Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Frosting

These soft and chewy pumpkin spice cookies with naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting are full of pumpkin spice flavor for an indulgent treat!

Do you ever feel like you need a classic go-to recipe for fall?

Something that tastes like fall, smells like fall (like Stove-Top Potpourri), and is perfect for cooler weather? And maybe something that’s pretty easy and straightforward too?

How about pumpkin spice cookies with naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting?

Oh yes, I think that will do the trick.

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

This pumpkin cookies recipe is seriously amazing! In fact, my pumpkin-hating husband ate three cookies fresh from the oven. And then couldn’t stop eating them the rest of the night. They’re also:

• Made with simple ingredients. In the fall, I already have pumpkin ready for my favorite recipes, and everything else is easy to find in the kitchen.
• The perfect mix of cake and pie. These pumpkin spiced cookies taste like a mixture of Pumpkin Cake and Pumpkin Pie (both of which are also yummy).
• Plus, with a lot less sugar than typical pumpkin spice cookies, you’ll feel better saying “yes” if the kids ask to have cookies for breakfast.

ARE PUMPKIN SPICED COOKIES HEALTHY?

One thing you should know about these pumpkin spiced cookies is that they have SIGNIFICANTLY less sugar than most other cookies.

(Unlike Zucchini Muffins or Pumpkin Bread, I haven’t mastered honey and/or maple syrup only in cookies… yet!)

My recipe was inspired by a few different pumpkin cookie recipes, many of which called for at least 1 cup of white sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar. And then another 2 cups of powdered sugar in the icing. YIKES!

It’s no secret around here – I love dessert. My friends even know that it’s “my thing” to eat dessert for breakfast.

HOWEVER, my family and I quit processed sugar. We’re now super conscious about how much sugar we feed ourselves and the kids.

It’s not that all sugar is bad, but we do believe in using natural sugar whenever possible. And even then, in moderation.

Friends, 3 ½ cups of processed sugar IN ONE RECIPE is not moderation.

With this pumpkin cookies recipe, we’re enjoying the sweet flavors of fall without going overboard.

Thinking about food priorities is something I teach in Grocery Budget Bootcamp. It will be different for every family, and it will affect what your grocery budget looks like. Enrollment is currently closed, but you can check out my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop here. You’ll get access to three AMAZING video sessions focused on how to save money on food right now, despite rising grocery costs.

SOFT PUMPKIN COOKIES RECIPE INGREDIENTS

This soft pumpkin cookies recipe has a lot of typical cookie ingredients, which come together to make these cookies taste like a combination of Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cake. Yum!

• Butter. Bring the butter to room temperature to help it cream nicely with the sugar.
• Sugar. As I said, this is a lower-sugar pumpkin cookies recipe. I also use Turbinado sugar instead of white table sugar. It is slightly less sweet and also slightly less processed. Coconut sugar would likely also work well.
• Molasses. Did you know that brown sugar is actually just granulated sugar and molasses, and you can make your own? We’re including both ingredients in these pumpkin spiced pumpkin cookies for that deep sweet flavor.
• Maple syrup. Because pumpkin + maple syrup = awesome. This helps give the cookies a pumpkin pie flavor.
• Pumpkin puree. Pumpkin cookies wouldn’t be complete without PUMPKIN! I use canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), but you can make Homemade Pumpkin Puree if you prefer.
• Egg. To help hold everything together. A flax egg should also work here.
• Vanilla extract. Try my homemade recipe here.
• Flour. I use all purpose einkorn flour for my pumpkin spice cookies. A mixture of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour would also work.
• Baking powder + baking soda + salt. These lifting agents keep the cookies light and fluffy.
• Pumpkin pie spice. My recipe calls for a full TABLESPOON of Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice. Seriously, don’t skimp on the spices. It takes these delicious pumpkin pie spice cookies to the next level!
• Cornstarch. Give thanks to Sally’s Baking Addiction for this tip. Adding cornstarch to your cookies gives them a light and fluffy cake-like texture. This is how these cookies taste like pie and cake at the same time!
• Frosting. We’ll mix cream cheese with a few of the ingredients we’ve already pulled out for the cookies: butter, vanilla, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.

Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Step 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.

Step 3. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter and granulated sugar until the color is very light, about 5-7 full minutes.

Step 4. Add maple syrup, molasses, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and whisk well until combined.

Step 5. Add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until JUST combined.

Step 6. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheet. 1 scoop of dough will yield smaller, more bite-sized cookies. 2 scoops of dough will yield slightly bigger bakery-style cookies.

Step 7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden to light brown underneath.

Note: Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.

Step 8. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a stand mixer, blender, OR by hand, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Add the salt and taste, adjusting the sweetener as desired.

Step 9. Spread frosting on each cookie and sprinkle with additional cinnamon for decoration, if desired.

STORING THIS PUMPKIN COOKIE RECIPE

These pumpkin spiced cookies do not need to be refrigerated. They will hold up well for a few days at room temperature. However, the frosting should be refrigerated.

• Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are THE BEST the day they’re baked. But they hold up well for a few days if you keep them in an airtight container.
• Unless you have oodles of fridge space, I recommend making the frosting and storing it in a separate container. Then frost the pumpkin spice cookies right before eating or serving.
• This pumpkin cookie recipe also freezes well unfrosted! Thaw to room temperature before frosting and you have an instant dessert ready for those holiday gatherings.

MORE YUMMY PUMPKIN RECIPES

Try one of these other yummy pumpkin recipes too!

PUMPKIN VOOKIES FAQS

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