Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice to finish them off!

Are you obsessed with pumpkin like we are? Next, try these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Créme Brûleé, and Healthy Pumpkin Bread!

Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

These cookies are a soft, cake-like blend of pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffin tops, and pumpkin pie,. They’re thick, chewy, and full of great flavor and spice.

Over the past few weeks, my boys and I have been perfecting pumpkin treats (like these Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal, and Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies) and we’re thrilled to share one of our favorites: delicious Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients In Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Dry Ingredients:

• Flour: This is the main part of the cookie dough.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These make the cookies rise and get fluffy.
• Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice: These spices make the cookies taste like pumpkin spice.
• Salt: It makes all the other flavors taste better.

Wet Ingredients:

• White Sugar & Brown Sugar: They make the cookies sweet. Brown sugar also makes them a bit chewy.
• Butter: Makes the cookies rich and tasty.
• Pumpkin from a Can: Gives the cookies a pumpkin flavor.
• Egg: Holds everything together.
• Vanilla: Makes the cookies smell and taste good.

Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve tried various frostings for my Pumpkin Cookies over the years, including browned butter, maple, and a glaze. After testing and getting feedback from family and friends, cream cheese frosting emerged as the clear favorite!

• Cream Cheese & Butter: They make the frosting creamy and good. Here are some tips on bringing them to room temperature quickly.
• Powdered Sugar: Makes the frosting sweet and smooth.
• Salt: Just a little to balance the sweet.
• Vanilla: Adds more good smell and taste.
• Optional Pumpkin Spice: For extra spice flavor if you like.

How To Make Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl.
2. Cream Butter and Sugars: In another bowl, mix the butter and sugars, then add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
3. Combine Mixtures: Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
4. Scoop Dough: Place the dough onto a lined baking sheet and flatten slightly.
5. Bake: Cook in a preheated oven until just set.
6. Prepare Frosting: Beat together cream cheese, butter, and sugar until smooth.
7. Frost Cookies: Apply the frosting to cooled cookies and enjoy. Store leftovers in the fridge.

More Amazing Pumpkin Treats

• Pumpkin Granola
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• 7 Layer Pumpkin Bars
• Pumpkin Carrot Cake
• Pumpkin Overnight Oats

SaveSaved Pin Print

4.69 from 54 votes

Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

By Chelsea Lords

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are dusted with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice to finish them off!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ Parchment paper or Silpat liner

Cookies

• ▢ 2 and 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour (See Note 1)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• ▢ 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ▢ 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened, do NOT melt
• ▢ 1 CUP (not an entire can!) canned pumpkin, (do not use pumpkin pie filling; do not use an entire can)
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (the block cream cheese, not spreadable), softened NOT melted
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, NOT melted
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Optional: pumpkin pie spice

Instructions 

• PREP: Prepare a large sheet pan by lining with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. This step is very important to avoid burned bottoms on these cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• DRY INGREDIENTS: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to a large bowl; whisk to combine and set aside.
• WET INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add 1 cup pumpkin, the egg, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is creamy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid over mixing, as it will create denser cookies. 
• OPTIONAL -- CHILL DOUGH: Cover tightly and chill the dough for 30 minutes up to 10 hours. Chilling is not necessary but it makes the dough easier to work with and intensifies flavors.
• ROLL COOKIE BALLS: Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out balls of dough. Each cookie should be about 1 tablespoon in size. Once dough is in the measuring spoon, use a small spoon to scoop it out and onto the lined sheet pan. Try to smooth or round the balls, but it's okay if they're a bit bumpy; the dough is difficult to work with. Leave 2 inches of room for each cookie (I only bake 8-10 cookies at a time) and flatten the balls of dough slightly. (This batter is wetter than normal cookie dough, so don't be alarmed that you can't roll the balls of dough; chill in the fridge for additional time if needed for easier rolling).
• BAKE: Bake for 8-12 minutes (9 minutes is perfect for my oven!) watching carefully to avoid over baking. We like these slightly under-baked and soft, but the tops shouldn't be shiny/wet looking at all. Remove and allow cookies to stand for another 3-5 minutes on the sheet pan before removing to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
• FROSTING: Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened (not melted; it should be at room temperature) cream cheese and butter until creamy (about 2 minutes) at medium-high speed. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until soft and creamy. Avoid over-beating the mixture or you'll get whipped frosting.
• FROST COOKIES: Generously frost the cooled cookies and if desired, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little pumpkin pie spice.
• STORAGE: Do not store the cookies in a sealed plastic container. Instead, store on plates loosely covered with foil in the fridge. They're best eaten the same day or within 2-3 days. After that, they soften too much. Freeze un-baked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months; bake straight from freezer for an additional 1-3 minutes.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour you will pack in too much flour; use a spoon to scoop it into a measuring cup and then level the top with the back of a table knife. 

Like this? Leave a comment below!