Soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are perfectly tasty and cozy for fall. They are a super easy, low maintenance recipe that’s guaranteed to become an instant family classic!
These soft pumpkin cookies are from a recipe that’s over a hundred years old! My great-grandmother used to make them all the time, as does my grandma, and as I do now every autumn.
As the name implies, they’re soft and sweet but they’re also so simple to make. All you need is one bowl and some excited taste buds.
Do you enjoy other vintage/historical recipes? Let me know in the comments below if you’d like to see more! (I have lots).
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Soft Pumpkin Cookies
How do I describe the texture of these cookies?
Well, put it this way….everyone knows that the muffin top is the best part of a muffin, right? Well imagine that deliciousness and perfectly soft, fluffy texture in a cookie. Yeah, it sounds divine, right?
That’s what these cookies are. Divine muffin top cookies. (Also, I can’t guarantee they won’t give you your own muffin top, but damn it’s so worth it)!
And are these the prettiest cookies? Ehhh, no. I mean, muffin tops aren’t all that gorgeous, either ya know.
But that’s what the frosting is for…to cover up any weird lumps and bumps.
Their cakey lumpy tops look absolutely adorable when covered in a swirl of cream cheese frosting.
They are also not the sweetest cookie. Historically, people didn’t use as much sugar because A. they had low sugar diets so things were naturally sweeter to them. And B sugar was expensive AF so that stuff was treated like gold and used rather sparingly.
Also, the cream cheese frosting is pretty dang sweet so a less sweet cookie means a more balanced sweetness of the whole treat.
Tips for the Perfect Soft Pumpkin Cookies
1.Lightly spray a cookie scoop with some no stick spray to ensure the batter doesn’t stick too much and so you get even sized cookies.
2.Use silicone baking mats to bake these cookies. Since the batter is pretty sticky, you don’t want to ruin these because they stuck to the pan. The silicone baking mats prevent tearing cookies and burnt bottoms.
3.When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately use a large circle cookie cutter (like one of these) to do a little swoop around the cookie to make it beautifully round.
4.Allow your cookies to cool completely before you try to frost them. As they cool down they get sweeter, plus then the frosting will actually stick rather than slide right off the cookie.
5.Use an offset spatula to make the cream cheese frosting look aesthetically pleasing with a good old-timey swirl. An offset spatula also reduces the likelihood of accidentally tearing the tops off the cookies and gives you more control over the application of the frosting.
6.Finally, sprinkle some cinnamon on top for the finishing touch. I think it really just pulls the whole thing together and looks so dang cute!
If you are making these ahead of time, store in an airtight container unfrosted. Frost right before serving.
If you have leftover cookies that are frosted, these need to be stored in the fridge.
Check Out More Related Recipes
Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Apple Pie Cookies
Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can 100% pumpkin puree 15oz
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups All purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- dash of Nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp heavy whipping cream
- dash of cinnamon (optional – sprinkled on top)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and line 3 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
- With a hand mixer cream together your pumpkin puree, butter and sugars well combined and creamy. Add your egg and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.
- Whisk in your dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms, scraping the sides of your bowl as needed.
- Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, scoop your cookie dough balls onto your baking sheet spacing each about a ½ inch apart. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 12-15 minutes.
- When you remove from the oven, take a glass and immediately press down the cookies into flatter disks. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat until all cookies are baked.
- Meanwhile, make your cream cheese frosting. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then slowly incorporate your powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in. Beat until you have a smooth frosting that's bright and glossy.
- Once your cookies have fully cooled, take an offset spatula and frost your cookies. Sprinkle some cinnamon and some fall sprinkles on top (optional) and serve!
- Store any extras in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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Final Notes…
These soft cookies are so lovely to bake on a chilly fall evening. They sweet and seasonally perfect and will quickly become a new household favorite.
And if you want to make this recipe even more aesthetically pleasing, enjoy them with a hot mug of tea, a cozy fire burning, and a cat sleeping on your lap.
Oooo aestheticism…
Once you’ve made these sweet soft pumpkin cookies, post a picture of these beauties on Instagram and make sure to tag me (@handheld_eats)! I love seeing you creations and really, if you don’t post it online, did it even happen?
And of course, check out all of our other fall recipes as well to keep that sweet tooth satisfied!
If you haven’t already, let me know in the comments below if you’d like to see more vintage recipe! (I have lots)!
Sharing is caring! Do you know someone who would would love these vintage soft pumpkin cookies? Share this post with them!
See you soon, friends!
xoxo,
Angel