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Best Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

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These incredibly soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting stay tender for days thanks to a secret trick—using undrained pumpkin puree. A quick and easy fall favorite that always gets rave reviews.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (245g) canned pumpkin puree, NOT drained
  • 2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter and sugars together. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  4. Add the pumpkin puree. Add the entire can of pumpkin puree—do not drain it. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
  5. Whisk dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
  6. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  7. Chill the dough (optional but recommended). Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  8. Scoop the dough. Use a cookie scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden. The centers will look slightly underdone and puffy.
  10. Cool completely. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  11. Make the frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add milk one tablespoon at a time if the frosting is too thick.
  12. Frost the cookies. Spread a generous amount of frosting onto each cooled cookie.

Notes

Don’t overmix the dough. Use room temperature ingredients. Watch the baking time closely. Let cookies cool completely before frosting. Use a cookie scoop for even sizing. Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfrosted cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, soft pumpkin cookies, cream cheese frosting, fall cookies, pumpkin dessert, easy pumpkin cookies

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