These soft, cakey Pumpkin Cookies are a must for fall baking. Don’t forget to add the tangy cream cheese frosting for the perfect accompaniment to these spiced cookies.

Okay, so before you send me hate mail because I’m posting a pumpkin recipe in early September, hear me out.

It was 53 degrees this morning. The high is only 68, so I’m pretty sure that temperature is fair game for pumpkin cookies. And pumpkin bread and even pumpkin roll. Basically, this is your warning, it’s about to get pumpkin-y around here.

Even if you’re not ready for pumpkin season, my favorite pumpkin recipes and a bunch of new ones will be here waiting for you!

THE BEST SOFT FROSTED PUMPKIN COOKIES

I have rarely met a cookie I didn’t like.

That said, I’ve realized that many of my go-to cookie recipes have a chewy texture. My favorite chocolate chip cookies are big, dense and chewy. Homemade oatmeal cream pies combine soft and chewy oatmeal cookies and sweet buttercream. Peanut butter sandwich cookies are chewy with a silky peanut butter filling.

But these Pumpkin Cookies? They are soft, cakey, and oh so perfect.

They might be good enough to convert me to cake-like cookies forever.

If you love soft frosted sugar cookies, aka Lofthouse cookies, then you’ll adore these soft frosted Pumpkin Cookies.

I can’t get enough of those sugar cookies, with their soft texture, pillowy frosting and colorful sprinkles. Of course I had to make a pumpkin version, complete with warm spices and tangy cream cheese frosting flecked with vanilla bean.

Consider these the grown-up version of your favorite Lofthouse cookies.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN COOKIES

The method for making this Pumpkin Cookie recipe is similar to most cookie recipes.

Cream together the fat, sugar, and pumpkin, then add the eggs before sifting in the dry ingredients.

What makes this recipe a bit different from many cookie recipes is that the dough is very soft and sticky, much more like a muffin or cake batter than a traditional cookie dough.

So don’t panic when the dough seems like it could be for a cake instead! Remember, these finished cookies are pretty cakey, so you want the dough be a bit cake-like as well.

I do recommend using a cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the baking sheet. It’ll help a lot since the dough is pretty sticky.

CREAM CHEESE COOKIE FROSTING

I can’t decide if my favorite thing about these cookies is that they are made with pumpkin (you know how I love pumpkin recipes, after all) or if it’s the cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin and cream cheese is such a good combination. I love adding cream cheese frosting to many of my pumpkin baked goods.

The cream cheese frosting for these cookies is a soft, creamy frosting. It stays soft, so keep that in mind if you are looking to store these cookies. You won’t want to stack them on top of each other!

These Pumpkin Cookies are a fun treat to enjoy with your family this fall. I know you’ll love them!

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: 24 Cookies

These soft, cakey Pumpkin Cookies are a must for fall baking. Don’t forget to add the tangy cream cheese frosting for the perfect accompaniment to these spiced cookies.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
2 cups white sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

For the frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

For the Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cream shortening, butter, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well.
Sift together the baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Drop from spoon to parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake 13-15 minutes..

For the Cream Cheese Icing

Mix the cream cheese with the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl.
Heat in a microwave for 5-10 seconds.
Drizzle spoonfuls over the cooled cookies and smooth with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Notes

- I wanted big cookies, so I measured each cookie out to 1/4 cup, I shaped the cookies into circular blobs and smoothed the tops with dampened finger tips.
- When the cookies were just slightly warm, I spooned on the cream cheese icing, smoothed the surface and tossed on some fall inspired sprinkles.
- This icing recipe does not harden!

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Nutrition Information

Yield 24 Serving Size 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving Calories 381Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 60mgSodium 275mgCarbohydrates 53gFiber 1gSugar 35gProtein 3g

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Debbie

Sunday 6th of September 2020

I have made pumpkin cookies and put chocolate chips in them, but now instead of chocolate chips, I use cinnamon chips!

Jamie

Sunday 13th of September 2020

Thanks so much for stopping by, Debbie! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking! -Jamie

Natalie

Thursday 12th of September 2019

What size can or how much pumpkin puree?

Sunday 6th of October 2019

Hello! You need 2 cups for this recipe, as listed in the recipe card. That will be a little over 1 standard-size can (15 oz). Hope this helps! Jamie

Charlene Garcia

Monday 9th of September 2019

God ... I wish I lived where YOU live. It's still 109 in Phoenix (AZ). Uuuuhhhgggg.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Charlene! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking! -Jamie

Sunday 8th of September 2019

I love pumpkin cookies! Just for the season :) Can't wait to try this recipe - they look amazing!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Natalie! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking! -Jamie

Nicole

Friday 6th of September 2019

These look delicious. I usually glaze mine with a very tart lemon/powder sugar glaze but I like the idea a cream cheese frosting; the only downside would be the shelf life and cookie tin travel ability.