Make this great recipe for cozy pumpkin spice cookies in under 30 minutes. They are so simple to bake and come out moist and buttery soft.
The classic cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice blend turn this into the best pumpkin spice cookie recipe ever!
If you loved these soft and chewy pumpkin cookies with glaze, you've got to try my pumpkin banana muffins or these fun rice flour pumpkin cookies.
Pumpkin bread with cream cheese is another must-try.
Jump To
- 🛒 Ingredients
- 🥣 How To Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies Step By Step
- The Difference Between Pumpkin Puree and Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Rita's Tip
- 📋 Tips
- 👨🍳 Equipment Needed to Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
- 🍱 Storage Instructions
- More Cookie Recipes You'll Like
- Did You Try This Recipe?
- 📖Recipe
- 🤷 Pumpkin Pie Cookies: Frequently Asked Questions
- 💬 Comments
🛒 Ingredients
- Canned pumpkin puree - Adds moisture and a rich, pumpkin flavor.
- Unsalted butter (melted) - Provides a smooth texture and rich taste.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens and helps the cookies spread evenly.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the overall flavor with a subtle sweetness.
- All-purpose flour - Forms the base structure of the cookies.
- Baking powder and soda - Leavens the cookies, making them light and fluffy. Use fresh batches!
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg - Gives a warm, classic pumpkin spice flavor.
- Allspice - Provides a hint of cloves and pepper, complementing the other spices.
- Ground ginger - Contributes a zesty and spicy kick.
- Ground cloves - Infuses a deep, aromatic flavor.
- Powdered sugar - Sweetens and creates a smooth, glossy finish.
- Milk - Adjusts the glaze’s consistency for easy drizzling.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
🥣 How To Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies Step By Step
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Shape cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes and cool before topping with the cream cheese icing.
- Prepare glaze: In a bowl, gradually add milk to powdered sugar, stirring until smooth and pourable. Adjust milk for desired consistency. Glaze the cookies.
The Difference Between Pumpkin Puree and Pumpkin Pie Filling
Pumpkin puree is plain, unsweetened pumpkin that's cooked and mashed, while pumpkin pie filling contains added sugars, spices, and other flavorings.
Pumpkin pie filling is pre-seasoned for making pie, while pumpkin puree requires additional recipe ingredients. Use pumpkin puree for recipes where you control the sweetness and pumpkin pie spice blend.
Rita's Tip
Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to control the spices and sweetness.
📋 Tips
- Mixing: Combine dry ingredients thoroughly to ensure even distribution. This prevents uneven rising and flavor.
- Avoid overmixing: Mix the dough until just combined to avoid tough cookies. Overmixing can make the cookies dense.
- Cookie spacing: Space cookies about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Cooling time: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps them set and prevents breakage.
- Glaze consistency: For a smooth glaze, gradually add milk to powdered sugar until you reach the desired thickness. Adjust as needed based on your preference for a thicker or thinner icing.
👨🍳 Equipment Needed to Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
🍱 Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. This helps maintain their freshness and flavor. If you live in a humid climate or want to keep cookies fresh for longer, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- 🥶Freezing. Scoop cookie dough onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer dough balls to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Place them in a single layer in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
📖Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Glaze ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk, adjust for desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and granulated sugar until well combined and smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg,ginger, allspice and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and incorporate with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may still appear slightly soft but will firm up as the cookies cool.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the glaze
- In a bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar gradually add the milk to the powdered sugar, stirring continuously until you achieve a smooth and pourable consistency. Adjust the amount of milk as needed to reach your desired thickness. If you want a thicker glaze, use less milk; if you want a thinner glaze, add a little more milk.
- Once your cookies have cooled completely, you can start decorating them with the glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies using a spoon or a piping bag, or dip the tops of the cookies directly into the glaze.
Notes
- Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter contains additional ingredients and spices.
- Adjust the spices according to your preference. You can increase or decrease the amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to suit your taste.
- Feel free to add optional mix-ins such as chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or raisins to the cookie dough for added flavor and texture.
- The glaze is optional but adds a sweet finishing touch to the cookies. You can customize the glaze by adding food coloring or flavored extracts, such as vanilla or almond extract, for variation.
- To Store. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. This helps maintain their freshness and flavor. If you live in a humid climate or want to keep cookies fresh for longer, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing. Scoop cookie dough onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer dough balls to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Place them in a single layer in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
🤷 Pumpkin Pie Cookies: Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend canned pumpkin puree because it has a consistent texture and moisture level.
Fresh pumpkin may vary in moisture content, which could affect the texture of the cookies.
YES, you can try using a gluten-free flour blend that is designed for baking.
Keep in mind that the texture and taste of the cookies may vary slightly when using gluten-free flour.
YES, you can substitute granulated sugar with brown sugar for a slightly different flavor profile.
Keep in mind that brown sugar contains more moisture, so the texture of the cookies may be slightly different.
To make the cookies vegan, you can substitute the unsalted butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.
Additionally, use a non-dairy milk, such as almond milk or soy milk, for the glaze.
Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. If you've added the glaze, allow it to set completely before stacking the cookies to avoid sticking.
They will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
Rita
easy and delicious pumpkin pie cookies.