These soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are light, fluffy and will melt-in-your-mouth! With plenty of pumpkin pie spice, they are the perfect fall cookie.
Other cookie recipes that we love include these pumpkin cake mix cookies, pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin oatmeal cookies!
Table of Contents
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Baking a batch of soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting makes saying hello to fall so much easier, similar to welcoming spring with carrot cake cookies! The best pumpkin recipes can make us excited for the season and these cookies do just that!
If you love pumpkin cookies with caramel icing this cream cheese frosting is just as amazing! A sweet, tangy, and creamy frosting sits on top of a thick, cake-like, melt-in-your-mouth cookie made with pure pumpkin and infused with pumpkin pie spice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Plenty of 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.
- Soft and fluffy. These pumpkin spice cookies might remind you of a Lofthouse cookie with their pillowy texture but pumpkin spice makes them perfect for fall.
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 with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves or allspice or use a store brand version.
- Ground cinnamon: You may notice that pumpkin pie spice contains cinnamon. It’s just not enough this time for the best warm spiced cookie.
- Light brown sugar: Adds a beautiful caramel flavor to the cookie.
- Pumpkin purée: Not pumpkin pie filling! Use your own pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin.
- Cream cheese frosting: Butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
Frosting Variations
This soft pumpkin cookie recipe can be topped with a variety of different flavors of frosting.
You could even just add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice to plain cream cheese frosting like in my pumpkin cake!
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix in the pumpkin purée until everything is smooth. Add in the flour 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 cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar then vanilla and beat until just combined and airy. Do not overmix.
- 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!
Recipe Tips
- Room temperature ingredients. It’s the only way the butter and cream cheese will be soft enough to cream together! Remember to soft them out ahead of time.
- 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.
- Add cinnamon sugar on top of the frosting for even more warm flavor.
- Turn these into pumpkin chocolate chip cookies by adding some chocolate chips to the batter.
Love pumpkin and cream cheese in recipes? Try this pumpkin cream cheese muffins recipe or pumpkin roll!
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
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 1 1 2/ teaspoons cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- Wet ingredients. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup butter, 2/3 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup sugar. Add 1 large egg and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in 1 cup pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Bake cookies. 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
- Combine. In a large bowl, beat 8 ounces cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon 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.
- Frost. 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!
Recipe FAQs
I only do if I am using homemade puree which can be more watery or if I am planning to transport the cookies. Blotting the pumpkin removes some moisture for a sturdier cookie that is still super soft.
You can store cookies in airtight container for up to 3 days with 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. If you plan on storing them longer, though, I would move them to the refrigerator for up to 5 days then bring to room temperature before enjoying.
Yes! You can either freeze baked unfrosted cookies for up to three months or freeze the cookie dough.
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 the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts 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 :)