These soft pumpkin cookies are made with pumpkin puree and spiced with cinnamon. You can enjoy them as is, but we love to frost them with Cream Cheese Frosting or put the frosting between 2 cookies for Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies.
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Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
Every year when October rolls around, the whole world shifts to pumpkin-flavored or pumpkin-spiced everything from Pumpkin Cheesecake to Pumpkin Pie. There’s a reason everyone is crazy about pumpkin recipes.
Pumpkin has a comforting earthy-sweet flavor that is often deliciously paired with spices like cinnamon, and vanilla. The combination of all these flavors makes for the best of desserts — these cookies are the warm treat you need on a cold day.
Ingredients
These are essentially soft Sugar Cookies with pumpkin and cinnamon flavorings. The ingredients are pantry staples:
- All-purpose flour – make a soft cookie with enough structure that it doesn’t fall apart.
- Baking powder and baking soda – leavening to help the cookies rise.
- Salt – balances the sweetness and adds depth of flavor
- Cinnamon and vanilla – add warm spice and flavor to the cookies
- Butter – we use softened, unsalted butter to control the salt in the recipe
- Sugar – sweetens the cookies
- Egg – helps to hold the dough together
- Pumpkin puree – use storebought or homemade (see ‘Common Questions’ section below)
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
Whether you are an expert at baking cookies or this is the first pumpkin cookie recipe you’ve tried, this recipe is a keeper. Use an electric mixer and cookie scoop to make this recipe a breeze.
- Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Whisk in additional ingredients: add the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add pumpkin and stir to combine.
- Combine: Switch to the paddle attachment and in three separate additions, add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture.
- Form Cookies: Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough into 1-inch cookie balls, and place on a lined baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Gently pat the tops of the cookies to flatten slightly.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Pro Tip: This is a soft cookie which means the dough is also soft and sticky. I highly recommend using a small cookie scoop to portion the dough. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, try a Tablespoon and scrape the batter off with a second spoon onto the baking sheet.
Pro Tip: A cooling rack is essential for cookies. If you leave them on the hot baking sheet, they are more likely to overbake. Cooling racks allow for the air to circulate around the cookie to cool the cookie faster. Be sure cookies are cooled completely to room temperature before applying Cream Cheese Frosting.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Cookies
Here are a few tricks every cookie baker needs to know to make these cookies the best fall-tasting dessert you’ve ever made.
- Adjust baking time: bake time depends on the size of your cookies. Ten minutes is average for a medium-sized cookie. Larger cookies may need slightly more time, but be careful not to overcook or they will be dry. For cookies to remain soft, they should be soft when taken out of the oven.
- Optional add-ins: For more of that quintessential fall flavor, add a teaspoon of nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice to the cookie. For a chocolate surprise, mix in your favorite white, milk, or dark chocolate chips.
- Use canned puree pumpkin: These pumpkin cookies come out best with canned puree pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin contains more liquid/moisture that will negatively affect the consistency of the cookies.
- Properly measure the flour: Too much flour can make the cookies dry and crumbly, whereas too little flour can make them too moist.
Troubleshooting Pumpkin Cookies
Follow these tips and tricks to make the best, soft pumpkin cookies:
- For a fluffy texture: Baking soda and baking powder work together to make cookies fluffy. Ensure your leavening is not expired.
- To ensure a moist cookie: For a perfectly moist cookie, don’t add too much flour or they will be dry.
- Don’t Overbake: To avoid dry, crumbly cookies, remove the cookies from the oven when they are still soft, but just turning golden on the edges. They will continue to bake and harden slightly as they cool.
To Serve Pumpkin Cookies
Like almost all cookies, the classic way to serve pumpkin cookies is with a glass of milk, tea, or coffee. Serve them slightly cooled after baking for the best flavor and texture.
Make cookie sandwiches by adding a tablespoon of cream cheese frosting between the pumpkin cookies. Or, add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top for fancy pumpkin cookies.
Common Questions
You can use homemade pumpkin puree just be sure to drain off any excess liquid with cheesecloth for a concentrated pumpkin flavor and to ensure your cookie dough doesn’t get too loose.
Some types of cookies turn out well after being chilled; however, pumpkin dough is best baked right away.
If you have any leftover cookies, store them on the counter in an airtight container for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to two weeks! If freezing, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a ziplock bag or airtight container.
Soft, frosted Pumpkin Cookies are a real treat. Whether you are frosting them, enjoying them plain and soft out of the oven, or sandwiching them with frosting in the middle, I hope this Pumpkin Cookie recipe becomes a new favorite for you.
More Amazing Cookie Recipes
If you enjoy homemade cookies as much as we do, you are sure to find some new favorite cookies in this list. Keep these in mind for your holiday cookie platter:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
The Best Pumpkin Cookies! Soft, moist, and made with pumpkin puree and cinnamon. Pumpkin Cookies are amazing with homemade Cream Cheese Frosting.
Skill Level:
Easy
Cost to Make:
$10-$12
Keyword:
frosted pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cookies, soft pumpkin cookies
Cuisine:
American
Course:
Dessert
Calories: 122
Servings: 30 cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour with baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
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Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
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Add in egg, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
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Add in pumpkin puree and whisk to combine.
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Switch to the paddle attachment and add in the flour mixture in fourths, allowing it to incorporate between additions. scrape down the bowl as needed and mix until well combined.
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Add dough balls to the baking sheet, about 1 Tbsp for each cookie. Since this is a soft dough, a cookie scoop makes it easier. Scoop cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1-inch of space between each one. Lightly press the tops of the cookies to flatten them a little.
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Bake at 350F for about 10-12 minutes or just until the cookie edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature and serve with Cream Cheese Frosting if desired.
*Nutrition label is for the cookie only and does not include frosting.
Nutrition Facts
Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 122
Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 66mg3%
Potassium 43mg1%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 1224IU24%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 12mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
