By Becky Hardin
Updated Oct 27, 2024
These iced Pumpkin Cookies are delightfully soft and chewy, perfectly spiced, and finished with a cream cheese frosting. They’re so quick and easy to make too, so you can have a fresh batch of pumpkin spice cookies ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any fall occasion!
What’s in this Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe?
Sweet, earthy, and warmly spiced cookies are topped with a creamy, rich, and tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds moisture to the cookies, making them tender, and forms the base of the frosting.
- Sugar: A mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar sweetens the cookies, while powdered sugar sweetens the frosting without making it gritty.
- Pumpkin Puree : Gives these cookies their rich pumpkin flavor and bright orange color. Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!
- Egg: Helps bind the cookies together.
- Vanilla Extract : Enhances the sweetness of the cookies and the frosting.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies structure.
- Leavening: A combination of baking powder and baking soda
- Pumpkin Pie Spice : Adds classic pumpkin pie flavor to the cookies.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies and the frosting.
- Cream Cheese: Makes the frosting tangy, which perfectly balances the sweet and earthy pumpkin!
Pro Tip: Sprinkle the frosted cookies with some ground cinnamon or more pumpkin pie spice for an extra burst of flavor!
Variations on Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These soft pumpkin cookies are so delicious as is, but you can also mix in some chocolate chips, cream cheese chips, pecans, or walnuts for a bit of crunch. Try subbing some of the powdered sugar for maple syrup for a different flavor!
Pumpkin puree adds a delicious earthy flavor and intense moisture, making these cookies soft and cake-like.
Occasionally, baking soda can react with plant-based ingredients such as pumpkin producing a green color. This is nothing to worry about!
Because of how moist these cookies are, they can turn a bit sticky at room temperature. This is why we chose to frost ours and store them in the refrigerator!
Yes! Because these cookies are frosted with cream cheese, they need to be stored in the refrigerator.
There are 170 calories in each frosted cookie.
How to Store
Store leftover pumpkin spice cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
How to Freeze
Freeze iced pumpkin cookies in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag with wax paper between the layers to protect the frosting for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these soft and fluffy cookies with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream and a pumpkin-flavored beverage, such as a pumpkin spice latte , pumpkin cream cold brew , or a pumpkin spice white Russian .
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the Cookies
- ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter 170 grams, room temperature (1½ sticks)
- ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- ▢ ½ cup brown sugar 107 grams
- ▢ 1 cup pumpkin puree 227 grams (about ½ can) – not pumpkin pie filling!
- ▢ 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ▢ 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300 grams
- ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- ▢ 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 9 grams
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- ▢ ¼ cup butter 57 grams, room temperature (½ stick)
- ▢ 2½ cups powdered sugar 283 grams
- ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ Ground cinnamon optional, for sprinkling
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl. ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside. 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the frosting: Use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together until smooth. 8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, 2½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Once the cookies have cooled, frost the cookies.
- Sift a sprinkling of cinnamon on top of the cookies if desired. Ground cinnamon
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Hand Mixer
Becky’s Tips
- Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added to it and will make your cookies too sweet!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes We Love
- Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Cookie Bars
- Pumpkin Poke Cake
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Mousse
- Pumpkin Crisp
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Pie Dessert Lasagna
- Browse all Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 170 grams, room temperature (1½ sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- ½ cup brown sugar 107 grams
- 1 cup pumpkin puree 227 grams (about ½ can) - not pumpkin pie filling!
- 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 9 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- ¼ cup butter 57 grams, room temperature (½ stick)
- 2½ cups powdered sugar 283 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground cinnamon optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl. ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside. 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the frosting: Use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together until smooth. 8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, 2½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Once the cookies have cooled, frost the cookies.
- Sift a sprinkling of cinnamon on top of the cookies if desired. Ground cinnamon
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added to it and will make your cookies too sweet!
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
