Description
Delightful pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting blend autumn’s warmth with sweet comfort. Spiced dough and silky frosting create a perfect seasonal treat you’ll crave from first bite to last.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (305 g) canned pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Sweeteners and Sugars:
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
Dry Ingredients and Spices:
- 2 1/2 cups (3 1/2 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare your workspace by preheating the oven and arranging a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Create a dry ingredient blend by whisking flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter with white and brown sugars until the mixture becomes airy and pale, approximately 3 minutes.
- Incorporate pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla into the butter mixture, ensuring smooth integration and scraping down the bowl’s sides.
- Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. The resulting dough will have a soft, slightly tacky consistency.
- Portion the dough using a cookie scoop, placing rounded mounds approximately 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, watching for set edges and a fluffy texture.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting by whipping cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla and confectioners’ sugar to the cream cheese mixture, blending until just combined.
- Once cookies are completely cooled, generously spread frosting using an offset spatula.
- Finish by dusting the frosted cookies with a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon before serving.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent spreading and create thicker, more uniform cookies.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and consistent texture.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum.
- Reduce sugar by 25% if you prefer less sweetness, as pumpkin puree adds natural sweetness to the recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg