also appear gummy while hot, so let them cool before deciding whether they’re properly baked.
Make sure you use one 15-ounce can of pumpkin. Adding extra puree can introduce too much moisture.
Why did the cookies become dry?
The most likely cause is overbaking. Remove the cookies once their edges are set and the tops no longer appear glossy, even if the centers still feel soft.
Small cookies can finish sooner than large ones. Use a scoop to keep the portions consistent.
Why are there dry streaks inside?
Dry streaks indicate that the thick dough wasn’t mixed completely. Scrape underneath the dough and press stubborn clumps against the side of the bowl before adding the chocolate chips.
Why did the bottoms get too dark?
Dark pans and pans placed close to the lower heating element can brown the bottoms quickly. Use a parchment-lined, light-colored metal pan on the center oven rack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
I don’t recommend it. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar, spices, and other ingredients that can make the cookies too sweet and affect their consistency.
Use canned pure pumpkin puree for the most dependable result.
Can I use yellow cake mix?
Yes, but the cookies will taste milder and won’t have the same pumpkin-spice character. You can add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, although that will increase the ingredient count.
Chocolate cake mix can also be used for a chocolate-forward version in which the pumpkin mainly provides moisture and softness.
Are these cookies chewy?
No. These cookies are soft, moist, and cake-like rather than dense and chewy.
Their texture is similar to a tender pumpkin muffin top shaped like a cookie. Anyone expecting crisp chocolate chip cookies should know about this difference before making them.
Can I make smaller cookies?
Yes. Use approximately 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and begin checking them after nine minutes.
The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the tops no longer look wet.
Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
A gluten-free spice cake mix can replace the regular mix. Box sizes and ingredient blends vary, so the consistency and baking time may differ slightly.
Check the chocolate-chip label as well if you need the entire recipe to meet a specific dietary requirement.
Are these pumpkin cookies dairy-free or vegan?
The recipe doesn’t require eggs, butter, or milk. However, ingredients vary between brands, and some cake mixes or chocolate chips may contain milk or other animal-derived ingredients.
Check both packages before serving the cookies to someone with dietary restrictions or allergies.
Storage and Freezing
Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. Packing them while warm traps steam and can make their surfaces wet.
Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. Keep them at room temperature for up to three days.
Because pumpkin cookies retain plenty of moisture, refrigeration is a better option in a hot or humid kitchen. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to six days, then let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
To freeze the cookies, arrange them in a single layer until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container with parchment between the layers and freeze them for up to two months.
Thaw the covered cookies at room temperature. If you want to warm one, microwave it for approximately eight seconds or place it in a 300°F oven for three to five minutes.
Serving Ideas
I enjoy these cookies slightly warm, while the chocolate is still soft. They pair especially well with coffee, chai, apple cider, or a cold glass of milk.
For a richer dessert, spread cream cheese frosting between two completely cooled cookies. Keep the filled cookies refrigerated because of the frosting.
They’re also easy to pack for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dessert tables, fall bake sales, or casual weekend gatherings. Just make sure they’re completely cool before placing them in a tin or covered container.
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