Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Table of Contents

1. Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
2. Substitutions and Additions
3. How to Make Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
4. How to Serve Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
5. Storage
6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
7. MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
8. JUMP TO RECIPE

Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting have the perfect balance of tangy cream cheese frosting and pumpkin spice flavors. Moist and chewy, these soft pumpkin cookies are frosted with a velvety frosting flavored with all the best fall spices. It will be love at first bite with this fall dessert recipe! 

Looking for more great pumpkin treats? Pumpkin Truffles, Pumpkin Magic Cake, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are three more yummy pumpkin recipes for you to try. 

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

You will need:

Cookie Dough

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup salted sweet cream butter softened
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar packed
• 15 ounces pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ½ cup salted sweet cream softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice optional garnish

PRO TIP: Watch out when you are at the grocery store that you buy pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.

Substitutions and Additions

VANILLA: Maple flavoring can be substituted for the clear vanilla flavoring in the frosting for a maple-flavored addition to these yummy cookies. 

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Added little bursts of chocolate to these flavorful cookies. Chocolate pairs so well with pumpkin that I guarantee you will love the taste. 

FROSTING: If you don’t want to make the frosting from scratch, you can use store-bought cream cheese frosting instead in this recipe.

How to Make Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cookie Dough

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

STEP TWO: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set it aside.

STEP THREE: Using a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the softened butter and vegetable oil for 1 minute.

STEP FOUR: Lower the mixer speed to low, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Mix for another 1 minute. Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

STEP FIVE: Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the pumpkin puree, increase the speed to medium, and mix just until the pumpkin is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

STEP SIX: Lower the mixer speed to low, and add in the vanilla extract and the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.

STEP SEVEN: Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix just until all ingredients are well incorporated.

STEP EIGHT: Using a 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Space the dough 2 inches apart.

PRO TIP: These cookies can also be made larger (2 to 3 tablespoons) size.

STEP NINE: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to completely cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

STEP TEN: Using a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the softened cream cheese, clear vanilla flavoring, and butter for 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.

STEP ELEVEN: Lower the mixer speed to low, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another 1 to 1 ½ minutes.

STEP TWELVE: Lower the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the milk. Mix just until the frosting is smooth.

STEP THIRTEEN: Once the cookies have completely cooled, spoon 1 tablespoon (or more if you wish) of frosting onto each cookie, smoothing out to the edges. If you wish, you can gently dust the tops of the cookie with the pumpkin pie spice.

PRO TIP: You can make these as sandwich cookies with the frosting on the inside as well.

How to Serve Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

These incredible cookies make a cozy afternoon treat, or a sweet dessert served on a cookie tray. Enjoy these delicious pumpkin cookies with their decadent cream cheese frosting with a tall glass of milk. Or, savor all the pumpkin goodness by enjoying these decadent pumpkin cookies with a cup of homemade pumpkin spice latte for a cozy treat.

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of these pumpkin spice cookies with cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

IN THE FREEZER: You can also freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Allow the cookies to come to room temperature before frosting.

Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are the perfect choice to make during the fall season. Of course, you don’t have to wait for pumpkin season to make this cookie recipe! The yummy pumpkin flavor and chewy texture make these cookies with cream cheese frosting the ideal choice for your next batch of cookies.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I freeze these cookies? 

You can freeze these cookies unfrosted for up to three months in an airtight container. Frost them once you remove them from the freezer.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree? 

You can use homemade pumpkin puree if you prefer in this recipe.

Can I store these on the counter? 

Because they have cream cheese in them, we would recommend keeping them in the fridge rather than on the counter.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins