Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk these together for about 20 seconds to ensure they are well-mixed, then set the bowl aside.
Using an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture, and mix until incorporated.
Before adding the pumpkin puree to the mixture, place it on a layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and gently blot it to remove excess moisture. This step will help prevent the cookies from becoming too cakey or moist.
After blotting the pumpkin puree, blend it into the sugar and egg mixture until smooth and homogeneous.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, mixing on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. The batter will be quite wet, but don't worry – this is normal.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter until they are evenly distributed throughout.
Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets using a medium cookie dough scoop or two spoons, dropping about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Make sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the cookies are almost set and the edges are lightly golden.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for several minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For best results, store the cooled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. After a few hours in the container, they will soften and develop an even better texture.