November 2, 2023
Review RecipePumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting
The perfect pumpkin flavor and chewy texture make these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting the ideal choice for your next batch of cookies.
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It’s time for pumpkin season, and these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are delicious! Soft pumpkin cookies are frosted with a velvety frosting flavored with all the best fall spices.
Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
These pumpkin cookies feature the rich and slightly sweet flavor of pumpkin puree, complemented by warm spices like cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
The cookie dough is chewy, with a hint of butteriness, while the cream cheese frosting adds a creamy, tangy contrast with a touch of vanilla.
A sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice on top completes this wonderful fall treat.
You’ll need:
For The Cookie Dough:
- 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- ½ cup of salted sweet cream butter, softened
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of light brown sugar, packed
- 1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
For The Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons of clear vanilla flavoring
- ½ cup of salted sweet cream butter, softened
- 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (optional garnish)
PRO TIP:
Watch out when you are at the grocery store that you buy pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
Substitutions And Additions
VANILLA: Maple flavoring can be substituted for the clear vanilla flavoring in the frosting for a maple-flavored addition to these yummy cookies.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Chocolate pairs so well with pumpkin that I guarantee you will love the taste. You could use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate chips.
FROSTING: If you don’t want to make the frosting from scratch, you can use store-bought cream cheese frosting instead in this recipe.
PUMPKIN PUREE: If you can’t find canned pumpkin puree, you can make your own by roasting and pureeing fresh pumpkin.
Alternatively, butternut squash or sweet potato puree can be used for a slightly different flavor profile.
NUTS: Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or even roasted pumpkin seeds for some crunch and extra flavor. Mix them into the cookie dough before baking.
SPICES: Customize the spice blend to suit your taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, or ginger for a more complex flavor.
How To Make This Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Let’s get started making the dough and frosting to create these delectable cookies.
For The Cookie Dough
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set dry ingredients aside.
STEP THREE: Cream together the softened butter and vegetable oil for one minute.
You can do this in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl with a hand mixer, on medium-high speed.
STEP FOUR: Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the white sugar and brown sugar, and increase the mixer speed to medium-high.
Mix for another one minute. Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
STEP FIVE: Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the pumpkin puree, and increase the speed to medium.
Mix just until the pumpkin is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP SIX: Lower the mixer speed to low, and add in the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
STEP SEVEN: Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix just until all ingredients are well incorporated.
STEP EIGHT: Using a 1 to 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Space the dough two inches apart.
PRO TIP:
These cookies can also be made larger (two to three tablespoons) size.
STEP NINE: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.
For The Cream Cheese Frosting
STEP ONE: Cream together the softened cream cheese, clear vanilla flavoring, and butter for 1 to 1½ minutes.
Use a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
STEP TWO: Lower the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar.
Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another 1 to 1½ minutes.
STEP THREE: Lower the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the milk. Mix just until the frosting is smooth.
STEP FOUR: Once the baked cookies have completely cooled, spoon one tablespoon or more if you wish to frost each cookie. Smooth out to the edges.
If you wish, you can gently dust the tops of the cookie with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
PRO TIP:
You can make these as sandwich cookies with the frosting on the inside as well.
How To Serve
Enjoy these delicious pumpkin cookies with their decadent cream cheese frosting with a tall glass of milk.
If you are like me and adore all things pumpkin, add a homemade pumpkin spice latte on the side for a cozy snack.
We’ve got plenty of pumpkin recipes for you to try. Check out our pumpkin magic cake and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Both are great ideas for pumpkin treats.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
Storage
Now that you’ve baked these amazing pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, it’s important to know how to store them properly to keep them fresh and delicious.
MAKE AHEAD: If you want to get a head start on these treats, you can prepare the cookie dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Simply shape the dough into cookie-sized balls, place them on a baking sheet, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
When you’re ready to bake, just pop them in the oven as directed. Freshly baked cookies without all the prep work!
IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of these pumpkin spice cookies with cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can also freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to three months in an airtight container.
Allow the cookies to come to room temperature before frosting.
Why We Love This Recipe
IRRESISTIBLE FLAVOR COMBINATION: These cookies offer the perfect balance of spiced pumpkin goodness paired with luscious cream cheese frosting.
SOFT AND CHEWY TEXTURE: The cookies themselves are soft, moist, and chewy, thanks to the addition of pumpkin puree.
SEASONAL COMFORT: Baking a batch of these cookies fills your home with the cozy aroma of fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
These pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are a perfect choice to make during the fall season. The balance of the tangy cream cheese frosting and pumpkin spice flavors add so much to these cookies – it will be love at first bite!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze these cookies?
You can freeze these cookies unfrosted for up to three months in an airtight container. Frost them once you remove them from the freezer.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?
You can use homemade pumpkin puree if you prefer in this recipe.
Can I store these on the counter?
Because they have cream cheese in them, we would recommend keeping them in the fridge rather than on the counter.
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
The perfect pumpkin flavor and chewy texture make these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting the ideal choice for your next batch of cookies.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 40 cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, optional garnish
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set it aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the softened butter and vegetable oil for 1 minute.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Mix for another 1 minute. Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the pumpkin puree, increase the speed to medium and mix just until the pumpkin is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the vanilla extract and the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.
- Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix just until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Using a 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Space the dough 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to completely cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the softened cream cheese, clear vanilla flavoring, and butter for 1 to 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another 1 to 1½ minutes.
- Lower the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the milk. Mix just until the frosting is smooth.
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, spoon 1 tablespoon (or more if you wish) of frosting onto each cookie, smoothing out to the edges. If you wish, you can gently dust the tops of the cookie with the pumpkin pie spice.
Notes
- Watch out when you are at the grocery store that you buy pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
- These cookies can also be made larger (2 to 3 tablespoons) size.
- You can make these as sandwich cookies with the frosting on the inside as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1886IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Gloria says
These are delicious and perfect for fall!
Kerri Lyn says
When I make them I will come back and give a review. But I already know they’re gonna be good. Thank you for sharing.
Kurt Meckey says
I made these last weekend and they were delicious. They didn’t make it though the week lol. Fantastic.