Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting melt in your mouth with each bite. They are easy to make and pillowy soft!
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Medium cookie scoop
- 1 Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies and Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice plus extra for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces block-style cream cheese softened but still cool
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened but still cool
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin purée, egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. The dough will be a little sticky and soft.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (or a spoon), to scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and place it on prepared baking sheet. Space cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies at 350°F for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies are soft and fluffy. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and mix again just until combined, about 30 more seconds.
- Use an off-set spatula or a knife to frost cooled pumpkin cookies. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and serve.
- Don’t forget to sprinkle a touch of pumpkin pie spice on top for that extra cozy feeling.
Notes
Pumpkin pie spice: 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger + 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg + 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Store frosted pumpkin cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make ahead tip: Chill pumpkin cookie dough for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before baking. Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months.