Soft Frosted Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
These Frosted Pumpkin Cookies are pillowy soft and irresistible. The pumpkin cookie has a fluffy, almost cake-like texture and is filled with a warm, pumpkin spice flavor. With the vanilla cream cheese frosting on top, each bite is absolute perfection.
Have you ever tried those soft, cake-like cookies with frosting at the grocery store?
These Frosted Pumpkin Cookies are just like those…but BETTER! They don’t get dry after a couple days and are made with lots of love (and pumpkin flavor).
This is an easy-to-make cookie recipe that requires just one bowl and simple ingredients.
Main Ingredients
While these are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe, you can find the full details and their measurements in the recipe card towards the end of this blog post.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Cookies
Don’t over-mix the batter. This can cause the cookies to not be as soft after baking.
Use a cookie scoop. When it comes to transferring the cookie dough to the parchment paper, using a cookie scoop is the easiest way to get perfectly circular cookies.
This also helps create the height on these cookies for thicker and fluffier texture.
Lastly, let the cookies cool completely. You don’t want the frosting to fall off the cookies and if they’re still warm, it will melt the frosting.
Step by Step Process for Making Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting
The full-detailed instructions are written out in the recipe card below. Use these images to help guide you as needed while following the instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend using oil instead of the butter for this cookie recipe as it uses softened butter and not melted. Using oil would alter the flavor and texture of the pumpkin cookies.
Homemade pumpkin puree has a higher water content than canned pumpkin puree. If you choose to use homemade, I suggest blotting it with a paper towel or kitchen cloth.
Yes! I use brown sugar in this recipe because the molasses pairs well with the canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavor.
Store in a big, airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 1 week. Try to use a container big enough so that the cookies aren’t touching/overcrowded.
If storing in the fridge, I suggest letting the cookies sit at room temperature prior to serving.
Soft Frosted Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Half & Half, or Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree, canned
- 1 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Pumpkin PIe Spice
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz Plain Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
- To a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and both sugars
- Mix using an electric hand mixer until combined
- Add in the egg, vanilla and half & half
- Mix until combined
- Add the canned pumpkin puree and mix
- Add in 1 cup of flour
- Mix
- Add in the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda and all of the spices
- Mix until just combined
- Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to portion out the dough on the prepared baking sheet. I usually do 6 cookies at a time for even baking
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes (the cookies should have risen, soft in the center with firm edges)
- Remove from the oven and repeat from the remaining cookie batter on a separate baking sheet
- Let the cookies cool completely
- While the cookies cool, make the vanilla cream cheese frosting
- To a mixing bowl, add the softened butter and cream cheese
- Blend using an electric hand mixer until combined
- Add in the vanilla and 1 cup of powdered sugar
- Mix
- Scrape the sides then add the remaining powdered sugar
- Mix until smooth and creamy
- Once the cookies are cooled, it's time to frost!
- Use a spoon or transfer the frosting to a piping bag to frost
- Frost swirls of frosting the cookies or add dollops using a spoon
- Serve and enjoy!