These soft pumpkin cookies are thick and cakey with extra pumpkin spice flavor. The maple cream cheese icing is a delicious addition, but the cookies are just as wonderful plain. They’re quick, easy, and best of all—there’s no cookie dough chilling required! My advice is to blot the pumpkin puree to rid excess liquid and use a cookie scoop.
Pumpkin cookies! The two most beautiful words in the baking language. Well, besides apple pie and chocolate cake.
Diving into the fall baking season feels great and these pumpkin cookies are the best place to start. I’ve been perfecting cookie recipes for years and these, along with my pumpkin snickerdoodles and pumpkin crumb cake cookies, are some of my best. If you crave chocolate, my chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies use the same delicious cookie dough as the snickerdoodles. And if you prefer oats in your cookies, you will FLIP for my brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies and pumpkin oatmeal cream pies.
Search my pumpkin recipes for more cookies because I’ve published A LOT. For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
One reader, Trixie, commented: “This was my first time attempting a cookie of this texture and they were AMAZING. Made the recipe as written and the icing as well—11/10. They were a hit at our Thanksgiving get-together. The cookies truly are better on the second day. Can’t wait to make these again—thank you for sharing this recipe with the world! ★★★★★”
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cookies
- Texture: Unlike my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies where we play with ingredients to produce a chewy cookie, today’s cookies are soft and cakey. They aren’t dense and chewy like a traditional cookie. I wouldn’t describe them as fluffy as a cake—probably closer to a muffin. (Like little muffin top cookies.)
- Flavor: What they lack in chew/density, they make up for in flavor. By using extra cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ground ginger, as well as using more brown sugar than regular white sugar, I guarantee these will be more flavorful than any traditional pumpkin cookie you’ve had before. We’ll also blot excess liquid out of the pumpkin so we’re left with more concentrated flavor.
- Ease: No cookie dough chilling! They’ll go from mixing bowl to oven in minutes, which is especially helpful if you’re baking with kids or if you’re as impatient as I am. This recipe joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
Best Pumpkin Cookie Baking Tip
Blot the pumpkin puree. I discovered this trick when I worked on my brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies recipe. Pumpkin is a water-heavy ingredient. Its moisture is wonderful for quick breads and cakes, but not necessarily cookies. By removing some of the moisture, you’re left with dense and flavor-packed pumpkin without all of the excess liquid. (Think about it: you don’t usually put liquid in cookie dough, right?) Using a paper towel, blot out some of the pumpkin’s moisture. No need to squeeze it completely dry.
Blotting the pumpkin is actually one of my tricks to prevent a cakey tasting cookie. (See my chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.) Today’s pumpkin cookies are still going to be cakey because we’re using a lot of pumpkin. Still, ridding some of its moisture will improve the flavor and texture. Does this make sense?
Overview: How to Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
The full detailed instructions are provided below, but let me guide you through the process first. Start preheating that oven now!
- Blot the pumpkin. After ridding some moisture, you’ll have a little less than 1 and 1/2 cups of pumpkin—I usually have about 1 and 1/3 cups (315g). Using anywhere between 1.33 – 1.5 cups of pumpkin is fine.
- Get your oven preheated. Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. I swear by these mats! You can learn more in my Top 5 Cookie Baking Success Tips video and here’s how to clean silicone baking mats.
- Whisk dry ingredients. You need flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ground ginger. You can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here! Pumpkin pie spice contains cinnamon and ginger, but I like adding more of both and know you’ll enjoy the extra flavor too.
- Mix the wet ingredients. You need an electric mixer for this recipe. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the egg. Next add a splash of maple syrup to help thin out the dough, a little vanilla extract, and your blotted pumpkin. Mixture will look a little curdled at this point. Don’t fret, that’s normal.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Dough is thick and sticky, so I strongly recommend using a cookie scoop. The medium size cookie scoop is perfect because each dough ball should be around 1.5 Tablespoons of dough.
- Bake until the edges appear set. And here’s my tip for cooling: the longer the cookies cool, the better their flavor. It’s nearly impossible to wait before tasting one but just know that the flavors intensify after a day.
- Prepare the icing. Icing is optional, but I definitely don’t regret adding it. See next!
Maple Cream Cheese Icing
The cookies are wonderfully flavorful on their own, but I wanted to see how they’d taste with a little accessory on top. I love pumpkin and cream cheese together (hello, pumpkin cake), as well as pumpkin and maple together (hello, pumpkin scones). I tested a hybrid cream cheese frosting/maple glaze topping and definitely don’t regret it! This maple cream cheese icing is phenomenal. Give the cookies a quick dip and taste for yourself.
Note: the icing doesn’t really set so if you want to stack/transport these pumpkin cookies, skip the icing. Or for a different flavor, these cookies would also be delicious with salted caramel frosting.
These are honestly the only thing I want to eat for the entire fall season.
More Pumpkin Favorites
Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 32 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft pumpkin cookies are thick and cakey with extra pumpkin spice flavor. The maple cream cheese icing is a delicious addition, but the cookies are just as wonderful plain. No cookie dough chilling required!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I use and recommend dark)
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, milk, or orange juice (see note)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Maple Cream Cheese Icing (Optional)
- 3 ounces (85g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup
- pinch ground cinnamon (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Instructions
- In this recipe, it’s best to use pumpkin that has had some moisture removed. Blot the pumpkin with paper towels to rid excess moisture. No need to squeeze it completely dry. I usually place it in a paper towel lined bowl and let the paper towel soak up some moisture. A clean kitchen towel works too, but the pumpkin can stain. After ridding some moisture, you’ll have a little less than 1 and 1/2 cups of pumpkin—I usually have about 1 and 1/3 cups (315g). Using anywhere between 1.33 – 1.5 cups of pumpkin is fine. Set aside until step 4. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. It can be cold when you add it to the dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ginger together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and blotted pumpkin and mix on high until combined. Mixture will look a little curdled—that’s ok.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then mix on low speed until combined. Dough is thick and sticky. Scoop or roll cookie dough, around 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes or until edges appear set. The centers will look soft. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The longer the cookies cool, the better their flavor—I like them best on day 2!
- Optional Icing: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon (about 1/8 teaspoon), then beat on low speed until smooth and creamy. Taste. Add more cinnamon if desired. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into icing or spread it onto each cookie with a knife.
- Cover leftover iced cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Cookies without icing can be covered tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: To make ahead, you can cover and chill the cookie dough for up to 48 hours. Bring to room temperature before shaping into balls and baking. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before shaping into balls and baking. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. It’s best to thaw the dough balls and bring to room temperature before baking. Iced cookies or cookies without icing freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Pumpkin: Do not use pumpkin pie filling; use pure pumpkin puree. While using fresh pumpkin puree is fine, I always have better results with canned. You’ll need a little less than 1 standard 15 ounce can. No matter if you use fresh or canned, blot the pumpkin as directed in step 1.
- Spices: You can use 2 teaspoons of store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice in this recipe. This is in addition to the cinnamon and ginger already called for in the recipe. Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1/2 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice, and ground ginger.
- Maple Syrup: The 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, milk, or orange juice are really just to help thin out the cookie dough. 2 teaspoons isn’t much, but it does help. I love using maple syrup, but milk or orange juice work too. Orange is excellent with pumpkin—see my pumpkin bread!
- Optional Add-Ins: Feel free to fold 1 and 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried cranberries into the dough after you mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’m trying to use up a box of cake flour. Can I use this and any changes? Thanks
Hi Bob, we fear that cake flour may be a bit too light for the heavy pumpkin in this recipe. Here are all of our recipes that call for cake flour instead.
This is the best recipe and the most delicious cookie I have ever made and had. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I added chocolate chips to mine. It’s the perfect dessert for fall. Soo good! 10/10
I have been baking these for years now and they never disappoint! My sons fav, and my new boyfriends favorite too (I may have baked him some for our 3rd date hehe). These are a great go to any time of the year but huge hit in fall and winter. A must for my Christmas cookie boxes as well.
Can I use gluten free flour for pumpkin cookies
Hi Joanne, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you decide to try it!
Accidentally used a full can of pumpkin, so I had to bake these way longer. Made muffins out of the rest of the mix.
So good! These remind me of a pumpkin roll in a cookie! I used milk as suggested for the extra liquid and opted for vanilla in the icing since I’m not a huge maple fan. These did not disappoint!! They seem like they’d also make a great sandwich cookie if a thicker frosting was used. Thanks!
I don’t understand why you would blot the puree but then add liquid back. Roasting a full can of pumpkin spread on a sheet tray for 15 min at 400F (allow to cool before mixing) reduces the liquid and improves the flavor significantly, and no maple/milk etc is necessary.
Besides cream cheese icing, what else can I use instead that’s a healthier icing?
I made these cookies and noticed that in almost every cookie there was a bite that had a baking soda or baking powder soapy taste to it, I was wondering what I could do to fix that? besides that they were amazing and I’ve been asked to make them again lol
Hi Rayne, how strange, we’ve never experienced that with these cookies before! Were your baking powder and baking soda fresh? A fresh box/container may be helpful for next time.
Rayne, if you sift your dry ingredients that will break up any lumps you may have in your baking soda/baking powder.
I make these cookies and do a burnt butter frosting on them. They taste amazing.
I attempted making this and the dough was so wet I could hardly mold it with my hands. But when I cooked it, it came out extremely dry and the texture was less like a cookie and more like a biscuit or muffin. Where did I go wrong?
Hi Emma! Did your dough look like the photos/video above? These are meant to be a soft, more cake-like cookie. Also make sure to start with proper room temperature butter.
made these cookies for my Nov card group and restaurant staff, went over real well. Everyone kept asking me for more and the recipe
Definitely super soft. My dear old toothless mom will be thrilled! I dropped all the white granulated sugar, and put in a tbsp of honey. More than sweet enough.
I made this recipe for Christmas, baked 2 batches at once and they are so delicious! Brough some for my colleagues and they love the cookies as well. The spices, i made base on your recipe for pumpkin pie spices by the way, but i have to skip on the all spice as it’s hard to find it here in Indonesia, but the rest are good! They really spice up the cookies, it make the dough smell so good, and the cookies, so fluffy and cakey, this recipe definitely will stay in my cook book! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
I loved the first batch of these cookies. Now I want to make another batch, *but* I’ve just prepared your lemon curd. Would that be a terrible pairing?? Happy Xmas!
These cookies are GREAT. Used a whole can of Libby’s pumpkin puree which I strained the water from. They don’t spread that much so I was able to make lots of little, cakey cookies for Christmas Eve. Not too sweet, nicely spiced, great pumpkin flavor. Great with chocolate chips or just plain, without the frosting 🙂
I used oat flour instead of regular flour (never tried oat before) and it turned out wonderful!! so moist and syrupy on day 2 i’ll definitely be making these again
This recipe was delicious! I made them yesterday for a Christmas party at my boxing gym. I’ve eaten way too many for breakfast with my coffee. I blotted the pumpkin as directed. These came out cakey but still moist. The amount of frosting was perfect for the number of cookies it made.
I fixed your pumpkin cookies and me and my family fell in love with them getting ready to fix a second batch love this recipe
Hi Sally!
This just sounds so warm and delicious! I would love to give this recipe a go.
A quick question though, I plan freeze the dough and bake whenever guests drop by for a surprise these few days. How long would the cream cheese frosting last in the fridge? Would you recommend freezing and thawing those as needed as well?
Thank you for your time and apologies if I somehow missed this information in the post.
Hi Rin, these stay good in the fridge for up to a week. We hope you love them!
OMG!! Someone said “like little muffin tops” yes. SO good. I was craving something sweet and barely had all the needed ingredients (no ginger or nutmeg and only had swerve confectioners) they came out perfectly and satisfied my sweet tooth. Thank you!
These cookies were so flavourful. My family loved them and said they were like mini muffin tops. I will be making them again. Another tasty recipe from Sally!
Taste and texture is just like pumpkin bread! Very tasty!
I’m new to Sally’s recipes. I have bought her two cookie and baking addition books. But I don’t find these pumpkin recipes in the books. Is there another book in the making?
Hi Sue! The recipes in Sally’s cookbooks are exclusive to the cookbooks; same for the website. She is the process of working on her fourth cookbook now. You can learn more about it here if you’re interested!
Cookies were awesome. I added little extra spice. I didnt have maple syrup so I used fresh orange juice in the cookie recipe and I used zest and juice in the icing. Will definitely make these often!
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made! I used fresh homemade pumpkin puree…fantastic! This one is a keeper!!
My son and I made these for a fall party at school.
Just pulled the last tray of these out of the oven. My family is into them already, drawn to the kitchen by the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla and nutmeg. My younger son (age 20) ate his first one with his eyes closed, nodding, a look of intense concentration on his face. “Yes,” he whispered. I’m going to try to pack these away until tomorrow, but I did try one. They’re so soffft, and nicely spicy, not too sweet. I didn’t make the icing, so I can’t speak to that, but they don’t need anything else.
Amazing texture and flavor. Super good with and without the frosting.
I did forget to also say, I made my own pumpkin spice again as recommended in the recipe. I did not deviate from it as I usually do.