Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Say hello to fall by baking up a batch of these easy and delicious frosted pumpkin cookies. The soft pumpkin cookies have amazing pumpkin flavor and are frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese icing. This frosted pumpkin cookie recipe will become your go-to fall dessert!
Ingredients for Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds great flavor to the cookies.
- Pumpkin puree – Use 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda + baking powder – Leavening agents to help the cookies puff up and spread.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
- Pumpkin pie spice – A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice. Use store-bought or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Salt – A pinch of salt balances out the sweetness of the frosting.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds amazing flavor to the icing.
How to Make Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice). Set aside. Cream the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until it is fully incorporated. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together.
- Bake the cookies: Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese icing: Cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix well. Whip the frosting for about 2 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cookies: Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a swirl of icing onto the cooled cookies. Spread the icing with an offset spatula and decorate with additional pumpkin pie spice, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough. This creates even, round, uniform cookies.
- If the cookies become misshapen during baking, use the back of a spoon or a large round cookie cutter to gently nudge the edges of the cookies to make them perfectly round.
- Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree. The only ingredient will be pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cookies?
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve the cookies at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can I substitute the pumpkin pie spice?
- Yes! If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice, I recommend using ground cinnamon.
Other Pumpkin Recipes You Will Love
- Pumpkin spice whoopie pies
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes
- Salted caramel pumpkin cupcakes
- Pumpkin cake
- Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes
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Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Yield: 20 cookies
Say hello to fall by baking up a batch of these easy and delicious frosted pumpkin cookies. The soft pumpkin cookies have amazing pumpkin flavor and are frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese icing. This frosted pumpkin cookie recipe will become your go-to fall dessert!
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- ¾ tsp (1 tsp) salt
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Icing
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.2 tsp) salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with a silicone baking mats or parchment paper sheets.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well. Then, add the pumpkin puree and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the cookie dough forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet pan, allowing room for spreading.
- Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes until they are set on the edges and puffed up in the center. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Icing
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese for a few minutes until light and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the cream cheese icing for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
Frosting the Pumpkin Cookies
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the cream cheese icing. Pipe the icing over the surface of the cookie. Use a small offset spatula to gently smooth the icing and create a small swirl. If desired, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with additional pumpkin pie spice.
Notes
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve the cookies at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
So good! These cookies are definitely on the cakier side, but they’re soft, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. I brought a batch into work, and they were gone in minutes — everyone loved them!
Hi Jessica!! Yes, these are more cakey than chewy cookies. Almost like a pumpkin cake in cookie form! I’m so glad they were a hit at work! Thanks for the positive review and trying the recipe!