Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
These Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting are cookies from Nancy and my childhood. They are made with love from our mom’s decades-old recipe and taste like a bite of the Holidays. Cake-y and pumpkin-y with a smear of sweet cream cheese frosting these are great Pumpkin Spice Cookies to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or especially a Christmas Cookie Exchange.
How to Make the Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough
Step1: In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes.)
Step 2: Add the eggs and pumpkin and mix for 3 more minutes.
Step 3: Add the baking powder, salt, and spices together and mix until combined.
Step 4: Add the flour, one cup at a time, and mix just until blended.
Baking Instructions
Step 5: At this point, you can add the nuts if you like. We did not.
Step 6: Drop a spoonful of the cookie batter (about 1.5 oz.) onto a cookie sheet and use a spoon to flatten it out a bit. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes.
Step 7: Here are the Pumpkin Spice Cookies straight out of the oven. Super cake-y and pumpkin-y. Mmmm … mmm … good. Allow the cookies to completely cool.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 8: You have a lot of yummy options for frosting these delicious Pumpkin Cookies. You can use our homemade Cream Cheese Frosting with Cinnamon sprinkled on top (which is what we have done here.) You will find the recipe and detailed instructions on making this yummy Cream Cheese Frosting right here.
If you really love fall spices, you might want to try out our Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting where the Cinnamon is mixed in with the frosting. Or if you are feeling REALLY adventurous why not try our Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting or our Caramel Frosting?
Frosting the Cookies
Steps 9-10: To frost the cookies, make a batch of our The Best Cream Cheese Frosting and frosted them using a knife.
Step 11: Finally, add a tiny sprinkling of cinnamon to the top of the Cream Cheese Frosting for a little extra “spice.”
Expert Tips and FAQ’s
Both the eggs and the butter should be at room temperature which will help your cookies turn out lighter and fluffier. For the eggs, room temperature simply means not cold out of the refrigerator. If you forget to take the eggs out before you start making cookie dough you can put the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes to warm them up. The butter also needs to be softened to room temperature which means if you touch it you should leave an indentation on the stick of butter. Do not use butter that has been over-softened or melted. If that happens you should use a different stick of butter or put it back into the refrigerator to let it set up. We have a whole post about How to Soften Butter, click here if you need more information on how to do that.
Yes. In our opinion, you need some kind of a mixer to make a good cookie dough. A stand mixer, while expensive, is a great investment if you believe you have a lot of homemade baked goods in your future. An electric hand-mixer also works well and you can probably find one for around $20. You can hand mix cookie dough in a pinch (which is how we did it growing up), but you will really have to use a lot of muscle to cream the butter and sugar, and eggs properly.
Creaming the butter, sugar and then mixing the eggs in is the most important part of the cookie dough mixing process. Creaming is when you fully incorporate the butter and sugar together and add some much needed air to the dough. We recommend creaming the butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed and then mixing the butter/sugar/eggs for another 3 minutes at the same speed. Once you add the flour, you want to mix the dough as little as possible. Mix it too much and you will get tough cookies. Mix in the flour on low speed and continue mixing ONLY until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough. Make sure you scrape down the sides and the bottom to make sure all the flour has gotten mixed in.
We always line our cookie sheets with a piece of parchment paper, it keeps the cookie from sticking to the sheet and from over-browning. You can find parchment paper either in rolls or in pre-cut sheets in most grocery stores, and we highly recommend it. Ideally, you should use at least 2 cookie sheets when baking cookies. You don’t want to add the raw cookie dough to a cookie sheet that is hot out of the oven. The dough will start baking even before you get it in the oven.
Everyone’s oven is different. We recommend starting with a test bake with a single cookie to help you hone in on the exact baking time for your oven. You should set your timer for 2 minutes less than whatever the recipe recommends. Once the timer goes off, open up the oven and see how your cookie is baking. Make corrections accordingly. Our oven has a hot spot in the back so we always rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time to get a more even bake. Although this may seem like an unnecessary step, it is better to do this than burn a whole tray of cookies.
These Pumpkin Cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator because of the Cream Cheese Frosting. Take them out about an hour before you serve them. We usually add a layer of parchment paper between each row of cookies in our plastic container to protect the Cream Cheese Frosting.
Other Frosted Cookie Recipes you will love
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Our Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is an old family recipe that only gets better with age (and they taste just like pumpkin pie!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Canned Pumpkin
- 2 Large Eggs
- 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Ginger
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
- 1 batch of The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Cookies:
- In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well.
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and fold into cookie batter.
- Mix until well blended.
- Drop a spoonful of the cookie batter onto a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a spoon.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes.
- Allow to cool.
- Frost with The Best Cream Cheese Frosting or Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the frosting.
Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!
I made these for the second time last night. These are by far the best cookies I’ve ever baked. AMAZING!!!
THE BEST PUMPKIN COOKIES!
I’ve made these a few times with the cream cheese frosting and they’re always SO soft and delcious. HIGHLY Recommend! Thanks so much!!!
B (:
I had a can of pumpkin pie filling sitting around and didn’t want to make pie so I tried it with this recipe but used these modifications to adjust for using pie filling instead of purée: used 1 egg instead of 2, cut down the sugar by roughly 1/4 cup, used 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice as I didn’t have nutmeg, and they turned out great! Had to bake an extra min or two likely due to the excess moisture from the pie filling. I topped with your cinnamon cream cheese icing and got rave reviews from the family and friends I gave them to. Thanks!
I made these today to take over to my mom’s house. There is a store just by them that makes this same type of cookie and everyone said that these were SO much better!! I just used a cookie scoop and they came out perfectly. I will be making this again a ton.
Made these twice now and they are absolutely delicious! First time using pumpkin that’s actually tasted good. Though we skipped the frosting first time (guessing it’d be too sweet) we tried it on a few for the second. Definitely prefer without lol. Thanks much for sharing.
I made these cookies and they were excellent and easy to make. I also made the cinnamon cream cheese icing and colored the icing a bright orange and put walnut “dust” on them instead of nutmeg. I used Libby’s pumpkin puree.
I made these cookies tonight and they are amazing!! Just curious, can the frosting sit out or does it need to be refrigerated?
They should be refrigerated because of the Cream Cheese Frosting.
I made these for this first time a few years back and they were a delicious disaster, I came back to them after gaining some experience and they’re even better! I mailed some to my grandpa and he loved them too.
This recipe is truly awesome! So delicious soft and fluffy. They came out big too lol my kids loved that they had “giant size cookies” lol. However instead of using the can of pumpkin we used the actual pumpkin. We cleaned out our pumpkin then cut it in half and baked it then scraped the insides out after it was baked. Mixed the insides with the the rest of the ingredients. definitely a recipe I saved and will do again. Thank you!!
So glad to hear that you loved the recipe. What a great idea to use a fresh pumpkin!
Hi! I loved these cookies!
They are definitely a Fall must have.
When they came out of the oven, they expanded quite a bit!
Instead of using powdered sugar, I used liquid stevia, and the frosting still tasted great!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe, I will definitely make these again!
Very delicious and so easy to make. my only suggestion is do not did the cookies in the icing which is what I did- trying to make it easier-, as it make the icing way too thick on each cookie. as well as being so thick, it (the cream cheese) overpowers the pumpkin These are so tasty -well worth trying if you love pumpkin.
*do not dip the cookies
Hi laurie, I made this recipe the second time, I keep getting a runny frosting mix . I cant get it to thicken. What can I add to make it a frosting?
First, here are detailed instructions on making Cream Cheese Frosting so you can see pictures of all the steps: https://www.twosisterscrafting.com/the-best-cream-cheese-frosting/
Second, if you added milk it might have been too much. Next time don’t add any milk unless the frosting is too thick. Or the butter or cream cheese might have been too soft. If that was the case, you can always put the frosting in the refrigerator and it should setup back up.
Hi I love in Colorado and went to visit my sister in Alaska and she made those. They were incredibly delicious!!!
The problem is that at such high altitude baking is difficult with all the adjustments. Do you cave a recipe for these cookies that are already adjusted? I’m in love with the flavor and want to try it all it down here.
Hi Vera – we are so glad you liked these cookies. We live at sea level so luckily for us we don’t have worry about this. But here is a great overview of changes you’ll need to make for high-altitude baking – https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking.
These were delicious! How long will the leftover cookie dough and frosting last in the refrigerator? Would it be better to move them to the freezer if I will want to wait 2 weeks before making the leftovers?
Hi Gina – yes, you should freeze the dough if it is going to be longer than a day in the refrigerator.
I just made these last night…they are the first “pumpkin spice” recipe I have ever tried…and I’m in LOVE! They turned out magnificently! I only used 3 cups of icing sugar mixture, and next time will probably try just 2 cups, as the icing is quite sweet.
Thank you so much for sharing your family’s recipe! Will be making these again and again!
Hugs from Australia xo
Yay! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Just made these this afternoon. I can’t keep my husband out of them! So good!!
Right? So delicious!
Just made these. First thing I ever baked. They are good. I think I made them a bit big though. I doubled the recipe and still ended up with 3 dozen. Wooops.
These cookies are SO good and so easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
Made these today and they are so good. Recipe is easy to follow. The only thing that I would change, is to use a little less than 8 oz. of cream cheese that is called for in the frosting recipe, as you can definitely taste the cream cheese and seems a bit over powering even after using 4 cups of powdered sugar. Other than that, I will make these again.
I made these yesterday and they turned out amazing! I brought the unfrosted cookies to work with a container of icing separately. This way, people could decide how much icing they wanted on their cookie. Also, avoided the mess of transporting them. Thank you! Fantastic cookie 🙂
I made these last year (2017) for my adult children, husband and parents and were a big hit enough so they requested them again thisyear. THANK YOU coming a girl who doesn’t like any kind of pumpkin nothing.. lol
Can you use pumpkin spice in the cookie batter instead of mixing all the spices you listed?
Thank you
Sure, that would be good. Just make sure you taste along the way to make sure you have a good mix.
Just made these! They are deeluscious!
Yay! We are so glad you like them!
Hi, these were AMAZING! Do you have to refrigerate them after making or no? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, we are so glad you liked them. Because of the cream cheese frosting, you should keep them in the refrigerator.
Hi can you make them without the nutmeg
Sure! You might want to add a bit more cinnamon.
So, so yummy! I used walnuts in the cookies. The cookies are so tender with a nice flavor very nicely paired with this creamy buttery frosting. For a less sweet frosting, I used a cup less powdered sugar and added a dash of salt then topped with nuts.
Hi Mary – our Mom always put nuts in them too. Glad you liked the recipe!
These cookies make wonderful whoppie pies. My nephews love them and start asking for them in September. Just put the frosting on the flat bottom and attach another cookie.
What a great idea! We’re going to have to try that! Thanks for the tip.
You must be from Pennsylvania. We love our Whoopie pies
CAn you do the beating and mixing of the ingredients by hand, and still have them turn out good? I don’t have an electric mixer? I do have a blender though?
Hi Alexis – sure. You can mix the cookie dough by hand. But it’s pretty hard to get the frosting to be the right consistency without beaters unfortunately.
I will be coming over for a bag full of these soon! Or better yet next time you need a tester give me a call and Ill rush over. LOL Happy early Fall to you and your family. Back to football.
You’ll be our first phone call!!
I made these cookies for my children and grandchildren…simply delicious!….although I did add a teaspoon or 2 of pumpkin pie spice…brought out more of the pumpkin flavor. Thanks
Hi Ruthie – we’re so glad you enjoyed the cookie recipe. That’s a great idea about adding the Pumpkin Pie spice.
Can the dough be made ahead of time? Like the night before?
Hi Rebecca – sure. I would let the dough get back up to room temperature before you bake them though.
How exactly could I store these?
Hi Rebecca – I’d put them in an airtight container with a sheet of wax paper between the layers.
What is “Sweet Cream Salted” Butter?
Hi Marcie, Sweet Cream butter is just a type of butter that is sold. In a lot of stores there is “salted” or “unsalted” butter, and sometimes “sweet cream,” since people usually ask us what we use, we always include it in our recipes. You can use whatever you have in the store.
I made these cookies today for a party, and everyone really liked them!!! The cookies had a delicious pumpkin spice flavor, and the frosting was so easy and so good. I have a question though (novice baker here): if I were to use less baking powder, say 2 tsp. instead of 4, would that make them a bit chewier instead of cakey? I liked the cakey version very much, but I’d like to try a chewier version as well.
Thanks for a great recipe–will definitely be checking out more of your blog (linked here from Pinterest). 🙂
Hi! We are so glad that you liked the cookies!! I think you’re on the right track about lowering the baking powder to try to get a chewier cookie. You might also replace some of the white sugar with brown sugar.
Great–thanks for your reply. My Mom requested I make these for Thanksgiving, so maybe I’ll try that then!!! 🙂
These cookies are delicious! My family (myself included) could not eat just one!
We are so glad you liked them!!!
These are delicious! I made them Sunday and loved them so much, I blogged your recipe (with credit to you, of course!) on The Delighted. Thanks, ladies!
Hi Julie! You are welcome. We’re so glad you liked the cookies!
Can I make these as a bar recipe?
Hi Jenn – I don’t see why not. That is a great idea, let us know how it turns out!
These cookies turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! We are so glad you liked the cookies!
Should/could they be stored in the fridge or sealed but left out at room temp? Thank you! They are delicious!
Hi Lauren – we are so glad you liked them! If you frosted them I would store them in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese in the frosting.
I made these today for our church kids with a few modifications. 1) Do not use salted butter, use unsalted. 2) Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 3) 1 tsp of vanilla to the cookie batter. They are amazing and I will definitely make them again! Thanks for an awesome recipe.
How tacky/sticky is the frosting at room temperature? I’m planning on making and taking these in to work and our cookie container requires stacking. I just don’t want to make a huge mess. Any thoughts?
Hi Darian, it’s a pretty wet frosting. I think if you used wax paper to separate them they would be okay.
I always add some white chocolate chips and some pumpkin spice to the frosting.
That sounds delicious. We will have to try that next time.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Hi Kayla – this recipe should make about 3 dozen cookies.
Can these cookies be frozen?
Hi Linda, we have never frozen them, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. Just make sure they are in an airtight container, and I am sure they will be fine.
Hey there!
I’m making these cookies tonight but I have pumpkin pie mix
I was told it doesn’t really matter although I think it does lol
Thoughts??
Hi Zena – there is a difference between the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie mix. The pumpkin pie mix already has spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) mixed in and I think it has sugar added too. The cookies will probably be fine but hold off on adding the spices listed in the cookie recipe until you taste the dough. You might not need those if you use the Pumpkin Pie Mix. Taste the dough before you add the dry ingredients and see what you think. Hope that helps. Good luck!
It does
Thanks so much!
I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
Turned out AMAZING!!!
only put in a half cup of sugar and no other spices.
Amazing recipient
Thanks!!!
I’m so glad to hear that. Now we know what to do if only have a can of pumpkin pie mix!
I just made these yesterday! Best.Cookie.Ever!! Love the frosting.
Yay!! We are so glad that you liked them.
Yes, is there a printable version of this recipe?
Hi Kathy – yes. There is a print button for the recipe down at the bottom of the post. Thanks for stopping by!
These are really delicious. I halved the recipe and made these tonight…even though it is still August! The cookies were nice and soft, and the icing was such a wonderful touch. I will definitely be making these again!
I’m looking for a cut out pumpkin recipe. Do you think I could add a little more flour and roll them?These look delicious !
Hi Jeanne, I am not sure that will work with this recipe. It is a very wet dough. The amount of flour you would need to add would change the taste of the cookie.
So, not to be a joykill, but if this recipe yields 3 dozen cookies, it looks to be at about 142 calories a cookie, if you halve the sugar in the frosting. If you use neufchatel cream cheese and less sugar, you might be able to bring this down a little bit more. Happy rewarding! I’ts a nice treat and light tasting.
Yikes, sometimes it best not to know.
These came out really great. I only used half the sugar for the cream cheese frosting because I don’t like my frosting too sweet and a little lime juice for tartness. Can someone help me calculate calories per cookie? Really love these and need to log calories!
Is the pan sprayed or did you not spray it?
Do I need to refrigerate them if they’re going to be around for a day or two?
Hi Stephanie, because of the cream cheese frosting, I would keep them in the refrigerator.
What size can of pumpkin puree?
Hi Lisa – the regular sized can (not the bigger one.)
Is there a printable version of this recipe? Thanks.
Do you use pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie mix?
Janis
Hi Janis – we use Pumpkin Puree.