Description
These Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies are moist, fluffy, and perfectly spiced for fall. Made with pumpkin puree, warm spices, and a tender crumb, they bake up soft and chewy with a subtle sweetness. Optionally topped with a luscious maple cream cheese icing, these cookies are ideal for cozy autumn snacks and celebrations.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree (blotted to remove excess moisture)
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, milk, or orange juice
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Maple Cream Cheese Icing (Optional)
- 3 ounces (85g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup
- Pinch ground cinnamon (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Prepare Pumpkin: Blot the fresh or canned pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture, leaving about 1.33 to 1.5 cups. Set aside or refrigerate up to 1 day.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed. Then add maple syrup (or milk/orange juice), vanilla extract, and blotted pumpkin. Mix on high until fully combined; mixture may look slightly curdled.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Portion Dough: Scoop or roll approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place them about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 14-15 minutes until edges appear set but centers remain soft. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Cool Completely: Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The flavor develops and improves after resting a day.
- Prepare Optional Icing: Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add softened butter and beat until combined. Mix in confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon on low speed until smooth. Adjust cinnamon to taste.
- Ice Cookies: Dip or spread the cooled cookies with maple cream cheese icing. Let icing set before serving.
- Store Leftovers: Store iced cookies tightly covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 1 week. Store plain cookies at room temperature up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Dough can be chilled up to 48 hours before shaping and baking or frozen up to 3 months, thawing overnight in refrigerator before baking. Cookie dough balls and baked cookies (iced or plain) also freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Canned puree yields more consistent results; blot to remove moisture before use.
- Spices: Substitute 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice with 1/2 tsp each ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger if desired.
- Maple Syrup: The 2 teaspoons of maple syrup (or milk/orange juice) help thin the dough slightly for better texture. Orange juice pairs especially well with pumpkin.
- Optional Add-Ins: Fold in 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips, nuts, dried cranberries, or white chocolate chips after mixing wet and dry ingredients for variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
