Easy to make and even easier to eat, these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting will become part of your fall baking repertoire. The not-so-secret special ingredient is canned pumpkin. It makes the cookies soft, tender and moist, not to mention a cozy shade of orange.
There’s certainly no shortage of canned pumpkin recipes, but we’re pretty partial to this one. The subtly sweet and earthy flavor of pumpkin pairs perfectly with brown sugar and ground cinnamon in these drop cookies. Crunchy walnuts in the batter and a sweet cream cheese frosting make the cookies even more indulgent.
You can spend all day digging into tips and tricks for baking cookies. Fortunately, these pumpkin cookies are pretty fool-proof, so you don’t need to! Enjoy this simply delightful pumpkin spice treat when the weather turns cool.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cookies
- Butter: Two sticks of unsalted butter go into these pumpkin cookies to make them flavorful and moist.
- Sugar: Using a high ratio of brown sugar creates a deeper, toffee-like flavor that goes well with pumpkin and warm cinnamon. Light or dark brown sugar will work just fine, although dark brown sugar gives a richer, bolder flavor due to the higher molasses content. A bit of granulated sugar adds just the right sweetness while making the cookies tender and soft.
- Egg: One large egg helps bind the batter ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: A bit of vanilla brings a touch of added flavor.
- Canned pumpkin: Besides its festive orange hue and subtle earthy flavor, canned pumpkin makes these cookies incredibly soft, tender and moist. Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling, which has several other added ingredients. Not sure what to buy? We think this canned pumpkin is best.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookies their structure and chew. Measure your flour accurately for the best results.
- Ground cinnamon: Pumpkin and cinnamon are an excellent fall pairing, so we use a good amount in our pumpkin cookies.
- Baking soda and baking powder: This combination of leavening agents helps the cookies rise in the oven.
- Salt: Even sweet recipes need a touch of salt for balance.
- Chopped walnuts: We throw 1 cup chopped walnuts into our pumpkin cookie dough for a little added texture and nutty flavor. If you’d like to make these cookies nut-free, feel free to leave them out.
- Cream cheese: We combine cream cheese and butter to make a smooth and slightly tangy cream cheese frosting to top our pumpkin cookies. For an ultra-smooth frosting, remember to bring these ingredients to room temperature first.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Powdered sugar adds just the right sweetness and gives structure to the cream cheese frosting.
Directions
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Editor’s Tip: Creaming butter and sugar together helps aerate the cookie dough, making the cookies soft and light. For proper creaming, beat the ingredients at medium to high speed for two to three minutes until light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the next ingredients.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients
Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree, and mix well.
Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients
Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.
Step 4: Combine the wet and dry ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and mix well. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
Editor’s Tip: To avoid overmixing the cookie dough (which can lead to a tough cookie), add the dry ingredients in two to three separate additions, and mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined.
Step 5: Scoop and bake
Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Make the cream cheese frosting
In a small bowl, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy. Spread frosting over the cooled cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Editor’s Tip: Make sure the cookies are completely cool before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and become soupy.
Pumpkin Cookie Variations
- Add more spices: Pumpkin and warm fall spices go hand-in-hand, so why not add more? Instead of ground cinnamon, add 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice to your cookie dough.
- Opt for a different nut: Swap the walnuts for pecans, or make these pumpkin cookies nut-free and leave them out altogether.
- Add more fall flavor: Zhuzh the cream cheese frosting by adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or a tablespoon of pure maple syrup.
- Try a different topping: If cream cheese frosting doesn’t hit the spot, top the cookies with a zesty orange glaze, similar to these pumpkin spice cookies.
- Make cookie sandwiches: Try spreading the cream cheese frosting between two cookies to make cookie sandwiches, similar to these pumpkin whoopie pies. Because two cookies are always better than one.
How to Store Pumpkin Cookies
Frosted pumpkin cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Unfrosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day before frosting. Whether frosted or unfrosted, avoid a common cookie storage mistake, and layer the cookies between sheets of parchment or waxed paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Can you freeze pumpkin cookies?
Yes, you can freeze either the pumpkin cookie dough or the baked cookies. Store pre-portioned cookie dough balls in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, simply bake from frozen as the recipe directs. For detailed instructions, here’s how we freeze cookie dough.
To freeze baked cookies, hold off on the frosting, then wrap tightly and store in the freezer for up to three months. After they’ve thawed, make the frosting and spread on the cookies. Here are more tips on how to freeze cookies.
Pumpkin Cookie Tips
How do you know the pumpkin cookies are done baking?
You’ll know these pumpkin cookies are ready to come out of the oven when the edges are set and lightly browned, and the tops are no longer shiny. Be careful not to overbake them so that they stay soft and moist.
What can you do with extra pumpkin puree?
You can use leftover pumpkin puree in many treats, from pumpkin pancakes to pumpkin lattes and even pumpkin ginger dog treats!
