I can’t wait to share my Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Icing recipe and the single unexpected trick I use to make fall baking surprisingly simple.

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I never thought a simple batch of pumpkin puree and cream cheese could make such dreamy cookies, but then I made them on a whim and everything changed. The Pumpkin Cookie Frosting is silky and just sweeps across the top, while the cookie itself somehow stays soft, pillowy, almost disappearing on your tongue.

I call these my little fall secret, theyre messy, sweet, and everyone always asks for more. If you like Pumpkin And Cream Cheese Cookies that melt instead of crumble, this one will surprise you.

Try em on a gray afternoon, you might never bake the same way again.

Ingredients

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All purpose flour: Mostly carbs and some protein, gives structure, low in fiber and nutrients.
Pumpkin puree: High in fiber and vitamin A it moistens dough and adds mild natural sweetness.
Brown sugar: Sweetens and keeps cookies soft, mostly simple carbs with slight molasses flavor.
Butter and oil: Fats that add richness and tenderness, bring calories and mouthfeel.
Eggs and vanilla: Eggs bind and add protein vanilla boosts aroma and rounds flavor.
Cream cheese frosting: Creamy tangy frosting, high in fat and sugar, balances pumpkin sweetness.
Nuts or cinnamon optional: Nuts add crunch and healthy fats, cinnamon gives warmth and fragrance.
Pumpkin pie spice: Warm spice mix, little nutrition but huge flavor, evokes cozy fall baking.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp mix of cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of cloves)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (for the frosting)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (for the frosting)

3 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar, for the frosting)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for the frosting)

Pinch of salt (for the frosting)

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or a light sprinkle of cinnamon on top

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; this helps the cookies not stick and browns them evenly.

2. Whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in a bowl; set aside.

3. In a large bowl beat 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened and 1/2 cup vegetable oil until smooth and a bit lighter, about 1 to 2 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with a mixer.

4. Add 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 cup canned pumpkin puree to the sugar mixture; mix until combined but dont overmix.

5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain; overmixing makes cookies tough. If using, fold in 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts now.

6. Scoop rounded tablespoons or use a medium cookie scoop to place dough balls about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets; gently flatten each ball slightly with your palm or the back of a spoon because these cookies dont spread a ton.

7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft; they’ll firm as they cool. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

8. For the cream cheese frosting beat 8 ounces cream cheese softened with 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened until very smooth. Add 3 cups powdered sugar gradually, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt; beat until fluffy and spreadable. If it seems too soft, chill for 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Once cookies are fully cooled, spread or pipe frosting on each cookie. Finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon or the reserved chopped nuts if you like. Cookies keep best refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting, but bring to room temp before serving for best texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Baking sheets (2) plus parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Mixing bowls — a large one for wet ingredients and a medium one for dry
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer; or a whisk if you wanna do it by hand
5. Measuring cups and spoons for dry and wet ingredients
6. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding (dont overmix)
7. Cookie scoop (medium) or a rounded tablespoon and an extra spoon
8. Wire cooling rack and an offset spatula or butter knife for spreading frosting

FAQ

Q: Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? A: Try not to. Pie filling has extra sugar and spices so cookies will be sweeter and wetter. If you must, reduce the brown and granulated sugar by about 1/4 cup and skip adding extra spice, but plain pumpkin puree gives the best texture and flavor.

Q: How do I keep these cookies soft? A: Use the brown sugar and the oil in the recipe, don't overmix the batter, and bake at 350°F for about 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set but centers still look slightly soft. Let them cool on the sheet 5 minutes before moving. Store airtight and pop in a slice of bread to help retain moisture.

Q: Can I make the dough ahead or freeze the cookies? A: Yes. Scoop dough into balls on a tray, freeze until firm, then put into freezer bags up to 3 months. Bake from frozen adding 1 to 2 minutes to the time. You can also freeze baked cookies and thaw before frosting, or freeze the frosting and rewhip when thawed.

Q: My cream cheese frosting is too runny or too stiff, what do I do? A: If it's runny chill it 15 to 30 minutes then try again. If it's too stiff add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until it spreads. If it feels grainy, sift the powdered sugar or beat longer, often it just needs more mixing.

Q: Can I swap the oil or butter amounts? A: You can, but it changes the result. All butter gives richer flavor but can make them less tender, all oil keeps them very soft but less buttery. The oil plus butter combo in the recipe balances chew and flavor best.

Q: Want to add nuts or make them look fancier? A: Fold in up to 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the frosting. Don't overload with nuts or the cookies get too dense, and add them at the end of mixing so they stay crunchy.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour — swap cup for cup with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum (texture may be slightly crumbly), or use whole wheat pastry flour cup for cup for a nuttier, a bit denser cookie.
Vegetable oil — use melted unsalted butter 1:1 for richer flavor, or neutral coconut oil 1:1; you can also use applesauce 1:1 to cut fat but the cookies will be softer and slightly less rich.
Light brown sugar — replace 1 cup packed brown sugar with 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses for light brown (use 2 tbsp for dark), or try coconut sugar 1:1 for a more caramel note.
Cream cheese (frosting) — swap with mascarpone 1:1 for a similar creaminess, or make a simple buttercream by using 1/2 cup softened butter + 2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar + 1 to 2 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla if you want a non-cream cheese option.

Pro Tips

– Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off instead of scooping. If you pack the flour you’ll get dense, cakey cookies that wont spread right.

– Keep an eye on mixing. Fold the dry stuff in until you cant see streaks of flour; overmixing makes them tough. Same with the frosting — cream cheese and butter should be exactly the same temp so it goes silky not lumpy.

– If your dough feels too loose, chill it 15 to 30 minutes or freeze scooped balls for 10 minutes before baking. It helps with uniform shape and stops them from puffing or collapsing weirdly.

– For the frosting: sift the powdered sugar, add it slowly, and if it ends up too soft chill 10 minutes. If it gets too stiff add a teaspoon of milk or cream at a time until spreadable. A small pinch of cornstarch stabilizes it if you need to leave them out a little.

– Toast the nuts and sprinkle them on at the end, or pipe the frosting and then add the nuts. Also rotate your sheet pans halfway through baking and cool the cookies on the pan 4 to 6 minutes so they set before you move them.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Recipe by Sammy Hunter

0.0 from 0 votes

I can't wait to share my Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Icing recipe and the single unexpected trick I use to make fall baking surprisingly simple.

Servings

servings

Calories

591

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Baking sheets (2) plus parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Mixing bowls — a large one for wet ingredients and a medium one for dry
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer; or a whisk if you wanna do it by hand
5. Measuring cups and spoons for dry and wet ingredients
6. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding (dont overmix)
7. Cookie scoop (medium) or a rounded tablespoon and an extra spoon
8. Wire cooling rack and an offset spatula or butter knife for spreading frosting

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp mix of cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of cloves)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (for the frosting)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (for the frosting)
3 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar, for the frosting)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for the frosting)
Pinch of salt (for the frosting)
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or a light sprinkle of cinnamon on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; this helps the cookies not stick and browns them evenly.
Whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in a bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl beat 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened and 1/2 cup vegetable oil until smooth and a bit lighter, about 1 to 2 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with a mixer.
Add 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 cup canned pumpkin puree to the sugar mixture; mix until combined but dont overmix.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain; overmixing makes cookies tough. If using, fold in 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts now.
Scoop rounded tablespoons or use a medium cookie scoop to place dough balls about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets; gently flatten each ball slightly with your palm or the back of a spoon because these cookies dont spread a ton.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft; they’ll firm as they cool. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the cream cheese frosting beat 8 ounces cream cheese softened with 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened until very smooth. Add 3 cups powdered sugar gradually, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt; beat until fluffy and spreadable. If it seems too soft, chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Once cookies are fully cooled, spread or pipe frosting on each cookie. Finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon or the reserved chopped nuts if you like. Cookies keep best refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting, but bring to room temp before serving for best texture.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.