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    Home » Recipes

    Frosted Soft Pumpkin Cookies

    Published: Nov 7, 2022 by Mollie · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These frosted soft pumpkin cookies are chewy, cakey, and full of delicious fall flavors. They're topped with cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles, and they're so so good. They're also perfect for Holiday guests, but we won't judge if you make them all for yourself.

    Frosted pumpkin cookies with sprinkles sitting on a cutting board.

    These soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall treat. They're fast and easy and would be perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Add some sprinkles on top to make them extra fun and festive.

    Looking for other great fall desserts? Try our Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Candied Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds, or Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.

    Jump to:
    • Key Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Optional add-ins
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Frosted Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Key Ingredients

    • Canned pumpkin
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Pumpkin pie spice
    • Cream cheese

    And your typical cookie and frosting ingredients: unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, powdered sugar, and salt.

    See recipe card for amounts.

    Instructions

    Step 1: In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer. Then add the egg and mix well. Add the pumpkin and mix until combined.

    Sugar, butter, and an egg being creamed together in a stand mixer.
    Pumpkin and creamed sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
    Pumpkin mixed with creamed sugar in a mixing bowl.

    Step 2: In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.

    A pumpkin mixture and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.

    Step 3: Scoop dough onto a baking sheet with a large cookie scoop or spoon. Bake at 375°F for 7 minutes on the bottom oven rack, then move to the top oven rack and bake for another 7 minutes. Let cool.

    Step 4: While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until combined and smooth.

    Step 5: Once the cookies have fully cooled, top them with the frosting, and, if they're your thing, festive sprinkles. Enjoy! Store the cookies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Optional add-ins

    These cookies are great as-is, but you could also add any of the following for some extra flavor:

    • Chocolate chips
    • Chopped nuts--pecans are great in these cookies
    • Dried cranberries (craisins)
    • White chocolate chips

    Just add the extra ingredients to the dough before scooping it onto the baking sheet.

    A bite out of a soft frosted pumpkin cookie.

    Frequently asked questions

    Are these cookies flat or puffy?

    These cookies are extremely puffy and almost have a cake-like texture. They are not flat or even remotely crunchy-they're super thick, soft, and chewy.

    Do I have to use an electric mixer?

    No-you can hand mix. Just make sure you combine everything well.

    How do I make my frosting thicker?

    If your frosting is too thin (or is melting on the cookies), try chilling it in the refrigerator for about an hour prior to spreading it onto the cookies. Make sure your cookies are fully cooled before frosting.

    How should I store these cookies?

    These cookies are best stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. Store in an air-tight container or on a plate covered with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

    A plate of frosted soft pumpkin cookies with sprinkles.
    Frosted Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

    Frosted Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

    Recipe by Mollie

    These frosted soft pumpkin cookies are chewy, cakey, and full of delicious fall flavors. They're topped with cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles, and they're so so good. They're also perfect for Holiday guests, but we won't judge if you make them all for yourself.

    Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    5 from 1 vote
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    Servings

    20

    cookies
    Prep time

    20

    minutes
    Cooking time

    14

    minutes
    Total time

    34

    minutes
    Cook Mode

    Prevent your screen from going dark!

    Ingredients

    • For the cookies:
    • ½ cup ½ unsalted butter, softened

    • 1 cup 1 granulated sugar

    • 1 1 egg

    • 1 cup 1 pumpkin

    • 2.5 cups 2.5 flour

    • 1 teaspoon 1 baking powder

    • 1 teaspoon 1 baking soda

    • 1 teaspoon 1 ground cinnamon

    • ½ teaspoon ½ pumpkin pie spice

    • ½ teaspoon ½ salt

    • For the cream cheese frosting:
    • 4 ounces 4 cream cheese, softened

    • 1 tablespoon 1 unsalted butter, softened

    • ½ teaspoon ½ vanilla extract

    • 2 cups 2 powdered sugar

    Directions

    • In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer. Then add the egg and mix well. Add the pumpkin and mix until combined.
    • In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
    • Scoop dough onto a baking sheet with a large cookie scoop or spoon. Bake at 375°F for 7 minutes on the bottom oven rack, then move to the top oven rack and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
    • While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until combined and smooth.
    • Once the cookies have fully cooled, top them with the frosting, and, if they're your thing, festive sprinkles. Enjoy! Store the cookies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe?

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    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

    Welcome! We are Michael & Mollie, a hangry economics enthusiast and her husband. Our goal is to provide you with delicious, accessible, and healthy-ish recipes that are both time- and money-efficient.

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