If you want to kick off pumpkin spice season in the most delicious way possible, you'll want to have this Pumpkin Spice Cookie Recipe on hand. These cookies are somehow soft, chewy, and fluffy all at once. Like pumpkin bread in cookie form, these things are absolute cakey-cookie heaven.
Unlike our soft and chewy Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies and Classic Peanut Butter Cookies, these get super plump and puffed up, while still maintaining a delicate interior. Think Lofthouse cookie...but even fluffier, if you can imagine that. On top of all of this, they come together super easily, and you don't even have to chill the dough!
I think it goes without saying that these Pumpkin Spice Cookies are perfect for Fall. But within the season I guarantee they are welcome at any type of event. Make a batch of these for a Halloween party, Thanksgiving, work socials, school parties, or just the next time you want a cozy, little pick-me-up. For another fall cookie, try our Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES
To begin, preheat your oven to 375°F and have ready one or two baking sheets lined with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
To kick off your pumpkin spice cookies, the first thing you want to do is get your dry ingredients in order! For the dry ingredients, you will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves!
In this recipe, we are whipping up our very own full-flavored pumpkin spice. However, if you have pumpkin spice already on hand, use 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, and omit the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove from the recipe card.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour mix and set aside.
Next, you'll add one cup of room-temperature unsalted butter and the granulated sugar to a large bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, you'll want to have an electric mixer on hand. Mix on medium-high speed until the butter and sugar are properly creamed, and appear lightened in color and fluffy. This process should take right about 3 minutes.
For this recipe, we went with granulated sugar over brown sugar to produce a soft, fluffy, and cake-like pumpkin cookie. If you prefer chewy pumpkin spice cookies, feel free to sub in brown sugar.
Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and then add the vanilla extract and the pumpkin puree. Mix once more until combined.
Speaking of pumpkin, be sure to add our pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to your Fall baking lineup as well! Or if you are simply a lover of all Fall things, check out our Fall inspired recipes!
Be sure you are using pumpkin purée, and not pumpkin pie filling for your Pumpkin Spice Cookies! If you have a fresh is best mentality, the thought of roasting fresh pumpkin for these cookies might have crossed your mind. However, in our experience, there is not a large enough difference in flavor or texture to qualify the prep time that goes into working with a homemade pumpkin puree.
Now with the mixer on low, you will gradually add in the flour mixture. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, you can scoop your cookie dough right away onto the prepared baking sheets or chill the dough, if you'd like.
This cookie dough is sticky, and you will find it is much easier to handle by using a medium-sized cookie scoop. If you don't have a cookie scoop, definitely consider chilling the dough.
You also want to take care to space the cookies at least 2 inches apart. You don't want your pumpkin spice cookies baking into one another! Once your cookies are on the baking sheet, mix up that cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle topping!
For the cinnamon sugar topping, you will need granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix the two together in a small bowl and generously sprinkle over the tops of your cookie dough rounds.
Transfer the cookies to the oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Your pumpkin spice cookies are ready as soon as the edges of the cookies are tinging golden-brown in color.
If you are as obsessed with pumpkin as we are, be sure you try our pumpkin cupcakes or pumpkin cake next!
MORE WAYS TO TOP YOUR COOKIES
Although we are most definitely partial to the amazing texture and flavor the cinnamon snickerdoodle topping adds to these pumpkin cookies, you might be thinking more along the lines of an icing or a glaze. The good news is, we've got you covered every which way!
Keep in mind, any time you're adding a frosting or glaze to a cookie, it's extremely important that your cookies have cooled completely before any toppings go on!
PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Pumpkin and cream cheese are a match made in heaven. People have been pairing these two together forever, but honestly, it never gets old. Something about the warm flavors of the pumpkin in contrast with the slightly tangy, creamy goodness of the cream cheese is just a hard-to-beat combination, so why reinvent the wheel? Here's what you'll do to make a killer and quick cream cheese frosting for your Pumpkin Spice Cookies:
To a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add 1 8 oz package of room-temperature cream cheese, ⅓ cup room-temperature butter, and ½ a cup powdered sugar. Begin mixing on low but you can increase the speed once most of the sugar and incorporated and you're no longer at risk of creating a powdered sugar dust storm.
Once it's all well combined, add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt and mix once more until smooth. And there you have it! Cream cheese frosting in 5 minutes!
It is important to note that your butter and cream cheese must be at room temperature in order for this frosting to come together correctly. Cold ingredients will leave you with a lumpy icing and nobody wants that!
Cream cheese will generally warm up enough after a couple of hours on the counter, but butter takes longer, so you will want to set it out the night before if at all possible.
PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH VANILLA GLAZE
A vanilla glaze is the perfect way to give your cookies a simple and beautiful little something extra, without overpowering the flavor of the cookies.
This glaze is just about as simple as it gets! All you need to do is grab a small bowl and add 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk, and ½ a teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk it all up until smooth and you're done!
Once you have dipped, drizzled, or painted your baked goods, they will need to set for about 30 minutes before serving.
HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES
Your Pumpkin Spice Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
However, if you decide to add the cream cheese frosting, you'll want to keep the cookies in the fridge in accordance with the FDA's recommendations for food safety.
Made too many? No worries! You can also pop these cookies in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag, or air-tight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. For more delicious cookies to add to your lineup, check out our Cookie Recipes next!
5 MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Pumpkin Mousse
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add the butter and 1 ¾ cup sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and a handheld mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix after each addition. Add the vanilla and the pumpkin and mix on medium speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the dry ingredients. The dough will be sticky. Set aside, and in a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
- Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of dough and place onto the baking sheet, spacing each cookie about 2" apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies lightly with about a ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges of the bottom edges of the cookies are tinging golden-brown.
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