These pumpkin cookies are soft, moist, and filled with pumpkin spice flavor. Enjoy them plain or with cream cheese frosting for a delicious fall treat!
These pumpkin cookies are soft, cakey, and filled with pumpkin spice flavor. You can think of them as little pumpkin muffin tops. They’re not chewy like chocolate chip cookies. Instead, they’re airy and moist. I love them plain (especially alongside a cup of coffee), but they’re also delicious with cream cheese frosting.
If you need more reasons to love this pumpkin cookie recipe, here’s a big one: you don’t have to chill the cookie dough! When you’re in the mood for fall baking (which for me, lately, has been often), you can quickly whip these cookies up.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Happy baking, friends.
Pumpkin Cookies Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy pumpkin cookie recipe:
- Pumpkin, of course! Canned pumpkin puree works best for this recipe. It gives the cookies their soft, cakey texture and fills them with pumpkin flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Unsalted butter – For moisture and richness. Let it soften at room temperature for an hour before making the cookie dough.
- Brown sugar – It sweetens the cookies and makes them extra-moist. Light and dark brown sugar both work well here, but I prefer dark brown sugar’s richer molasses flavor.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and an egg – They help the cookies puff up in the oven.
- Vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice – For warm, cozy pumpkin spice flavor. If you don’t have a pre-made spice blend handy, make homemade pumpkin pie spice with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Did I mention that these pumpkin cookies come together in one bowl?!
To make them, start by combining the wet ingredients. Add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer instead!) Cream them together until well combined, about 1 minute. Then, beat in the egg, followed by the pumpkin and vanilla.
Next, add the dry ingredients. Beat in the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
To shape the cookies, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Heads up!
The cookie dough will be soft, almost more like a batter than a dough. That’s ok!
You should be able to use a cookie scoop to portion it onto the baking sheets. If you find that the dough is too soft to scoop, chill it in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up.
Bake the cookies at 350°F until the tops are set and the edges are very lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional: Frost the Cookies
You can enjoy these cookies plain, but topping them with cream cheese frosting makes them an even more decadent (and delicious!) treat.
Prepare my cream cheese frosting while the cookies bake, and chill it in the fridge. When the cookies are completely cool, frost and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Pumpkin purees vary. I’ve tried a LOT of brands over the years, and I’ve learned that some have a higher moisture content than others. I’ve had great results using Whole Foods 365 pumpkin, Kroger, and Libby’s in this recipe. I recommend avoiding Farmer’s Market Foods pumpkin, which is more watery than most brands I’ve tried.
- Make them dairy-free. Use softened coconut oil instead of butter. If you’d like to frost the cookies, use this easy vegan frosting.
- Bake one sheet at a time. Temperatures throughout an oven vary. For the most even bake, bake one sheet of cookies at a time on a rack in the center of the oven.
- Save some for later. Unfrosted cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you frost them, store them in the fridge. These cookies also freeze well. Stash them in an airtight container or bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow frozen cookies to thaw at room temp, or zap them in the microwave for around 30 seconds.
More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
If you love these pumpkin cookies, try one of these cozy pumpkin recipes next:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Serves 25
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until well-combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix to combine, followed by the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
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Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Mix to combine, then add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough will be very soft, like a thick, scoopable batter.
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Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between dough balls.
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Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and the tops are set. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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When completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.