The Best Soft, No-Chill Pumpkin Cookies
These are the soft pumpkin cookies we make every fall. They puff in the oven instead of spreading thing, giving them a melt-in-your-mouth texture in every bite.
If you love pumpkin rolls but not the work of rolling one, these give you the same pumpkin-and-cream-cheese combination in a much easier cookie.
They’ve gone viral on Pinterest and Instagram, but the best proof is that my friends request them every year. The dough comes together quickly, requires no chilling, and goes straight from the mixing bowl to the baking sheet.
One reader, Meghann, commented: Absolutely delicious and easy to make! These were a hit for our Halloween party, and I look forward to making them again for Thanksgiving!” ★★★★★
Fall desserts are here and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve been perfecting cookie recipes for years, and these these are some of my favorite, alongside brown sugar pop tart cookies. They’re like perfect little pumpkin muffin tops in cookie form with a cream cheese icing.
They are especially good for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dessert tables, or any fall afternoon that calls for something warmly spiced.
My Top Tips Before You Bake
Blot the pumpkin, but do not try to dry it completely: Spread the puree over a few paper towels and blot the top with another towel. You only need to remove the loose surface moisture. This keeps the cookies fluffy without making them wet or gummy.
Use room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter and cream cheese blend smoothly, while a room-temperature egg incorporates evenly into the dough.
Expect sticky dough. This dough should not feel firm or roll easily in your hands. Use a cookie scoop to portion it directly onto the pan.
Watch the tops, not the color. The cookies are done when the surfaces look set and spring back lightly when touched. Overbaking can dry out their soft, cakey centers.
Cool them completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cookies can soften the cream cheese frosting and make it slide off.
Love pumpkin recipes? Try pumpkin snickerdoodle cobbler, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, or pumpkin pudding cookies next.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the ingredients that make the biggest difference. Jump to the recipe card for the complete amounts.
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will change the recipe. Blot the puree briefly with paper towels to remove excess surface moisture.
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter so it creams smoothly with the sugar. You will need butter for both the cookies and the frosting.
- Pumpkin pie spice + cinnamon: This combination gives the cookies their warm fall flavor. See the recipe notes if you need to make your own pumpkin pie spice.
- Cream cheese frosting: Use block-style cream cheese rather than the spreadable kind sold in a tub. Let it soften before mixing so the frosting stays smooth.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting so it spreads easily over the cooled cookies.
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, then add the sugar and beat again for 1-2 more minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the leaveners and spices: Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the wet ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla and beat until no yellow streaks remain. Mix in the blotted pumpkin puree until combined.
- Add the flour: Mix in the flour on low, then increase the speed to medium just until completely incorporated. The dough should be soft and sticky, more like a thick drop-cookie batter than traditional chocolate chip cookie dough. That is exactly what you want.
- Scoop and and bake: Use a heaping tablespoon or medium cookie scoop to drop dough balls a few inches apart on a baking sheet. The cookies will puff and remain fairly thick rather than spreading significantly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are set and no longer look wet. Do not wait for the tops to turn deeply golden.
- Cool and frost: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Frost the cookies only after they are completely cool.
Easy Ways to Finish Them
- Leave them unfrosted: The cookies are soft and warmly spiced enough to enjoy plain.
- Add chocolate: Fold chocolate chips into the finished dough.
- Add a little crunch: Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Try icing instead of frosting: Dip the tops in the icing from my iced oatmeal cookies instead of using the frosting.
Do you love frosted cookies? Out of all of my cookie recipes, I absolutely love these eggnog cookies and Taylor Swift chai cookies.
More Pumpkin Desserts
If these cookies put you in the mood for fall baking, try:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree lightly blotted dry with paper towels
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Add the egg and vanilla then beat well, until no yellow streaks remain. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour, then increase the speed to medium and mix just until combined. The dough should be soft and sticky, similar to a thick drop-cookie batter.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Use a heaping tablespoon or medium cookie scoop to drop portions of dough a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. The cookies will puff and remain fairly thick rather than spreading significantly.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are set, no longer look wet, and spring back lightly when touched. Do not wait for the tops to become deeply golden.
- To make the frosting, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and all of the lumps are gone. Sift in the powdered sugar then add the vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Frost cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bake and cool the cookies, then keep them unfrosted in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or 5 days in the refrigerator. Frost them before serving for the best appearance and texture.
Yes. Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature briefly before serving so the cookie and frosting can soften.
Yes. These pumpkin cookies are intentionally soft, thick, and cakey, similar to pumpkin muffin tops. If they seem wet or gummy rather than fluffy, the pumpkin puree may have contained too much excess moisture, or the cookies may need another minute in the oven. Blot the pumpkin as directed and bake until the tops are fully set.
Yes, but homemade puree often contains more water than canned pumpkin. Blot it especially well before measuring it into the dough. The finished puree should be thick, not watery.
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Absolutely amazing best cookies ever! Definitely gonna be a yearly recipe to use!
So glad you love them. Thanks Ella!!
This has become one of my favorite recipes because it’s reliable, flavorful, and easy to customize. Next time I’ll add chopped nuts for extra crunch and a slightly different texture.
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Easy to make even with fresh pumpkin and very good thank you
You’re welcome!
Made these once to try them out and they have now become a staple in my house. Everyone loved them. If you love pumpkin rolls but hate making them. These are the next best thing and less of a hassle.
So glad to hear that!