These are the best pumpkin cookies you will ever make! They melt in your mouth and are covered in a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. They freeze well and can even be made gluten free or dairy free.
You will love these old fashioned soft pumpkin cookies for fall! They're easy to make, and the cream cheese frosting with cinnamon is amazing.
When I was little, it was almost an everyday occurrence that we walked to the local bakery for root beers, individual french banquettes and these melt in your mouth pumpkin cookies.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: this one is key for the best cookies. We also tested them with a vegan butter and they turned out amazing.
- Granulated sugar: you have to make them sweet!
- Leaveners: baking soda and baking powder to make them nice and tall
- Spices: salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
- Egg: this is a binder and helps bring the dough together.
- Vanilla: whatever vanilla extract you have on hand is great!
- Pumpkin: make sure you get canned pumpkin pure and not pumpkin pie mix!
- All-purpose flour: we also tested this with gluten free 1:1 baking flour and they were great.
- Cream cheese: this is for the frosting and gives a great tang to balance out the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: you can't have cream cheese frosting without confectioners' sugar!
The cream cheese frosting with cinnamon is amazing. These are my absolute favorite and as an added bonus, they have them year-round.
Still to this day whenever I'm in town I will make a special trip just for these yummy cookies and sometimes my mom will even surprise me with a care package with a few cookies in it.
You will love these old fashioned soft pumpkin cookies for fall! They're easy to make, and the cream cheese frosting with cinnamon is amazing. We did our very best to recreate our favorite cookies (because a recipe that good is obviously top secret) and we think this recipe is pretty darn close.
I promise, your friends and family will wonder how the heck these things get so soft and melty. Do not go light on the frosting, the more the merrier. We hope you love them just as much as we do. HAPPY FALL!
Prefer to Watch Instead of Read?
Watch this quick video to see how they're made! You can also scroll down to the recipe card to make them with me in the kitchen.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More pumpkin desserts:
- Healthy pumpkin muffins
- Vegan pumpkin cheesecake
- Old fashioned pumpkin donuts
- Pumpkin spice pudding cookies
- Paleo pumpkin cookies
Recipe
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 1 minute. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until well combined.
- Add one egg and the vanilla then beat well, until yellow streaks are gone. Add the pumpkin pure and beat again until it's incorporated. Finally, add the flour and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated. Watch the video to see instructions on how to properly measure flour. The dough will be wet, this is what you want!
- Use a heaping tablespoon or medium sized cookie scoop to drop the dough a few inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set and no longer look wet. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the cream cheese 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. Once cookies are cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.
Karen says
These cookies are foolproof and absolutely wonderful! I did do my own buttercream icing rather than the cream cheese frosting that was recommended. A recipe I’ve already made a couple of times, with plans to make more very soon! Definitely a hit in my house and with several neighbors!
Kate says
Just made these and they are AMAZING! I used Gluten Free flour 1:1 Bob's Redmill biscuit and baking mix.
Added a 1/4 cup chopped pecans and a dash of cinnamon to the icing, a new favourite 🙂
Molly Thompson says
That sounds so good!! Makes my heart happy that it's a new fave!
Sara says
Perfect cookie for a fall treat! Delicious and easy! Have made many times and will continue too!
Hope says
Looks amazing. I was wondering if you ever made this in to a cookie bar. I know there are recipies for other cookies made into a bar. Like a 9x13 or jellyroll pan. Just curious, as my husband want to do a pumpkin cookie in a dutch oven at the campsite next week!
Molly Thompson says
Love to hear that, Sara! Thanks! Happy fall:)
Hope says
Looks amazing. I was wondering if you ever made this in to a cookie bar. I know there are recipies for other cookies made into a bar. Like a 9x13 or jellyroll pan. Just curious, as my husband want to do a pumpkin cookie in a dutch oven at the campsite next week!
Molly Thompson says
Hey Hope! I haven't tried it as a cookie bar but I think you could definitely give it a try and see what happens. I've turned a lot of cookie recipes into bars and they work pretty well. Have fun camping!
Hope says
Okay, thanks for your reply. We will try it, and I will let you know how it turns out!! Thanks!!
Pleasantly Surprised says
I followed both the cookie and frosting recipe and found both to be amazing! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Pleasantly Suprised says
*I left an incorrect email*
Molly Thompson says
Welcome!!
Amy says
Recipe was simple. They taste great. Will definitely make these again
Molly Thompson says
Thank you, Amy!
Chris says
Hello Molly. What size can of pumpkin? Or how much pumpkin? Making these with my grandson today and excited to try these. Making memories with baking. Thank you.
Chris says
Never mind! I should read the recipes twice before coffee in the morning. Please disregard. Chris
Michele Montez says
Loved this recipe !! Smelled.good baking and easy to make. My grandsonson loved them, I added 2 teaspooms of pumpkin pie spice to the cookie dough and a pinch of siagon cinnamon in the frosting. I will make again, my oldest grandson said maybe even add pecans or orange zest to frosting.... So many possiblies. Thank you for sharing.
Molly Thompson says
You're welcome, Michele! Pecans and orange zest would be great!
Amy says
Molly these cookies are AMAZING!! So easy to make and the flavor is so good. I compared them to a pumpkin roll but so much easier to make.
Molly Thompson says
Yes!! So similar to a pumpkin roll. Such a great comparison:) Thanks for sharing!
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Hayley Tschetter says
Made these GF and they turned out WONDERFUL! I'm a huge fan of fall treats - winner for sure.
Molly Thompson says
Thanks, Hayley!! We made them gluten free and loved them.
Lin says
Just made these and I'm wondering if I need to put the cookies in the fridge overnight because of the icing?
Molly Thompson says
Yes I would store them in the fridge!
Jessa says
Hi and happy thanksgiving. I made these cookies a few years ago and they were so good! I actually had a request for these this year at thanksgiving…but some of my family has a dairy allergy. Have you made these dairy free? I specifically am wondering about the icing. Thanks!
Molly Thompson says
Hello, Jessa! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I haven't tried to make these dairy free, but I think you could use a few brand swaps that will make them work. Try Myokos butter and Kyte Hill vegan cream cheese for the frosting. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving!