Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Frosted pumpkin flavored cookies on small cooling rack.

5 from 6 votes. Tap stars to vote

You'll love these Soft Pumpkin Cookies because they're full of sweetness and warm spice. They're a wonderful treat for the holidays and throughout the year.

Prep Time35

Cook Time20

Setting time1

Total Time1 55

Course: Christmas, Cookies, Dessert, Fall Dessert, Holidays, Thanksgiving, Winter Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups pumpkin purée (16 ounces)
4 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
¾ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

For the icing:

1½ cups confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, and butter for about 3 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time until thoroughly mixed in. Add in the vanilla extract and combine. Add in the pumpkin and thoroughly combine with the other wet ingredients.
In a separate, large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions until everything is just combined.
Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 18 minutes until they are baked all the way through. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool thoroughly.

Make the icing:

In a small bowl whisk together the confectioner's sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in the milk until it creates a thick icing.
Spoon the icing over the top of each cookie, then place them on a cooling rack to let the icing set: about 1 hour.
Serve them up, or store the cookies in a sealed container for up to three days.
Makes about 48 cookies.

Notes

Use softened butter so that it will properly aerate when blended with the sugars. Leave it out at room temperature to soften, or try one of these tricks to soften butter faster.
Bake the cookies until they're just set and light—don't overbake or they'll be dry.
The cinnamon icing should be thick enough to cover the top of the cookie without soaking in. If your icing seems thin, whisk in more confectioner's sugar to thicken it.

Nutrition