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Pumpkin cookies
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5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Cookies

These pumpkin cookies are beautifully soft, packed with fall flavors and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. The perfect fall dessert!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 20
Calories: 150kcal
Author: Alison

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • ½ cup Butter Softened
  • ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ⅓ cup Pumpkin Purée Canned or Fresh
  • 1 and ½ cups All Purpose Flour Measured Correctly*
  • ½ tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp Salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 ounces Cream Cheese Full Fat, Brick Style, Softened*
  • 2 Tbsp Butter Softened
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • ⅛ tsp Vanilla Extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add the butter and white and brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and cream them together.
  • Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée and mix in.
  • Add the flour to a mixing bowl along with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and mix together.
  • Then add all the dry ingredients in with the wet and mix in by hand (don't use the electric mixer for this part) into a thick cookie dough.
  • Use a cookie scoop to scoop even amounts of the cookie dough onto the parchment lined tray. Aim for 20 cookies.
  • Flatten them with a fork.
  • Place them into the oven and bake for 12 minutes. If they're still a bit puffy when they come out of the oven then use a fork to gently flatten them a little more as soon as they come out of the oven.
  • Leave them on the tray to cool completely. When the cookies are completely cool, they're ready to frost.
  • Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat them together until very creamy and smooth (about 3 minutes).
  • Then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat in until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
  • Spread the frosting on the cookies and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Video

Notes

  1. Softened butter is easiest, but if you forget to take it out in time, then just cut it into small cubes and beat it for a longer time with the sugar.
  2. You can use either canned pumpkin purée or fresh homemade pumpkin purée. If you use homemade pumpkin purée then it's a good idea to let it stand in a sieve over a bowl so that any excess water can drain off before you use it.
  3. Measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method: spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don't scoop it and don't pack it into the cup. Alternatively weigh it on a food scale. Click 'metric' below the list of ingredients to get the ingredient weights in grams. 
  4. The cream cheese frosting is entirely optional. Softened butter and cream cheese is also useful for this, but if you forget, then just cut the cream cheese and butter into small pieces before beating it together in the stand mixer. 
  5. Store your cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They're best stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 851IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg