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These cakey pumpkin cookies are the real deal. I started with the base of my popular pumpkin sugar cookies (which has 128 five-star reviews), and with just a few tweaks like adding an egg, baking powder, and a critical step for removing excess moisture from the puree made all the difference between chewy and cakey, turning them into the perfect soft pumpkin cookie. Paired with my simple cream cheese frosting, these are a must-make Fall cookie!
I just made these cookies and I cannot believe how fluffy, light and delicious they are! My house smells amazing! I didn’t make the frosting this time, but girrlllsss…. Beth knows her cookie recipes!
-Isabel
The Perfect Recipe for Pumpkin Cookies
My chewy pumpkin cookies always get rave reviews, so I decided to make soft pumpkin cookies for those who like a more cakey cookie. To accomplish this, I used my years of baking experience and knew I needed to first add an egg. The egg promotes puffiness and spreading in cookies.
Next, I added baking powder, which helps with lift. I also increased the amount of pumpkin puree for a moister, softer texture. The result? The fluffiest pumpkin cookies. These are like a cross between pumpkin cake and pumpkin cookies.
Finally, I paired them with my popular cream cheese frosting, which just takes these to the next level! If you love pumpkin flavor, check out more pumpkin recipes – especially my pumpkin muffins! If you’re craving that cheesecake pumpkin combo, look no further than pumpkin cheesecake bars. Keep reading for all my best tips, storage info, and more.
Why You’ll Love These Soft Pumpkin Cookies
It’s that time of year when we want all the Fall flavors, warm spices, and Pumpkin spice lattes! Here are just a few of the reasons why you’ll love these delicious pumpkin cookies:
- Super soft cookies with a cakey texture
- Bursting with pumpkin spice flavor
- No dough chilling required
- Paired perfectly with a cream cheese frosting
- Super easy to make, with no baking experience required
Pumpkin Spice Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Made with simple ingredients, these melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin cookies are always a crowd-pleaser perfect for the Fall season. Get the full recipe with measurements and instructions in the recipe card below. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Unsalted butter: room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Pure Pumpkin puree
- Egg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: softened
- Unsalted butter: softened
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Salt and dash of milk or heavy cream: optional
How to Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Even if you’ve never baked before, you can make these easy pumpkin cookies with success when you follow my simple step-by-step guide. Get the full recipe in the recipe card below. Here are the instructions:
Cookies
- Prep oven and remove moisture from pumpkin puree. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To remove excess moisture from pumpkin puree, place the pumpkin puree in a few paper towels on a plate. Fold the paper towels over the puree, so it’s completely enclosed. The excess moisture will soak into the paper towels within a few minutes. This step is critical.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the pumpkin puree and egg, beat again to combine.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low or by hand with a spatula until combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Make cookie dough balls & bake. Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 10-14 or until the edges have set.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes, then move to a cooling wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine butter and cream cheese. Place room temperature unsalted butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium and beat together for 1-2 minutes, until whipped and fluffy.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar (and optional salt), beat again on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until everything is incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk or heavy cream, beat until creamy.
- Top cookies. Spread the frosting on top of the cookies and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired.
Tips for These Easy Pumpkin Cookies
For best results, follow these tips:
- Remove excess moisture from the pumpkin puree: To remove excess moisture from the pumpkin puree, place the pumpkin puree in a few paper towels on a plate. Fold the paper towels over the puree, so it’s completely enclosed. The paper towel will soak up the excess moisture within a few minutes.
- Do not use pumpkin pie filling: Stick with pumpkin puree. While you can use fresh pumpkin puree, I’ve found that canned pure pumpkin puree is best.
- Properly measure the flour: Use the spoon and level method to properly measure the flour. This is crucial for creating the right texture and density in the cookies.
- Be sure to use a cookie scoop: Do not roll the cookies between your hands – this pumpkin cookie dough is sticky and should be dropped from a cookie scoop onto the baking sheet.
Storing Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. If the cookies are not frosted, you can store them at room temperature.
Can you freeze Pumpkin Cookies?
For longer storage, you can freeze these pumpkin cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container, separated by parchment paper for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze the cookie dough. To do so:
- Form the dough balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. You can place the dough balls close together since you won’t be baking them.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the cookies are frozen solid, about 1 hour.
- Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a ziplock freezer bag. Label the bag with baking directions.
- Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
- To bake, remove the dough from the freezer. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Roll the balls in sugar and bake for 15-19 minutes. Frozen cookies may need to bake for 1-2 minutes longer than non-frozen cookies.
Pumpkin Cookies Recipe FAQs
Yes, freeze the baked cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months, with parchment paper between layers so they don’t stick together. You can also freeze the dough balls before baking, just place them close together on a lined baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding an extra 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Cream cheese frosting is my favorite here because the tang balances all that pumpkin spice, but this dough is sweet enough to work with a simple vanilla buttercream too if that’s what you have on hand.
Bake and cool the cookies completely, then store them unfrosted in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for longer storage. Wait to make and add the frosting until the day you plan to serve them, since frosted cookies don’t hold up quite as well and the frosting can get a little too soft sitting out.
If you followed this recipe, cakey is exactly what you’re supposed to get, that texture is the whole point. I added an egg and baking powder specifically to build in that lift and softness, and I bumped up the pumpkin puree too, which is why these taste more like a cross between a cookie and a little pumpkin cake.
If chewy is what you’re after, you’re just using the wrong pumpkin cookie recipe, not doing anything wrong. Head over to my pumpkin sugar cookies instead, that’s the base I started from before adding the egg and extra puree to turn these into the cakey version.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Spice Scones
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Pumpkin Spice Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 2 sticks, room temperature
- ¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (160g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (227g) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups (339-454g) powdered sugar
- optional: 1/8 tsp salt and dash of milk or heavy cream
Video
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To remove excess moisture from pumpkin puree, place the pumpkin puree in a few paper towels on a plate. Fold the paper towels over the puree, so it’s completely enclosed. The excess moisture will soak into the paper towels within a few minutes. This step is critical.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp salt
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes.1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (160g) brown sugar
- Add in the pumpkin puree and egg, beat again to combine.1 cup (227g) pumpkin puree, 1 large egg
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low or by hand with a spatula until combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 10-14 or until the edges have set.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place room temperature unsalted butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium and beat together for 1-2 minutes, until whipped and fluffy.8 oz (226g) cream cheese, ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar (and optional salt), beat again on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until everything is incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk or heavy cream, beat until creamy.1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 3-4 cups (339-454g) powdered sugar, optional: 1/8 tsp salt and dash of milk or heavy cream
- Spread the frosting on top of the cookies and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired.
I just made these cookies and I cannot believe how fluffy, light and delicious they are! My house smells amazing! I didn’t made the frosting this time, but girrlllsss…. Beth knows her cookie recipes!
Excellent
I have made this recipe twice now. I absolutely love it, and so does my entire family! I will be adding it to my holiday baked goodies for next year. Thank you so much for sharing!