These super soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are one of our favorite Fall treats! They are easy to make and deliciously moist, with the perfect amount of cinnamon spice. Plus, they’re less messy to share at a party than a pumpkin cake.
My family is obsessed with pumpkin desserts. My kids go absolutely crazy for chocolate chip pumpkin bread, pumpkin juice, pumpkin pie, and anything else pumpkin flavored. We have even grown our own sugar pumpkins so we can make homemade pumpkin puree! So it’s no surprise that my kids loved helping make these easy Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Other pumpkin cookie recipes are made with spice cake mixes or call for pumpkin pie spice, but I wanted to avoid that with this recipe. So after rounds of recipe testing, I made these cookies super pantry friendly with ingredients and spices you probably already have at home. I prefer to use up the jars of individual spices and get the balance of flavors just the way I like. Which is why I think these are the best soft pumpkin cookies I’ve ever had.
Also, can we just talk about this wonderful cream cheese frosting for a second? It’s so tangy and sweet and amazing. The cookies are delicious all on their own and can totally be eaten plain, but the frosting takes them over the top. Especially with just a sprinkle of cinnamon for decoration.
When it’s fall and all things are pumpkin, some of our other favorite recipes to make are Twice Glazed Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Ice Cream, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread!
Reader Review: “I just made these cookies today with my kids and they are to die for!! Seriously I ate four already (yes I know) and now I’m licking the extra cream cheese frosting from the bowl.”
– Chesey
How To Make Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream ingredients. Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light, about 2 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients. Then add the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and mix again until combined. You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own.
- Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour together with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Then add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. This dough is a little softer and stickier than most other cookie dough that I usually work with.
- Shape. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure to leave enough room for them to spread. The cookies will spread a bit, but they also puff up and are more on the cakey side, rather than being super chewy. The reason is because of the extra moisture that the pumpkin adds to the cookie dough.
- Bake. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350°F. Don’t want to overbake or the cookies will be dry. They should be set, but still moist inside, and they will continue to set up just a bit even after you remove them from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. These are delicious all on their own, but even better with cream cheese frosting!
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combining softened butter and softened cream cheese in a bowl. If you forget to pull your ingredients out, you can microwave them for 10-15 seconds to warm them up a bit before mixing. Beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and completely combined.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Even a small amount makes a big difference in bringing out the flavor in frosting so it doesn’t just taste like sugar. Mix until the powdered sugar is all mixed in, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Frost each soft pumpkin cookie with a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting. I like to sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top of each cookie for decoration. Then serve and enjoy!
Storage
Cream cheese frosting doesn’t set up as much as regular buttercream, so stacking these cookies isn’t the best idea. You really need to store these pumpkin cookies in a single layer if they have already been frosted with the cream cheese frosting.
The frosted cookies can sit out on the counter for up to 8 hours before they need to be refrigerated. Sugar helps preserve the cream cheese, so even though there is dairy in the frosting, it’s okay at room temperature for longer than normal.
But if you need the pumpkin cookies to last longer, just cover them loosely with wax paper or aluminum foil and they will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze unfrosted soft pumpkin cookies for about 2 months. Just thaw on the counter overnight and frost the next day. Unfortunately, the cream cheese frosting doesn’t freeze very well, so I don’t recommend freezing frosted cookies that have not been eaten.
Variations
- Skip the cream cheese frosting and add 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the pumpkin cookie dough before scooping and baking for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
- Stir in ¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch!
- Instead of frosting the tops of the pumpkin cookies, frost the bottom of one cookie and sandwich it with another to make pumpkin cookie sandwiches.
Expert Tips
- Avoid over-mixing the batter. Just stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined for the best, fluffiest texture. Over-mixing can create dense, tough cookies.
- Don’t over-bake the cookies. Since these cookies have a cake-like texture, just bake until the edges are set and the center-top is no longer glossy.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened for the frosting. This will help with even mixing for the creamiest texture.
- Let cookies cool before frosting them. Allow them to cool completely before adding the frosting, to keep it from melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
The pumpkin puree gives the cookies an ultra moist, soft texture, and paired with baking powder and soda, plus gentle mixing, they turn out airy and fluffy.
Avoid over-mixing the batter. Stir until just combined to get a soft, fluffy texture. Stirring and stirring can give them a dense, cake-like texture.
We recommend pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie filling, as its just pure pumpkin, whereas pumpkin pie filling has already been flavored and sweetened with spices.
You don’t need to chill this dough before baking the cookies – they can be scooped right after they’re mixed!
More Fall Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Halloween Chocolate Blossom Sprinkle Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Halloween Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups (353g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup plain canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/4 cup salted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl.2 ½ cups (353g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and mix again until combined.¾ cup salted butter, 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, 1 cup plain canned pumpkin puree, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour and spices to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, but be careful not to overbake. I prefer to slightly underbake my cookies by a little bit so they stay soft. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting by beating the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed in a medium bowl until creamy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until creamy and combined.¼ cup salted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
- Frost cooled cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon for decoration, if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Store frosted cookies in a single layer covered loosely with wax paper or foil in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to make the cookies in advance, freeze before frosting for up to 2 months. Remove and frost just before serving.
- Chocolate Chip Variation: Leave off the frosting and add 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the cookie dough before scooping and baking.
Nutrition
This soft pumpkin cookies first appeared on The Salty Marshmallow, where I am a contributor.
I just made these cookies today with my kids and they are to die for!! Seriously I ate four already (yes I know) and now I’m licking the extra cream cheese frosting from the bowl. I both love and hate you right now for it.
LOL – thanks, Chelsey! I’m so glad everybody enjoyed them!
Could I add choc. chips and skip the frosting? Do you think they will taste good with out the frosting?
Yes! Customize any way you want! Adding chocolate chips would be delicious as well.