Soft pumpkin cookies are pillowy, soft, thick, and perfectly spiced with warm flavors. They’re topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting which is the perfect melt in your mouth combination. If you’re craving fall flavors in the form of a soft cookie, these are for you. 

Why You’ll Love These Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Make-AHEAD FRIENDLY

This dough can be scooped into balls and frozen for up to 2 months. Let the cookies defrost in the refrigerator overnight before baking. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. You can freeze them with or without the cream cheese frosting.

uNIQUE tEXTURE

These soft pumpkin cookies bake up into a thick cookie that looks and has the consistency of a muffin top. The cream cheese icing is soft and only forms a light crust which keeps the cookie moist.

pERFECT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cream cheese frosting has the best balance of sweet and tangy thanks to the right balance of unsalted butter to cream cheese. Make sure to use a full-fat cream cheese brick to get the best tangy flavor. The pumpkin cookie isn’t very sweet, so the tangy frosting lifts up the flavor and ties it all together.

FALL FLAVORS

The cookie is spiced with ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice for cozy warmth, just like the fall season.

Ingredients

Double check the ingredients list! While you may have some of the staple pantry items at home, check for things like pumpkin puree, ground spices, and cream cheese.

Tips For Making The Best Soft Pumpkin Cookies

• Don’t skip blotting the pumpkin puree! This will help create the best cookie texture.
• Make sure everything cold is at room temperature before starting. If you mix cold cream cheese and butter together to make frosting, it can create lumps that are really hard to get rid of.
• Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes (or more). This dough is very sticky and if you don’t chill it then it’s really hard to roll into balls and can be a sticky mess.

Blotting The Pumpkin Puree (see image below)

Pumpkin puree has a lot of water! Some water content will keep these cookies moist but too much water and the dough won’t rise. In order to fix this, you must blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels.

I find it helpful to place the pumpkin puree on a plate to easily blot. I use about 4 paper towels or until the pumpkin puree is no longer as “mushy” to the touch (see the image below).

Remember to look for pumpkin puree, not pumpkin filling! Pumpkin filling has added sugar and ingredients that we don’t want in the recipe.

How To Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Blot the pumpkin puree until it’s no longer “mushy.” I place the pumpkin puree on a plate and then blot. It doesn’t have to be completely dry. Set aside.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds on high speed. Add the sugars and cream together on high speed, about 2 minutes. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients in 2 parts (to avoid a mess). Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step because the dough is very sticky and hard to work with.
5. Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge. Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop and then roll the dough into balls. Place 6 cookie dough balls on a tray, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes. The centers will look soft. I find that for my oven 13 minutes is perfect.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a medium size bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth and combined. If your cream cheese is not at room temperature, it can have lumps. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until combined.
2. To frost the cookies, use a knife or an offset spatula and spread on the frosting. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before adding frosting or it will melt. Optional, dust on ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top.
3. Because these cookies have cream cheese frosting, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let the cookies reach room temperature before serving. If you wanted, you can keep the cookies covered at room temperature, and then add the frosting before serving!

Tip: I find that these soft pumpkin cookies can taste better the next day! Something about letting the flavors “settle”

Cozy Serving Ideas

Soft pumpkin cookies can be best enjoyed when:

• served with a hot cup of tea or latte (pumpkin spice latte or chai make a perfect spiced combination)
• served as a Thanksgiving dessert
• you have a craving for pumpkin!

Storing

Soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing can be kept up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer. Make sure your cookies are in airtight containers!

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5 from 2 votes

Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft pumpkin cookies are soft, thick, pillowy, and perfectly spiced. They’re topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting which makes the perfect melt in your mouth combination.

Author Alissa

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 4 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Cookies

1x2x3x

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• Handheld mixer

Ingredients

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, blotted dry (75g)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (160g)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
• ½ cup light brown sugar (100g)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature (85g)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (42g)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar (90g)
• ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

 

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

• Blot the pumpkin puree until it's no longer "mushy." I place the pumpkin puree on a plate and then blot. It doesn't have to be completely dry. Refer to the image in the post for guidance. Set aside.
  ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, blotted dry
• Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp kosher salt
• In a large bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds on high speed. Add the sugars and cream together in high speed, about 2 minutes. Add in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, blotted dry
• Add the dry ingredients in 2 parts (to avoid a mess). Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Don't skip this step because the dough is very sticky and hard to work with.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge. Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop and roll the dough into balls. Place 6 cookie dough balls on a tray, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes. The centers will look soft. I find that 13 minutes is perfect for my oven.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a medium size bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth and combined. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until combined.
  3 oz cream cheese, room temperature, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, ¾ cup powdered sugar, ⅛ tsp salt
• To frost the cookies, use a knife or an offset spatula and spread on the frosting. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before adding frosting or it will melt. Optional, dust on ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top.
• Because these cookies have cream cheese frosting, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Let the cookies reach room temperature before serving. If you want, you can keep the cookies covered at room temperature, and then add the frosting before serving! These cookies are moist enough that the cold doesn't dry them out!

Notes

1. Tools That Helped Me Bake This Recipe: Baking Pans | Mixing Bowls | Electric Handheld Mixer | Spatula | Cooling Rack | Small Mesh Strainer | Parchment Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats