My 3 ingredient pumpkin cookies are made with box spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, and sweet milk chocolate chips. They are soft and pillow-like, packed with cozy warmth, and are so easy to make in just 15 minutes!

For more pumpkin recipes made with minimal ingredients, check out my 3 ingredient pumpkin muffins and my 5 ingredient pumpkin bread with cake mix.

Whenever anyone asks me for the recipe to these cookies, they are totally shocked when I tell them it takes 3 simple ingredients and a matter of minutes. It’s so easy, even a beginner baker can’t go wrong with it. 

The box cake mix is the ingredient that makes this recipe truly effortless. Since the mix already includes salt, flour, and plenty of spices, you don’t need to measure out any individual dry ingredients for the dough. And, since the pumpkin puree adds the perfect amount of moisture, there’s no need for butter or eggs either.

Pumpkin spice cookies ingredients

• Pumpkin puree – I use a can of plain pumpkin puree to give these cookies the perfect amount of moisture and pumpkin flavor. It has an earthy taste with a hint of natural sweetness too.
• Box spice cake mix – Spice cake mix is packed with warm and cozy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Duncan Hines is my go-to brand, but feel free to use your favorite!
• Milk chocolate chips – Since the actual pumpkin spice cookie dough isn’t overly sweet, milk chocolate chips are my way of adding richness and sweetness to the recipe. I like to fold some right into the dough and also press some into the tops after baking.

How to make 3 ingredient pumpkin cookies

STEP ONE: Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper while the oven preheats to 350°F.

STEP TWO: Add the pumpkin puree and dry cake mix into a large bowl and stir until fully combined.

STEP THREE: Next, fold in 1¼ cups of the chocolate chips and reserve the rest to be used as a topping.

STEP FOUR: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the batter onto the prepared sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each one.

STEP FIVE: With lightly moistened fingers, gently press each mound of batter to flatten the cookies slightly.

STEP SIX: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies have puffed up. 

STEP SEVEN: While the cookies are still warm, press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies, then serve and enjoy!

Recipe tips

• Don’t forget to reserve some chocolate chips! Pressing them into the top of the freshly baked cookies guarantees a picture-perfect finish.
• I always prepare two separate baking sheets since this recipe yields about 28 cookies. If you don’t have two trays, you can work in batches with one tray.
• Use the toothpick test. You’ll know these 3 ingredient pumpkin cookies are ready when a toothpick comes out of the center clean!
• Avoid overbaking. The cookies will be slightly soft still when they come out of the oven, but don’t worry! They will firm up more as they cool.

Variations

• If using semi-sweet chocolate chips, I stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar into the pumpkin puree before adding the dry cake mix to achieve the perfect level of sweetness.
• You can use vanilla cake mix instead of spice cake mix if needed. Just be sure to add some pumpkin pie spice to capture the same warmth and coziness that spice cake has. 
• Drizzle some caramel or butterscotch on top for extra richness. This is one of my favorite ways to make the recipe even more indulgent.
• Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the cookie dough. These mix-ins add a satisfying crunch to these pumpkin spice cookies and my leftover pumpkin pie filling cookies.

3 ingredient pumpkin cookies FAQs 

Why are my pumpkin cookies turning out too cakey or too flat? 

A little cakey is normal here, since pumpkin brings a lot of moisture and there is no butter or eggs to change that. If they come out too cakey, your pumpkin puree was probably on the wet side, so blot it with a paper towel before you mix. If they spread out flat instead, the dough was overmixed. Stir just until the cake mix disappears and then stop.

Can these cookies be frosted?

Absolutely! Homemade cream cheese frosting gives these easy pumpkin cookies a delightful, tangy twist! Try spreading on a layer of my Cool Whip cream cheese frosting or my cream cheese frosting without butter.

How should I store pumpkin cookies?

Leftover pumpkin cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If I want to keep them any longer, I move them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

More cookie recipes

• 3 ingredient oatmeal cookies
• 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies
• No butter chocolate chip cookies
• Hershey kiss cookies without peanut butter
• Butterscotch cookies
• Banana pudding cookies recipe