If you think fall is the season that rocks the most, then kick it off with the most rockin’ pumpkin cookie recipe of all! These soft and delicious cookies feature those spiced pumpkin flavors plus an indulgent cream cheese frosting that make them impossible to resist, and will make you a legend at any gathering!
Best Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
The best part about fall are all those warm and cozy pumpkin flavors. Sometimes people refer to them as pumpkin pie cookies because of their similar taste. Making these pumpkin cookies will fill your home with that sweet and spicy fragrance that sets the tone for all the holidays to come. They’re great for when friends and family come by to jam out or to bring along to parties.
Homemade Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour to make this dough
- Baking powder and baking soda – Throw in both of these leavening agents for your softest results.
- Pumpkin puree – That canned stuff works magic. It ensures these soft pumpkin cookies turn out fluffy and delicious.
- Pumpkin pie spice – To give these pumpkin spice cookies that pumpkin pie flavor you love.
- Sugar – Both granulated sugar and packed brown sugar are required.
- Salt – Let’s balance the sweetness, shall we?
- Egg – One large egg will hold this all together.
- Vanilla extract – The finishing touch on flavor for any recipe for pumpkin cookies.
- Cream cheese frosting – The perfect topping for pumpkin pie cookies. Make this with cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
Pumpkin cookie cream cheese icing ingredients above. Of all the pumpkin pie cookie toppings this is our favorite!
Easy Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
Look at these magical cookies, would you? They taste even better than they look! And in 25 minutes, you can have this easy pumpkin cookie recipe wowing everyone in your home. While they’re tasty without the frosting, the frosting just adds that perfect finish, like eating a cupcake with less mess.
How do you Make Pumpkin Cookies from Scratch
To make this pumpkin cookies recipe, start by preheating the oven to 350F and prepping your baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another large mixing bowl, you’ll cream the butter with both sugars so they get light and fluffy. Next, add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Then you can fold in the dry ingredients until they’re just combined. Scoop balls of dough onto the baking sheets and flatten slightly. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies have a little bounce-back action when you touch the tops. You’ll let them cool before frosting. Speaking of frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth, then gradually add in the powdered sugar until you get the consistency you want.
Expert Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pumpkin Cookies Every Time
- Just combine! When it comes to adding the dry ingredients to the wet ones in your pumpkin spice cookies recipe, don’t overmix it as it can change the texture of your cookies.
- Let them cool. You do not want your frosting to run all over the place. Let your pumpkin cookies cool before adding the cream cheese frosting.
- Make it pretty. You can add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or even festive holiday sprinkles on top of the frosting if you like.
- With the frosting, room temperature is best. That goes for the cream cheese and butter, so ahead of baking this up, make sure you set those things out so it works out right.
- Adjust the consistency. If your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little milk or water until it balances out.
How do you make pumpkin spice cookies?
You combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, brown sugar, butter, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract to make the cookie dough. Then you bake it for 15 minutes. Frosting it with cream cheese icing makes these taste even better.
Can you use pumpkin pie mix instead of pumpkin puree for cookies?
It’s not a good idea to swap pumpkin pie mix for pumpkin puree. The reason is because the pumpkin pie mix is seasoned and as you will be adding other ingredients to your cookie dough, it will throw the whole thing off.
What can I do with half a can of pumpkin puree?
This recipe calls for a full can of pumpkin puree but if you only make half a batch and find yourself with leftover puree, you can do lots with it. You can make a pumpkin spice latte, add it to a smoothie, put it in your oatmeal, make pancakes, and plenty more.
Can you refrigerate pumpkin cookie dough?
Yes, you can, though you should make sure you bake it up within 3 days.
Do pumpkin cookies need to be refrigerated?
Pumpkin cookies need to be refrigerated if they are frosted. If you haven’t frosted them yet, you can keep them in an airtight container on your counter.
How do you keep pumpkin cookies from getting soggy?
You’ll give them their best texture by keeping them in an airtight container after they cool. Remember, if they are frosted though, they must go in the refrigerator or freezer.
How Long to Bake Pumpkin Cookies?
At 350F, pumpkin cookies will need about 15 minutes to bake.
How to Store Pumpkin Cookies?
With frosted pumpkin cookies, you will want to put them in the fridge. If you haven’t frosted them yet though, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
How Long Do Pumpkin Cookies Last?
If they are unfrosted, they will last as long as 7 days. But if they have been frosted, you will want to enjoy them within 3 days from the fridge.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Cookies?
Pumpkin cookies freeze exceptionally well so go ahead and throw them in the freezer. Without frosting, and assuming you wrap them well, they’ll last a year. With frosting though, you should use them within 2 months.
How to Thaw Pumpkin Cookies?
Pumpkin cookies will easily come back to life again while sitting out at room temperature. If they have frosting, don’t forget about them…you don’t want the frosting going bad!
Watch How To Make Pumpkin Cookies (Video)
Pumpkin Cookie Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 brick cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp butter (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then add in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls onto the baking sheets and flatten slightly with your fingers. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cookies bounce back slightly if you press on them. Allow to fully cool before frosting. Sprinkle additional pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon if desired.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until thoroughly combined. Adjust the desired consistency of the frosting by adding more powdered sugar if it’s too thin and a tablespoon or 2 of milk or water if too thick.