Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are soft, cakey fall cookies made with pumpkin purée, warm pumpkin pie spice and a hint of maple syrup. Topped with the most irresistible homemade cream cheese frosting, they are simply divine! This easy pumpkin cookie recipe is perfect for fall baking, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
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As soon as the leaves start to change, we're ready for all things pumpkin spice! Our famous pumpkin pie dip and pumpkin shaped cinnamon rolls are always a hit during fall and the holidays so we knew we had to make a fun pumpkin cookie! These cookies are one of the first things we bake every fall, and the whole house smells amazing while they're in the oven.
They're soft and cakey, almost like little pumpkin muffin tops, and the tangy frosting takes them over the top. We love bringing them to Halloween parties, fall bake sales, Thanksgiving dessert tables, and Christmas cookie exchanges. They always disappear and everyone asks for the recipe. It's a family favorite for the holiday season.
What are Pumpkin Spice Cookies
These are soft and fluffy drop cookies made with pumpkin purée, brown sugar, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Thanks to the pumpkin, they have a tender, cake-like texture that stays soft for days. Once cooled, they're topped with a sweet and creamy homemade cream cheese frosting and finished with a sprinkle of cinnamon or chopped walnuts. They are the perfect treat for a cool fall day to warm your spirit!
More Fun Cookies
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - spoon and level your flour so the cookies don't become dry.
- Pumpkin Spice and Cinnamon - give the cookies their cozy fall flavor. No pumpkin spice? Use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger and a pinch of allspice.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder - help the cookies rise and give them their soft, cakey texture.
- Brown Sugar and White Sugar - brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel flavor while white sugar adds sweetness.
- Butter - use softened unsalted butter.
- Egg - binds everything together.
- Pumpkin Purée - be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple Syrup and Vanilla - add a delicious warm sweetness that pairs perfectly with pumpkin.
- Cream Cheese Frosting - softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla whipped until fluffy.
- Garnish - a sprinkle of cinnamon and chopped walnuts or pecans (optional).
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of page
- Preheat oven to 350°F . Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- To a medium sized bowl add in the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined.
- In a separate large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar and butter. Until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg, pumpkin purée, maple syrup and vanilla to butter mixture. Beat until well combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just evenly combined, do not overmix or else the cookies will be dense.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop and drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Or use a spoon and scoop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and drop it onto the sheet pan. You do not need to roll the cookies, you can gently press down the scooped dough to slightly flatten the cookies.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are set and just turning golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for 2-3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to fully cool at room temperature.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a small bowl add the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to beat the frosting together until smooth. Gradually add in the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Once the cookies have fully cooled, use a spoon or piping bag to frost the cookies. Decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or some chopped nuts. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Cookies
- Frosting Tip - it is very important that the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature or else the frosting will be lumpy. If you forget to take them out of the fridge you can microwave the butter for 5-10 seconds (making sure it does not melt) and the cream cheese for 15 seconds.
- Flavor Variations - take these cookies up another notch by adding 1 cup of milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. For added crunch you can also add in ½ cup of finely chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds..
- Cookie Sandwiches - instead of frosting the tops of the cookies, you can make cookie sandwiches by frosting the bottom of a cookie and adding another on top!
FAQ
We do not recommend heating the frosted cookie, but you can warm up any unfrosted cookies in the oven or microwave on low heat until warmed through.
Once frosted, store the cookies in the fridge, so the cream cheese frosting stays fresh. Store up to 4 days, noting the expiry date of the cream cheese.
We recommend only freezing unfrosted cookies due to the cream cheese frosting not freezing well. Allow to thaw before frosting. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
You can bake them in advance and frost just before serving. Or you can bake the cookies and freeze unfrosted for up to 3 months and then frost them.
More Easy Treats
- Maple Pecan Butter Tarts
- Homemade Strawberry Toaster Strudel
- 8 Layer Magic Bars
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
- Chocolate Salami
Enjoy!
- Sab
Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger and a pinch of allspice)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, at room temperature)
- ½ cup cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (also called icing sugar, or confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon (for garnish)
- Walnuts (chopped for garnish, or nut of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F . Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- To a medium sized bowl add in the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined.
- In a separate large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg, pumpkin purée, maple syrup and vanilla to butter mixture. Beat until well combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just evenly combined, do not overmix or else the cookies will be dense.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop and drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Or use a spoon and scoop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and drop it onto the sheet pan. You do not need to roll the cookies, you can gently press down the scooped dough to slightly flatten the cookies.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are set and just turning golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for 2-3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to fully cool at room temperature.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a small bowl add the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to beat the frosting together until smooth. Gradually add in the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Once the cookies have fully cooled, use a spoon or piping bag to frost the cookies. Decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or some chopped nuts. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Sue says
Turned out perfect and was a huge hit.