These easy Pumpkin Cookies are soft, thick, perfectly spiced, and will 100% get you into the fall spirit. Made with canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, every bite tastes like autumn.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try my Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Pancakes next.
About This Recipe
Out of all baked desserts, I find cookies to be the most approachable to me. With fall baking coming up, I decided to tackle a bunch of pumpkin recipes. I've already made bread, pancakes, pie, and so all that was left was to make some pumpkin-flavored cookies.
I will be honest, these were more of a challenge than I initially thought. I had a lot of issues with the dough being too wet. Most cookie doughs do not have much moisture, but this recipe uses pumpkin puree, and pumpkin puree is pretty wet. When I made my first batch, they came out more like cakes than cookies.
After a few trials, I found that removing the moisture from the pumpkin puree allowed them to spread a bit more like regular cookies. They're definitely softer and plumper than regular cookies, but they taste amazing. The pumpkin spice and pumpkin flavor really shine through.
Make these for your next family gathering (like Thanksgiving), or even for a Halloween party. Everyone will love them- I guarantee it!
Key Ingredients
Pumpkin puree: I used canned pumpkin puree, but you can make your own as well. The important thing is to remove some of the moisture from the puree; otherwise, the cookie dough will be too wet. I find that certain brands of pumpkin puree are smoother than others and a bit harder to remove the moisture. You can either remove the moisture by letting it sit on paper towels or use a kitchen towel to squeeze them dry.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour. Make sure to spoon and level this into your measuring cup for the most accurate measurement.
Pumpkin pie spice: I have a homemade recipe here if you do not have any at home.
Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread.
Salt: Enhances all the flavors.
Butter: I use unsalted butter so we can control the salt levels. If you only have salted butter, then you can omit the salt.
Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will both work.
Egg: Binds the ingredients together.
Vanilla extract: A few spoons really elevate the pumpkin spice flavor.
Sugar: For rolling the cookie dough balls. For me, it adds a really nice, fun texture since the cookies are soft.
Instructions
STEP 1: To start, remove excess moisture from the pumpkin puree by either letting it sit on paper towels for 5 minutes or gently squeezing it in a clean kitchen towel. You should have about ยฝ-ยพ cup left.
STEP 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
STEP 3: In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until pale and fluffy. Mix in the dried pumpkin.
STEP 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
STEP 5: Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in a bowl of sugar. Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
STEP 6: Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until the edges are set.
๐ Recipe
Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and levelled)
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยพ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- โ cup sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- The first step is to remove excess moisture from the pumpkin puree. You can do this by either placing the puree on paper towels and letting them soak up the liquid for a few minutes, or by using a clean kitchen towel to gently squeeze out the moisture (just be careful, it can stain). You should end up with about ยฝ-ยพ cup of pumpkin puree.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until pale and fluffy. Mix in the dried pumpkin.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in a bowl of sugar. Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until the edges are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cook in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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