Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft and tender pumpkin cookies with a heap of autumn spices, and slathered with an awesomely sweet, creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting! Simple, but classic, these Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are 100% irresistible.

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Chewy cookies are all the rage these days. Everybody wants an ultra-chewy cookie, completely devoid of any ‘cakey’ qualities. I’m with you… most of the time. Chewy is my preference too. However, a cakey cookie is amazing too, when done just right.

I think cakey cookies are underrated and need more love. These Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are a perfect cakey-ish pumpkin cookie. Believe me, they’ll knock your socks off.

I’ve been making these pumpkin cookies for almost 15 years now, and I come back to them over and over again when I want a perfect soft pumpkin cookie. I first shared them as these Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing. That’s the original way I usually make these is with brown butter icing.

If there’s anything I love as much as Brown Butter Frosting, it’s cream cheese frosting. Sweet, creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting. Light and creamy, and strong on cream cheese. Ugh, what’s better?

Pumpkin with cream cheese is epically awesome.  Pumpkin Cheesecake, for example. It’s hard to beat. That’s what makes these Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting so irresistible, the ultimate combo of pumpkin and cream cheese.

They’re pillowy soft, tender cookies, and they’re also very thick cookies! Though they’re not ultra-chewy, they still have a bit of chew to them that is super satisfying. I love the texture – soft and cakey, but still dense and substantial.

These Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting remind me of the type of cookie you’d use to make a whoopie pie, and in fact, I’ve used these exact pumpkin cookies to make these Pumpkin Nutella Whoopie Pies. They’re just sturdy enough to be a fantastic cookie for sandwiching with frosting or buttercream (like I did with this Nutella Buttercream), yet they’re still super soft and tender.

I think cakey cookies have a time and place, and I adore these Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, but when you’re in the mood for chewy pumpkin cookies, check out these insanely chewy Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies, or these Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I’ve also used the same recipe to make these White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Cookies, and these Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting.

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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft and tender pumpkin cookies with a heap of autumn spices, and slathered with an awesomely sweet, creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting! Simple, but classic, these Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are 100% irresistible.

Course Cookies

Keyword cakey pumpkin cookies, chewy chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, cream cheese frosting, cream cheese icing, pumpkin, soft pumpkin cookies

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 36

Author Sarah

Ingredients

For pumpkin cookies:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp. clove
• 1/4 tsp. ginger

For cream cheese frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese softened
• 4 tbsp. butter softened
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

For pumpkin cookies:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars.

2. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, beating until combined.

3. In another large bowl, combine remaining ingredients (all the dry cookie ingredients).

4. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper or silicone mat-lined cookie sheets.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and centers are set.

7. Remove cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely.

For cream cheese frosting:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.

2. Add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, beating until mixture is smooth and creamy.

3. Beat in additional powdered sugar, as needed. Frosting should be creamy and easy to spread. A creamy frosting, not a thick, heavy frosting.

4. Beat in vanilla.

5. Frost cookies generously. Allow to set.

Cream cheese frosting adapted from Food Network.