Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Lemon Icing

Of all the pumpkin cookie recipes on ABK, this is my absolute favorite soft and perfectly spiced pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Other delicious pumpkin cookie recipes on ABK: Cutler’s Cookies Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, Pumpkin Spice Cookie with Maple Frosting (Twisted Sugar copycat), Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cookies.

If you’re looking for a two-thumbs-up pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ve come to the right place.  Our Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Lemon Icing are moist, soft, full of chocolate chips, and a lemon icing that sets this treat apart from all of the rest!

Pumpkin cookies are everywhere this time of year.  I first posted this recipe 12 years ago. I’ve since made other pumpkin cookies, but this is my go-to favorite. Some people skip over this recipe because of the lemon icing, but it makes all the difference and is what sets this recipe apart from all other pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes! This unexpected combination makes this cookie my fall favorite.

If you love lemon and chocolate together, you won’t believe how beautifully they compliment each other in this pumpkin cookie! Fresh lemon is best to make the icing, but bottled lemon juice also works.

how to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with fresh lemon icing

• Beat eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Then, on low speed or by hand using a spatula, mix in the rest of the wet ingredients.
• Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips to the bowl. Mix just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. The key is do not over mix!
• Spoon or scoop the batter out onto a parchment lined or lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• Mix lemon icing in a small bowl.
• Spoon or drizzle icing over cooled cookies.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• eggs
• brown sugar
• canola oil or light olive oil or avocado oil
• canned pumpkin(not pumpkin pie filling)
• vanilla extract
• flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• ground cloves
• semi sweet chocolate chips
• powdered sugar
• fresh or bottled lemon juice
• butter
• cream, half and half or milk to thin
• lemon zest, optional

Originally posted 2009, updated September 2026 with new content

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Lemon Icing

5 from 6 votes

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Author: Si Foster

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

cool time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 37 minutes mins

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients 

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil, avocado oil or light olive oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

for icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh or bottled lemon juice
• dash salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons cream, half and half or milk to thin
• grated lemon zest, optional

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until smooth. On low speed, mix in rest of wet ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips to the bowl and mix all at once. Mix just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix.
• Spoon or scoop the batter out onto a parchment lined or lightly greased cookie sheet, about 9 cookies per sheet.
• Bake until the tops feel firm about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• Mix lemon icing by whisking ingredients together in a medium size bowl.
• Spoon icing over cooled cookies.
• Cookies are best when eaten within 2 days.

Notes

• I use a scoop that holds about 2-3 tablespoons per scoop. If using a scoop that holds two tablespoons, the recipe will yield about 24-28 cookies.
• The dough is fairly wet, more so than traditional cookie batter, and will stick to the scoop.
• This cookie freezes well after baking. Let cool completely, pack in air tight container. Do not glaze until ready to eat.