This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
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
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated 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:
- 8 ounces 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.
Video
Notes
- 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!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hey I saw this recipe & compared it with 2 other pumpkin recipes & decided this was the one. So I made these for my ladies Bible study class, I added prolly a tsp more of cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice & baked them only 11 minutes. They were a success! Then my husband took them to work (he’s in the army) & all the soldiers ate them up!! People who don’t even like pumpkin told me they loved them & soldiers were askin for the recipe for their wives! Thanks so much!
Chelsea-
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe – thanks so much for leaving your feedback! Have a great day!
-Jamie
HOLY SMOKES! I made these tonight and just ate my first one, actually two, and they are amazing!!! They turned out to be almost a muffin like consistency and I think it maybe that I creamed the butter, shortening, and sugar a little too much but they are still awesome! Thanks so much for sharing! I found them on Pinterest(well, my husband did anyway!)!
Gena-
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe – thanks so much for leaving your feedback! Have a great day!
-Jamie
These are the BEST cookies I’ve ever had. Holy cow.
Best find from PInterest to date! Thanks!!
These were awesome! Thanks for the recipe! I shared my results on my blog @ http://domestic-diva-wannabe.blogspot.ca/2012/10/pinteresting-pumpkin-cookies.html
Ang-
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
What would the best way to make these without the cinnamon due to an allergy?
Samantha-
Hi! You can definitely make these without the cinnamon, the flavor will be a little different, but I’m sure they’ll still be tasty.
-Jamie
Ok. My FAVORITE cookie in the world is pumpkin. I MUST make these!
Readers may like to use fresh homemade pumpkin puree instead of the processed kind. Here’s how: http://cookingripe.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/homemade-pumpkin-puree/
I made these cookies last night for one of my co-workers birthday, and there’s only one word for them…AMAZING!! I added just a teeny pinch of ground cloves, which really intensified the pumpkin flavor. I also liked them smaller..a small ice cream scoop was perfect for scooping the batter. They looked exactly like the picture! Letting them set up overnight in the fridge really made them perfect!! These cookies will be added to the favorites list!!
These look so soft and moist. I love pumpkin, and you can’t go wrong with frosting on a cookie :)
Such a great cookie! I was worried the spice amounts would be too much but they turned out perfect and full of flavor where other cookies I have made didnt have any flavor. I followed the cookie and icing recipe exactly only using reduced fat cream cheese. My 2 year old didnt like the icing but ate the cookies plain and my 4 year old and 12 month old gobbled them up too! Next time might try adding mini chocolate chips and making a cream cheese frosting that is more whipped n fluffy just so its not as messy. My icing was pretty runny but I think thats the reduced fat cream cheese. Usually it tends to be softer. Glad I found a keeper. Thanks for the recipe!
i juss came across your blog i usually never look into them but im so glad i did and im here in ur blog & im loving it!
ur recipes look delish and i cant wait till i try them tomorrow!
a true inspiration thanks so much! <3
keep doin ya thang=)