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For the most outstanding Pumpkin Cookies ever, you need the right ratio of ingredients – enough pumpkin to POP without making a wet or mushy, dry or crumbly, cookie. I learned all about baking ratios in culinary school, and I’m excited to put that knowledge to work for you here.
If you’re looking for an exceptionally delicious pumpkin cookie, look no further. I’ll walk you through my best techniques so you can find success each and every time.
And to top them off, try my brown-butter frosting with a cinnamon-sugar topping. Step aside, pumpkin spiced lattes! Fall’s new favorite is here, and it’s a cookie.
Table of Contents
Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have the blend on hand already, make your own by whisking together 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon EACH ground cloves, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger.
- Pumpkin pureé: Canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) is convenient for this recipe. If you want to make your own pureé, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and fibrous strings. Cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces, then roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Finally, drain over cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess water.
- Cinnamon sugar topping: Whisk together ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon until blended.
How to make Pumpkin Spice Cookies
To make the cookies:
- Adjust an oven rack to the top middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Continue mixing until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- With the mixer still running, add the eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin. Mix until the ingredients are uniformly combined. Add 1 cup of flour at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. If you cannot fit all the flour in your stand mixer bowl, stir in any remaining flour by hand.
- Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the tops have set but the cookies are still soft, about 10 to 12 minutes per sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until the foaming subsides. Continue to heat the butter until it turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
- Add brown sugar, milk, and vanilla and powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Frost the cooled cookies with 1 to 2 teaspoons of frosting each. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar if desired.
Tips for Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Don’t overmix: Beat in ingredients until combined, but don’t go crazy and obliterate your batter.
- Room temperature ingredients: If your recipe calls for eggs, butter, or milk to be at room temperature, always follow those instructions.
- Better butter: If a recipe calls for creaming butter, make sure the butter isn’t melted.
- Wet and sticky: If your cookie dough feels sticky and is hard to scoop, chill it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. If you chill it overnight, let it warm up at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, so it’s easier to handle.
- Individual ovens: Not all ovens are equal, so watch your cookies rather than relying on a specified bake time. Cookies are ready when the edges are starting to brown and the centers are set.
- One sheet at a time: Ovens have hot spots, so if at all possible, bake one sheet of cookies at a time.
- Hot baking sheets: If you’re baking a big batch and need to reuse cookie sheets, cool cookie sheets to room temperature before using. Never add cookie dough to a hot baking sheet. The baking times and temperatures are based on cookie dough starting on a cool baking sheet.
How to Store Pumpkin Puree Cookies
- Yield: This recipe makes about 60 (2-inch) cookies.
- Storage: Store extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or 2 months in the refrigerator. If you live in a cold climate, store them on a patio or in a chilly garage for an even longer shelf-life.
- Make ahead: The cookie dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Freezer: Cooled cookies can be stored in freeze-safe bags, labeled, dated, and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies FAQs
Are canned pumpkin and pumpkin purée the same thing?
Yes, canned pumpkin and pumpkin purée are the same thing. Pumpkin pie filling is a completely different pumpkin product that is sweetened and has added spices. It should not be used when canned pumpkin or pumpkin purée is called for in a recipe.
More pumpkin recipes
Pie and Tart Recipes
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Muffins and Quick Breads
Homemade Pumpkin Muffins
Pie and Tart Recipes
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Muffins and Quick Breads
Pumpkin Bread
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Pumpkin Puree Cookies Recipe
This easy pumpkin cookie recipe is made with pumpkin puree (fresh or canned), pumpkin spice, and a delicious brown butter frosting.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 cups butter softened (1 pound or 4 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 15 ounces pumpkin purée (see note 2)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar topping for garnish, optional (see note 3)
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- Adjust an oven rack to the top middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Continue mixing until all the ingredients have been incorporated, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- With the mixer still running, add the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin. Mix until the ingredients are uniformly combined. Add 1 cup of flour at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. If you cannot fit all the flour in your standi mixer bowl, stir in any remaining flour by hand.
- Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the tops have set but the cookies are still soft, about 10 to 12 minutes per sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until the foaming subsides. Continue to heat the butter until it turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
- Add brown sugar, milk, and vanilla and powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. Frost the cooled cookies with 1 to 2 teaspoons of frosting each. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have the blend on hand already, make your own by whisking together 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon EACH ground cloves, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger.
- Pumpkin purée: Canned pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling) is convenient for this recipe. If you want to make your own pureé, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and fibrous strings. Cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces, then roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Blend in a food processor blender until smooth. Finally, drain over cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess water.
- Cinnamon sugar topping: Whisk together ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon until blended.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 60 (2-inch) cookies.
- Storage: Store extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or 2 months in the refrigerator. If you live in a cold climate, store them on a patio or in a chilly garage for an even longer shelf-life.
- Make ahead: The cookie dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Freezer: Cooled cookies can be stored in freeze-safe bags, labeled, dated, and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 249IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.