Print

Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Four soft, orange pumpkin cookie treats topped with thick white cream cheese frosting on a light gray plate.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Make the best pumpkin cookie recipe this fall. These cookies are soft, chewy, and topped with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • For the Frosting:
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Prepare the cookie dough: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree until smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This step helps prevent spreading.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. You can roll them into balls first for a more uniform shape.
  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be set, but the centers should still look slightly soft. These are your soft pumpkin cookies.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Prepare the cream cheese frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  11. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
  12. Once the cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the top of each cookie.

Notes

  • For the chewiest results, use light brown sugar instead of white sugar in the dough.
  • If you want pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, fold in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips after mixing the dough.
  • Chill the dough for longer, up to 24 hours, for deeper flavor development.
  • If you prefer a cake-like cookie, bake for 1-2 minutes longer.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://yumdrizzle.com/soft-chewy-pumpkin-cookie-with-frosting/