Violet’s Favorite Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

These 3-ingredient pumpkin spice cookies are my daughter Violet’s hands-down favorite thing to bake. She’s nine and just got braces but this is the recipe is her favorite because these cookies come out sawft. Her and Vinny can make these from start to finish with zero help — open, dump, stir, bake. No butter, no eggs, no complicated steps, and the cookies come out chewy every single time.

Between homework, after-school hunger, and last-minute class treats, this recipe delivers the perfect ratio of effort to reward. The batter goes together faster than the oven preheats, and the cookies bake up with that soft, spiced, cozy texture that just feels like fall. No measuring, no risk, no stress, just a guaranteed win, especially if you have a kid who loves to bake.

Ingredients

1 box spice cake mix (15.25 oz)

1 can pumpkin purée (15 oz — not pie filling)

1 cup chocolate chips (or white chips, or none)

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Stir pumpkin and spice cake mix in a bowl until combined.

3. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Drop spoonfuls onto the sheet.

5. Bake 12–14 minutes, until set on top but still soft.

6. Rest on the pan 10 minutes before lifting off. They will look very soft when they come out because that’s what makes them stay pillowy.

Pumpkin = built-in moisture for ultra soft cookies