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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.
Do you love pumpkin recipes? Try pumpkin snickerdoodle cobbler, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, or pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting next.
When my sisters and I were little, it was almost an everyday occurrence that we walked to the local bakery for root beers, individual french banquettes and melt in your mouth pumpkin cookies. I did my best to recreate those soft pumpkin cookies and I think the baker would be proud.
Why We Love This Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
You will love this old fashioned soft pumpkin cookie recipe for fall! It’s such an easy recipe (one bowl and no chill time!), and the pumpkin flavor with the cream cheese frosting with cinnamon is amazing.
They’re made with fresh pumpkin and warm spices and when you pull them out of the oven the end result is an ultra soft cookie that reminds me of pumpkin pie filling.
It’s nostalgic, warm and inviting. There’s just nothing like that first batch of pumpkin cookies this time of year!
The texture is so different than traditional cookies. Rather than a chewy cookie texture, these cakey cookies melt in your mouth.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the simple ingredients for these delicious pumpkin cookies. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in the grocery store. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- 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!
- Leavens: 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 pumpkin purée 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.
Do you love frosted cookies? Out of all of my cookie recipes, I absolutely love these eggnog cookies and Taylor Swift chai cookies.
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.
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the step-by-step photos of how to make these easy pumpkin cookies. This will make sure they turn out every time!
Cream the butter and sugar: Beat 1 cup 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. Next, add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until well combined.
Wet ingredients: Add one egg and the vanilla then beat well, until no yellow streaks remain. Add the pumpkin puree and beat again until it’s incorporated.
Dry ingredients: 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!
Scoop and and bake: Use a heaping tablespoon or medium sized cookie scoop to drop dough balls a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are set and no longer look wet. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frost: Once they’re cool, make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting and spread a thick layer on top! Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!
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.
I promise, your friends and family will wonder how the heck these things get so soft and melty. They fresh pumpkin puree and butter give them a cake-like texture you will drool over every fall season. Do not go light on the frosting, the more the merrier. We hope you love them just as much as we do. HAPPY FALL!
If you make these delicious pumpkin cookies, 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
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the pumpkin 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 or in the bowl of a stand 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 cookie dough balls 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.
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.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Parchment paper
- Baking Sheet
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Everyone that tries these, loves them!
Thanks!
We loved these cookies. I did substitute the sugar with honey which I think made them more moist. I cooked a little longer.
These cookies are so delicious and easy to make.
BEST Pumpkin flavored anything I’ve ever had! They are light and fluffy as a cloud, and melt like butter in your mouth. I made these for my mother-in-law today and we both ended up falling in LOVE. When MIL tells you to “be sure to save that recipe!” that’s when you KNOW it’s good! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
They are amazing!! I also made free cookies too. They tasted just as good. But it takes 14-15 minutes for them to bake.
These were the best pumpkin cookies I have ever made. I had some pumpkin left over and didn’t want it to go to waste. This was the easiest recipe. The cookies were soft and the cream cheese frosting was the “icing on the cake” . I will make them again. I didn’t read the whole recipe regarding freeing them without the frosting. I frosted them all so I guess I will have to eat them all:0) Thank you again for this great recipe.
Donna
They really are delicious!
OMG these are the best pumpkin cookies I have ever had! Instead of the cream cheese frosting I made a butter vanilla glaze then sprinkled pumpkin pie spice on top! Absolutely amazing!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Best cookies for fall
Can you use almond flour in this recipe?
Hey Whitney! No you can’t substitute almond flour in this recipe because they have different structures and absorb moisture different. You can sub gluten-free 1:1 baking flour though! Or you can try my soft paleo pumpkin cookies. https://whatmollymade.com/healthy-pumpkin-cookies-dairy-free-gluten-free/
Theses are to die for!! I’m obsessed! They where moist and soft! Highly recommend!!!
Thanks, Bee! We loveeee these too!
I love this recipe but I am curious if anyone has tried making the cookie dough with margarine instead of butter. My nephew can’t have dairy or nuts which eliminates the ability to use the suggested vegan butter options.
Hey Ashley!! Oh that’s tricky I know a lot of vegan butter’s use nuts. You could try butter flavored shortening!
Made these sugar free using xylitol for my sugar sub
they came out great! But they were a bit more poufy-cake like than I prefer, would you suggest doubling baking soda and omitting baking powder to reduce the rise? New to baking so definitely have no clue how to get the texture I want 🙃
Hey Jessica! Yes these are more of a cake-like, melt-in-your-mouth texture than a chewy texture. I’ve got a pumpkin pudding cookie recipe that’s less cakey!
Hmm, I’m guessing I did something wrong because these cookies are pretty flimsy. I made them with almond flour so maybe that’s the issue?! They taste delicious but are hard to frost because they kinda fall apart a little.
Hey Teryl! This is definitely because of the almond flour. You can’t swap almond flour for regular flour in any recipe because of the protein structure and the way they absorb moisture. It’s just not a 1:1 swap! I have a healthy pumpkin cookie recipe that uses almond flour you could try. You could also use 1:1 gluten-free flour. The ratings on these recipes is super important to me so if you wouldn’t mind changing your star review as you changed the recipe, I would appreciate it so much! I hope you give the healthy cookies a try.
These cookies are so good! I am so glad I found this recipe. They are so soft, and moist! ❤️ thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome, Gloria!
Made these today. Reminded me of a light and fluffy whoopie pie cookie. Recipe was easy and delicious. I will definitely make these again. Maybe add walnuts or pecans on top. Great without it though.
Thanks, Cindy!!! Great idea!
The best I ever made and at 79, I’ve made a lot ! Very moist!
The cookies are delicious am making them again today but making a double batch. Everyone loved them and receipt so easy to follow. Thank you for this wonderful treat😋
These are delicious! I used persimmon instead of pumpkin and they are perfect
Thank you!
This is a great recipe! Very easy. I did sift the flour, other then that followed the directions.
Made them for home and work and they loved, loved, loved them. Thanks! My new go to.
Wonderful recipe! Instead of frosting the tops, I made them into sandwich cookies, and they are sinfully good. They don’t last 24 hours in my house! Make with caution, you may develop an addiction! So so good! Thank you for sharing your awesome recipe!
That sounds amazing!!
What in the world! The best cookies I’ve ever had: Warm from the oven with freshly made pumpkin puree and an extra cup of powdered sugar. Some others perferred a glaze closer to the recipe on top amd others no frosting…but everykme loves these.
Lol love it, Amy!! We love these too.
Flavor is spot on! Mine “flattened” after sitting for a while, any ideas why? They came out super fluffy looking then sunk in.
Hey Diana! This can happen if you over beat cookie dough. Adding too much air into the batter can cause them to rise and sink. Hope this helps!!
Too good
Just made these. I grew up with a certain style of pumpkin cookies, but I have to say these are SO SO good! Fluffy, light, not too overwhelming. I’m going to have a hard time saving any for their intended purpose of going to work tomorrow!
Wow! These cookies are incredibly delicious! Soft and so darn flavorful! A complete hit with everyone!
Love that, Jodi! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Hello, I am so excited you have a pumpkin cookie recipe. In the ingredient list it has you use canned pumpkin. But in your ingredient notes you recommend using pumpkin purée. I have a suggestion, to maybe put pumpkin purée in the ingredient list, not canned pumpkin. I have not made these but will when I go get the purée.
I love your recipes, especially the sheet pan meals, always so delicious.
Thank you for all of your inspiring recipes.
What size is the canned pumpkin supposed to be?
Did a trail run for a church member for October 28th and she gave them four thumbs up.
The best pumpkin cookie ever. I added pecans to the mix.
Can you make the dough then save it to make another day??
(Forgot to put 5 stars)
THESE ARE INSANE!
They are melt-in-your-mouth, forget-the-portioning-I’m-eating-all-of-these-right-now amazing!
I’m saving this recipe to my family favourites. Thank you!!
I get multiple orders for these! Simple but AMAZING!!
I add a touch of sea salt to frosting!
I tried these and they came out wonderful!! I usually have a hard time making cookies, but they were so easy!!
Hello!
Would it be too difficult to mix by hand?? I lost my beater attachments when we moved 😭. I have the whisk attachment, but not sure that would hold up! Thanks!!
These came out great! Thank you for sharing!
Great cookies!!! I split the dough half rolled in cinnamon and sugar, I added butterscotch chips to the other half. So delicious. Will make again
Great cookies!!! I sit the dough half rolled in cinnamon and sugar, I added butterscotch chips to the other half. So delicious. Will make again
Excellent cookie. Easy to make and the very best pumpkin cookie I ever made. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve made these twice for my three grandsons and they gobble them up so fast! The light, melt-in-your mouth texture is amazing! Thank you!!
Cookies are perfect. The butter in icing should be cut in half. 8 ounces of cream cheese and only 4 T of butter. I couldn’t tell from your picture what you sprinkled on top. Tried cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, cardamom and the pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin pie spice was my favorite.
my daughter and her classmates loved these cookies
Are the measurements for butter in the cookie 2 cups or 2 sticks? Because 2 cups would be 32 tbsp which would be 4 sticks
It’s 1 cup of butter! 2 sticks of butter is the same as one cup. Thanks!
10/10, would recomend.
My daughter said “Mom, you have to make these, you will love them.” She was so right. So light and airy, amazing pumpkin taste and the frosting is delicious. On my second batch and already getting requests from my son for more. Must make recipe.
I cut the recipe in half but kept the 1 egg. These turned out very moist and delicious. They were very easy to put together!
They are easy to make, and tasty. But, chocolate is the best cookie! Truly soft, good for the fall season.
Hi Molly! I just made this recipe and they came out awesome! I was wondering if you can freeze the icing? I made a double batch and and want to save the icing for a couple weeks. Thanks for a great recipe my family loves!,
5 stars !!! Absolutely delicious!
These were a huge hit!
Just made these and they are amazing!!!!!! Will definitely make again. I did have extra icing left over.
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!
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!
Just made these and I’m wondering if I need to put the cookies in the fridge overnight because of the icing?
Yes I would store them in the fridge!
Made these GF and they turned out WONDERFUL! I’m a huge fan of fall treats – winner for sure.
Thanks, Hayley!! We made them gluten free and loved them.
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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.
Yes!! So similar to a pumpkin roll. Such a great comparison:) Thanks for sharing!
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.
You’re welcome, Michele! Pecans and orange zest would be great!
Never mind! I should read the recipes twice before coffee in the morning. Please disregard. Chris
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.
Recipe was simple. They taste great. Will definitely make these again
Thank you, Amy!
I followed both the cookie and frosting recipe and found both to be amazing! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
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Welcome!!
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 9×13 or jellyroll pan. Just curious, as my husband want to do a pumpkin cookie in a dutch oven at the campsite next week!
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!
Okay, thanks for your reply. We will try it, and I will let you know how it turns out!! Thanks!!
Perfect cookie for a fall treat! Delicious and easy! Have made many times and will continue too!
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 9×13 or jellyroll pan. Just curious, as my husband want to do a pumpkin cookie in a dutch oven at the campsite next week!
Love to hear that, Sara! Thanks! Happy fall:)
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 🙂
That sounds so good!! Makes my heart happy that it’s a new fave!
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!