Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe With The Best Frosting
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies: The Best Fall Treat
It’s that time of year again . . . pumpkin season! And what better way to celebrate the fall season than with soft pumpkin cookies, filled with warm spices and the delicious pumpkin flavor we all love?
Do you know how many different kinds of pumpkin cookies there are out there? There are chewy pumpkin cookies, cakey pumpkin cookies, pumpkin snickerdoodles, and even pumpkin oatmeal cookies. But today, I’m sharing my all-time favorite: soft pumpkin cookies with a slightly chewy texture and perfectly spiced with pumpkin pie spice. These cookies are soft, moist, and perfect for pairing with a hot cup of coffee in the morning or a cozy snack in the evening.
The Secret to Soft Pumpkin Cookies
The key to these cookies is achieving the right balance of wet ingredients and dry ingredients. My first attempt was a fail—I overmixed the dough, resulting in dry cookies. But don’t worry, I’ve perfected the recipe since then!
Here’s a pro tip: Make sure your butter is at room temperature, and don’t overmix your dough. The more you mix, the more you risk toughening the cookies, so keep that in mind! Another important step is using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the perfect pumpkin flavor. Trust me, it makes all the difference!
How to Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Here’s the step-by-step process to ensure your cookies turn out perfect every time:
- Prep your ingredients: Make sure to bring your butter to room temperature and measure out all your dry ingredients into a medium bowl. This step is crucial because skipping the proper mixing of dry ingredients like flour, baking soda, baking powder, and warm spices like ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves can affect the cookie texture.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer at medium speed, cream together the room temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Once combined, add the egg and vanilla extract to bring it all together.
- Mix in the pumpkin: Gently mix in canned pumpkin until just combined. This step ensures that the cookies stay soft and don’t become too dense.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Be careful not to overmix at this point—stop as soon as the dough comes together for a nice chewy texture.
- Drop the dough: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoons to drop dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or prepared baking sheets. You can even use a measuring cup to ensure uniform cookie sizes.
- Bake to perfection: Bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. The cookies will be soft, so letting them cool for a few minutes on a wire rack is key to ensuring they maintain their chewy and cakey texture.
- Store in an airtight container: To keep the cookies fresh and chewy, store them in an airtight container for up to five days. You can also freeze them for later enjoyment.
Common Issues When Making Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Even though these cookies are pretty straightforward, here are some common issues you might encounter and how to fix them:
- Cookies turned out dry: This is likely due to overmixing or using too much flour. Always measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off (instead of scooping directly from the bag). Also, be sure not to overmix the dough. Once everything is combined, stop mixing to avoid tough, dry cookies.
- Cookies are too flat: If your cookies are spreading too much, it could be because your butter was too warm. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, not melted. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can help prevent flat cookies.
- Dough is too sticky to handle: If the dough is too wet and sticky, try chilling it for 30 minutes to an hour before scooping and baking. The excess moisture in the pumpkin can sometimes cause this, so draining the pumpkin on a paper towel before using it can also help.
- Cookies aren’t rising: This could be due to expired baking powder or baking soda. Make sure your leavening agents are fresh to ensure the cookies rise properly.
How to Store Pumpkin Cookies
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
- Freezing the dough: If you want to freeze the dough, scoop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. You can bake them straight from frozen, just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe With The Best Frosting
These soft pumpkin cookies are packed with warm pumpkin pie spice and have a chewy texture that melts in your mouth. Made with pure pumpkin puree and topped with a rich Penuche Frosting, they’re perfect for the fall season.
Whether you enjoy them with coffee or as a treat, these easy pumpkin cookies will become your go-to autumn recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup room temperature butter
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Penuche Frosting
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together room temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed.
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and canned pumpkin, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Frosting Instructions:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in the milk and beat until smooth. Gradually mix in the confectioners sugar.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies.
Video
Notes
Now, I can’t wait to hear what you think!!! If you make them please let me know in the comments what you think. Or, better yet, send me a message over on Instagram, my favorite platform to connect with you!
These are amazing! Thanks for all the great cookies!
You’re welcome! Enjoy!!!
Can these be made with gluten free flour? They look delicious.
Yes! I suggest using Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 gluten free flour. It’s the best!