Frosted Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

These Frosted Pumpkin Cookies are incredibly delicious and borderline 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 of days and are made with the perfect amount of pumpkin spice flavor. Bonus, this is an easy-to-make cookie dough recipe that requires just one bowl and simple ingredients.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

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. 

• All Purpose Flour – Any brand of all-purpose flour will work for this cookie recipe. Make sure to measure it accurately so that the cookie isn’t dry. You can make the cookie dough gluten-free friendly by using gluten-free all-purpose flour, swapping at a 1:1 ratio.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder – The baking soda helps the cookie to spread wider, promotes a golden-brown color and creates a chewy interior. However, the baking powder provides the vertical lift and fluffiness, so the cookie is thick and tender rather than turning completely flat.
• Pumpkin Spice, Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg – These three are the perfect combination of spices in the cookie dough. They make each bite feel like a warm hug.
• Granulated Sugar – Helps the cookies to still have a slightly crisp edge on the cookies while also adding structure and sweetness to the cookies.
• Dark Brown Sugar – The high molasses content adds a delicious flavor and moistness to the cookies, creating a soft texture.
• Egg – Use a large-sized egg that is at room temperature before adding it into the dough.
• Pumpkin Puree – Make sure it is 100% pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling as that has added ingredients.
• Half & Half – Adds moisture and richness to create a softer cookie texture. You could also use heavy cream or whole milk, swapping at a 1:1 ratio.
• Vanilla Extract – Used in both the cookie and frosting, the vanilla adds a delicious flavor that ties the two together. You could also use vanilla paste if that is your preference, swapping at a 1:1 ratio.
• Salted Butter – Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature when making both the cookie dough and frosting. Unsalted butter can be used, swapping at a 1:1 ratio. However, add a pinch of salt to both the cookie dough and frosting to balance out the sweetness.
• Powdered Sugar – Any brand of powdered sugar will work for this recipe.

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. Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop and bake six cookies at a time for even baking. This also helps create the height on these cookies for thicker and fluffier texture.

Lastly, let the cookies cool completely after baking. The cookies should have risen and have firm edges while remaining soft in the center. You don’t want the frosting to fall off the cookies and if they’re still warm, it will melt the frosting.

How to Make Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

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.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine the butter and sugar using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
3. Add in the remaining wet ingredients then gently fold the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Scoop the cookie dough using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, baking about 6-8 cookies at a time, depending on the size of your baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes and remove from the oven when the cookies have risen and have golden edges.
6. While the cookies cool, make the frosting.
7. Add on the frosting once the cookies have cooled completely.
8. Enjoy!

Storing Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

Store in a big, airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days for ultimate freshness. If the cookies are frosted, they can’t be left out at room temperature for more than a day since the frosting uses cream cheese. Try to use a container big enough so that the cookies aren’t touching/overcrowded. Prior to serving, let the cookies sit at room temperature so that the texture softens a bit.

However, if the cookies are not frosted, you can store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a rating and comment at the end of this blog post. It is incredibly helpful to my small business and to your fellow readers.