Light, fluffy and flavorful, these soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting have the warm taste of fall in every bite. Easy to make with simple ingredients they are a crowd-pleaser!
Other cookies that we love include these pumpkin cookies with a cake mix, pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin oatmeal cookies!
Table of Contents
Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
Baking a batch of these soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting makes saying goodbye to summer and hello to fall so much easier! The best pumpkin recipes can make us excited for the cooler weather, and these cookies do just that!
If you remember my pumpkin cookies with caramel icing you’ll be happy to know that a cream cheese frosting is just as amazing! That sweet, tangy, and creamy frosting sits on top of a thick, melt-in-your-mouth cookie made with pure pumpkin and infused with pumpkin pie spice.
The texture is almost cake-like which gives it the perfect balance of cookie and cake just like my favorite carrot cake cookies. Soft pumpkin cookies are easy to make and ready in just over 1 hour. Whip up a batch for the holidays, or just to have on hand for dessert!
Why This Recipe Works
- Fall flavors. We’ve got layers of pumpkin in here. Pure pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice which is then completed by other familiar warm spices.
- Homemade from scratch. You can make as many of these pumpkin spice cookies with cream cheese frosting from scratch as you’d like. I use a homemade pumpkin pie spice, as well as a homemade pumpkin purée and frosting, but they are versatile to use use what you have on hand!
- Soft and fluffy. These might remind you of a Lofthouse cookie with their pillowy texture but the pumpkin makes them perfectly suitable for the season!
- An easy recipe. There is no need to chill the dough or roll it out! Just scoop and bake for the best pumpkin spiced treat.
Cookie Ingredients
See full printable recipe below.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, egg, butter, sugar, and vanilla.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Make your own blend or use a store brand version.
- Ground cinnamon: You may notice that pumpkin pie spice contains cinnamon. It’s just not enough this time! We need more, so cinnamon is listed as a separate ingredient.
- Light brown sugar, packed: Gives us that beautiful caramel flavor to the cookie. Measuring it packed, means you pack it down into the measuring up to remove as much air as possible until the sugar reaches the rim.
- Pumpkin purée: Not pumpkin pie filling! You can make your own, which is usually thinner and contains more water than canned filling. The canned pumpkin will usually have more of the water removed and also be darker in color. It’s up to you!
Cream Cheese Frosting
We’re using traditional ingredients for this which include butter, cream cheese which needs to be soft enough to cream, and powdered sugar for added sweetness and to thicken it up. Then a splash of vanilla extract for a warm flavor to round out the sweet and tangy combination. So good!
More Frosting Variations
Soft pumpkin cookies can be topped with a variety of different flavors of frosting which makes them suitable for so many occasions! Make a variety in one go, and have a few of each kind on display for people to choose from!
How to Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Just a few easy steps before popping them in the oven. The smell of freshly baked cookies is just moments away!
- Make the cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt. Separately, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix in the pumpkin purée until everything is smooth. Then, add in the flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients and wet ingredients are combined.
- Scoop and bake the dough. Use a medium cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop out the cookie dough. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or silicone mat 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 1 minute and allow them to cool on a baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. If you’ve cleaned out your stand mixer, by all means, use it. If not, grab your electric hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until just combined and airy. Do not overmix. Do a little taste test and add a pinch of salt or a bit more vanilla if needed.
- Frosting your cookies. Using a knife or cake spatula, spread and slather those babies to your heart’s content! Add a sprinkle of extra cinnamon on top, if desired. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Room temperature ingredients. It’s the only way the butter and cream cheese will be soft enough to cream together! Brush up with these tips on how to soften butter and how to soften cream cheese.
- Don’t pack your flour. Learn how to measure flour so your cookies don’t turn out too dense.
- To test if your cookies are done, stick a toothpick into the thickest part of the cookies (the center). If it comes out clean, it’s done!
- A thicker sweeter frosting. Use 1/2 cup more powdered sugar than the recipe calls for.
- To store the soft pumpkin cookies, keep them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Turn these into pumpkin chocolate chip cookies by adding some chocolate chips to the batter.
Recipe FAQs
No need to keep them in the refrigerator! The powdered sugar in the icing acts as a preserve to keep the frosting safe for days.
They can stay fresh for up to 3 days on the counter. The key is to keep them covered so they don’t dry out.
They are! While there is no actual pumpkin in the spice blend, it’s a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice that gives it its signature flavor.
Truth be told, pumpkin all on its own has a mild savory flavor, just like other types of squash.
More Fall Dessert Recipes
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar , packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar , plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop the cookie dough 1 1/2 inches apart onto the baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on the baking sheet 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat just until combined and airy. Do not overmix. Taste and add a pinch of salt or more vanilla, if desired. You can also add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar if you'd like it a little sweeter or thicker.
- Using a knife or a cake spatula, frost cookies. Add a dash of cinnamon on top, if desired. Store in covered container up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Cookies, Desserts, Frosted Cookies, Halloween, Nut-Free, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
These are the most delicious cookies! They didn’t last long around here. I plan on making them again soon. 10/10
Glad to hear they were a big hit, Melissa!
These are so perfect for the fall, I cant stop eating them! The cream cheese frosting is just a perfect combo! SO MUCH YUM!
I’m so happy you love them! They are a favorite at our house too :)