These pumpkin cookies are thick and cakey, with tons of pumpkin spice flavor, and a layer of cream cheese frosting. They're an easy cookie dough, made in one bowl, that you don't have to chill. My best is advice is to make a double-batch.
INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225g) canned pumpkin puree (or sweet potato puree)
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Pumpkin Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium to high speed for 1 minute. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until well combined.
- Add one egg and the vanilla then beat well, until yellow streaks are gone. Add the pumpkin pure and beat again until it's incorporated. Finally, add the flour and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated. Watch the video to see instructions on how to properly measure flour. The dough will be wet, this is what you want!
- Use a heaping tablespoon or medium sized cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough balls a few inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set and no longer look wet. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat together the softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and all of the lumps are gone.
- Sift in the powdered sugar then add the vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Once cookies are cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.
NOTES
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Layer them between a paper towel to avoid them sticking together.
- Freeze: allow the cookies to cool completely then freeze on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours. When they’re frozen solid, transfer to a reusable bag to save space. When you’re ready to serve, arrange them on a baking sheet in an even layer and allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Frost and serve.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free: we tested these with vegan butter and 1:1 gluten-free baking flour (Bob’s Red Mill) and they turned out great! We also tried these with Myokos vegan butter and Kite Hil dairy-free cream cheese and they were delicious.
