These soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are a quick and easy fall cookie recipe. The tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect compliment to the chewy cookie and pumpkin pie spice flavors.
If you are looking for more pumpkin cookie recipes, these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles, and Pumpkin Cookies with White Chocolate Chips are another all time favorite.
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
When cooler weather rolls around, these soft pumpkin cream cheese cookies are one of my all time favorites to make. They’re made with real pumpkin puree, plenty of pumpkin pie spice, and topped with a luxurious cream cheese frosting.
If you want to make them look a little fancier, feel free to put the frosting into a piping bag with a star tip, then finish with a little sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. You can also spread the frosting with a spatula or spoon, or even leave it off completely.
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree - you can use store bought pumpkin puree or even homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe. Be sure to blot the puree with a paper towel before using. This will soak up some of the excess moisture. Avoid using pumpkin pie filling because it has added flavors and sugar.
- Sugars - you will need both granulated sugar and light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Egg Yolks - because of the additional moisture from the pumpkin puree, you only need to use the egg yolks for this recipe. You can either reserve the whites for another use or discard them.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - this warm seasonal flavor really enhances the pumpkin in these cookies. You could substitute straight cinnamon, too.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda - the combination of these two ingredients helps the cookies to rise and stay nice and soft.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Pumpkin Cookies
- Cream Cheese - make sure your cream cheese is soft before trying to use it. You can either pull it out to room temperature ahead of time or gently warm in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time.
- Butter - you also need for your butter to be soft for this frosting and can soften in the same way as the cream cheese.
- Powdered Sugar - powdered sugar is a great sweetener for frosting because it doesn’t get grainy.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract is the best.
How to Make Cream Cheese Pumpkin Cookies
- Remove excess moisture from the pumpkin puree. Measure pumpkin puree, then place in a paper towel lined bowl. This will reduce the moisture in the pumpkin. Let the pumpkin sit for 20 minutes before using.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Mix well.
- Mix the cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Cream together using the paddle attachment until it is light and fluffy, or about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the cookie dough is combined.
- Scoop the cookies. Use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop and roll all of the dough into 1" - 1¼" dough balls. Place about 2" apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.
- Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Add the butter and beat with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, or about 2-3 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the room temperature cream cheese and beat again until light and fluffy, or about 2 minutes more. Next, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low until fully incorporated, then beat on high for about 30 seconds until it is light and fluffy again.
- Frost the cookies. Place the frosting in a piping bag with a large tip. Pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the cookies, then sprinkle the tops with a little extra pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting you need to refrigerate these pumpkin cookies. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you haven’t yet frosted them, you can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to about 4 days, as well.
If you find that your pumpkin cookies are sticky after being baked and cooled, the most likely reason is that they still had too much moisture. Make sure and place the pumpkin puree into a paper towel lined bowl and let it sit for about 20 minutes before using.
Don’t be tempted to substitute pumpkin pie filling for pumpkin puree. It has added spices and sweeteners that will change the flavor and texture of the cookies. Instead, use plain pumpkin puree (either canned or homemade).
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also store the cream cheese frosting by itself in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: you can store either the portioned cookie dough or the baked cookies in the freezer for up to 2 months. To bake the frozen cookie dough, just pull from the freezer onto baking sheets while the oven is preheating and bake as directed.
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups Pumpkin Puree with excess moisture removed--see instructions.
- 2½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 large Egg Yolks
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup Butter room temperature
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Measure pumpkin puree, then place in a paper towel lined bowl. This will reduce the moisture in the pumpkin. Let the pumpkin sit for 20 minutes before using.
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Mix well.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Cream together using the paddle attachment until it is light and fluffy, or about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the cookie dough is combined.
- Use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop and roll all of the dough into 1" - 1¼" dough balls. Place about 2" apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter and beat with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, or about 2-3 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the room temperature cream cheese and beat again until light and fluffy, or about 2 minutes more.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low until fully incorporated, then beat on high for about 30 seconds until it is light and fluffy again.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag with a large tip. Pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the cookies, then sprinkle the tops with a little extra pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of The Best Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Fluffy Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
- The Best Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin No Bake Cheesecake
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Crunch Bars
- Pumpkin Fluff
- More Pumpkin Desserts
- More Best Cookie Recipes
These soft and tender Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are super easy to make and perfect for the fall. They are loaded with pumpkin flavor and the chewy cookies pair perfectly with the creamy frosting.
BettyJean
Absolutely love these cookies. So soft and not real sweet.