Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Nothing welcomes fall like baking a batch of Soft Pumpkin Cookies! These easy whole wheat pumpkin spice cookies are topped with an incredible cream cheese frosting.
Truth be told, I don’t give two craps about pumpkin anything. The whole onslaught of “pumpkin-spiced everything” makes me roll my eyes so hard that I may sprain them one of these days.
But these cookies from Troy’s grandma have changed my mind about snickering at the basicness of pumpkin. They taste of Fall, and of fresh pumpkin mixed with cinnamon.
Ingredient Variations
- This recipe is whole wheat, but you can totally use all-purpose flour in these cookies! Sub in the flour cup for cup and leave out the vital wheat gluten.
- The original recipe called for chopped walnuts and dried cranberries.
- Throw in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and go live your life!
What Kind of Pumpkin Should I Use?
For this recipe, I used plain ol’ pure organic solid packed canned pumpkin from the grocery store. It’s super affordable, incredibly easy to use, and it has a consistent texture that lets you duplicate the same results each time.
If you’re feeling adventurous, check out my post on Canning Pumpkin like a cool kid. If you’re not up for canning, my girl Katie over at Hey Nutrition Lady has an awesome post on homemade pumpkin puree. You can also find instructions on how to freeze pumpkin here.
Here’s How to Make Easy Pumpkin Cookies
*detailed instructions are available in the printable recipe card below.
In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin.
Add in the vanilla (related: try homemade) and then the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake and cool completely.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- The dough for these soft pumpkin cookies will be fairly sticky. Resist the urge to keep adding more flour. Use either a cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop the dough onto the baking sheet.
- The cookies will be very soft until completely cooled. Be patient and do wait until they are fully cooled before frosting.
- Make sure the butter, cream cheese, and eggs are room temperature before mixing. Don’t have time for that?Microwave the butter and cream cheese in 10 seconds increments until softened. Place eggs (in the shell) in a small bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. If you need to stack the cookies in the container, place a piece of parchment between the layers.
- Here is the weirdest and most awesome part about these pumpkin cookies…they are even better the next day.
- I reduced the sugar by half compared with the original recipe (for both cookie and frosting).
Fun fact: that little knife in the bowl was my play dough knife as a kid.
Other Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Cinnamon Apple Donuts
- Apple Pie Egg Rolls
- Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Nordy Bars
- The Softest Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cinnamon Pretzel Bites With Apple Syrup
- Aunt Barbara’s Old Fashioned Fudge
Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 cup butter {room temperature (2 sticks){
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs {room temperature{
- 2 cups pumpkin puree {1 15 oz can}
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp salt
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 oz cream cheese {room temperature}
- 2 tbsp butter {room temperature}
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Making the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin on medium speed.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- Slow the mixer down to the lowest level and add in the vanilla and then the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to fully cool before frosting.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream together room temperature butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar, orange zest, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Frost your cooled and amazing cookies!
Notes
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This is very similar to my grandma’s pumpkin cookie
recipe. I’ll have to make some soon!
Did she use a frosting too?
Hi Sarah, these look fantastic! I do have a question though…what is the weight of “a stick” of butter? It’s not a unit that’s used where I’m from – it’s easier to cut the correct weight from the cold block if you know the amount you need?
Hi Pip, it’s 8 tbsp, so I believe that should be 4 oz or a quarter of a pound.
Delish!
So glad you enjoyed them!
These yummy pumpkin cookies were easy to make! I made them with regular flour as that’s whats in my pantry. My kids (3 &7) loved them! My family likes them with and with out the frosting. win/win!
So glad you and the whole gang enjoyed them Catherin!
I am also not a “pumpkin spice” everything fan (I don’t even drink coffee), but I love this time of year because pumpkin pie for breakfast! Also popular, crustless pumpkin pie for breakfast. We may be trying these this weekend! Whatever gets more veggies into the kids.
I like how your brain works Sarah. I’m always down for pie any time, and the idea of breakfast pie sounds amazing.
These look soooooooo good, and I just happen to have six cups of pumpkin purée stashed in the freezer, so I think we know what needs to be done. Swedish cream cheese does this weird thing where it never firms up in a frosting, but I’m gonna give it one more chance here.
I supposed their messed up cream cheese is balanced out by their amazing butter.
These sound great Sarah. Thanks for sharing!
My mom’s pumpkin cookie recipe is very similar (higher sugar content) and also get better after sitting for a day or two. When I was a kid I would help her make all the Christmas cookies, and these were usually the first ones we made because they keep well. We would also freeze the cookies. I would bet these freeze well too, as long as you don’t let them get too moist while defrosting.
Oh, I definitely cut the sugar in half from the original recipe. Does yours call for 2 cups of sugar in the cookies and 2 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting? I mean, I love sugar but damn!
I think they would totally be freezer friendly.
I have fond memories of these cookies. My brother and I couldn’t wait until they cooled. We would steal a few off of the cooling “dish towel”. We would sneak some frosting, and run away leaving a trail of melting, dripping icing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Awww I love you and your momma’s cookies! Thanks for sharing her with us.
Curse my gluten intolerance, these sound amazing
These are so moist (gah I hate that word) that I bet they would work fine with a 1:1 GF baking mix! If you try it let me know.