Best Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall treat—moist, cake-like, and full of pumpkin flavor.
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Feeling nostalgic about cooler weather?
If you’re looking for a soft, cake-like cookie that embodies all the cozy flavors of fall, these soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are exactly what you need. The combination of pumpkin, warm spices, and that addictive cream cheese frosting is perfect for any fall gathering or when you want a sweet treat at home. With only a few simple ingredients, this recipe is quick and easy, making it a must-have for anyone who wants to bring something homemade to their next party or family dinner.
What You’ll Love About This Pumpkin Cookie Recipe:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies Ingredients Needed
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How To Make Pumpkin Cookies
- Preheat the Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Mix until fully combined.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing between each addition. The dough should be thick, almost like cake batter.
- Scoop the Dough: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are firm and the bottoms are golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled, use a piping bag or a spoon to frost each cookie generously with the cream cheese frosting.
Find the measurements and full recipe below!
For even more delicious pumpkin recipes, you will like these:
Tips & Tricks for the Softest Pumpkin Cookies
- Don’t Overbake: These cookies are meant to be soft and cakey, so keep an eye on them. If they start to brown too much, they might become dry.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: To prevent the frosting from melting, ensure the cookies are completely cooled before spreading the cream cheese frosting on top.
- Storage: Store your frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh and soft for up to a week.
Pumpkin Cookie Mix In Ideas
While these cookies are fantastic on their own, feel free to get creative with mix-ins! Here are a few ideas:
- Chocolate Chips: Add a scoop of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips to the dough for a bit of extra sweetness and texture.
- Chopped Nuts: Walnuts or pecans add a crunchy element that complements the soft cookies perfectly.
- Cinnamon Sugar: For an extra fall touch, sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of the cookies before baking for added sweetness and spice. (Kinda like a pumpkin snickerdoodle!)
These soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall treat! Whether you’re preparing for a holiday gathering, a fall party, or just want a cozy snack, this recipe is easy to make and packed with flavor. With minimal effort and maximum reward, these cookies are sure to become a favorite in your fall baking rotation. Don’t wait—whip up a batch and enjoy the best of fall in every bite!
Pumpkin Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall treat—moist, cake-like, and full of pumpkin flavor.
Ingredients
For The Cookies:
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar (Raw Cane Sugar Can Also Be Used)
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
- ¾ cup Butter, Softened At Room Temperature
For The Frosting:
- 6 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened At Room Temperature
- ¼ cup Butter, Softened At Room Temperature
- 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy. This may take 1-2 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer on medium speed if desired.
- Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree and mix until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients ¼-½ cup at a time. Mix thoroughly between each addition of flour until you reach a cake batter consistency. It’s okay if you don’t use all the flour mixture.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, release the batter onto the baking sheet, keeping each cookie 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. The tops of the cookies should be rounded and firm, and the bottoms should be golden and crispy. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 20 minutes.
- While you wait for the cookies to cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer if desired.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it onto each cookie. You can also use a spoon to spread the frosting on if you do not have piping bags.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! For storage, place the cookies in an airtight container and refrigerate them until you are ready to serve.
Notes
- Feel free to add only 1 cup of powdered sugar to the frosting if you like it a little less sweet.
- You may not use all of the flour mixture, but that’s okay; it’s important to stop adding flour once you reach cake batter consistency.
- If the cookies are still soft on the bottom after 12 minutes, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- It’s also important not to butter or spray non-stick spray on the parchment paper. The cookies do not need to spread more than necessary. Just parchment paper is completely fine.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
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