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    Home » Recipes » Cookie Recipes

    Easy Pumpkin Cookies

    Published: Oct 7, 2022 · Modified: Feb 2, 2023 · by Debra with Leave a Comment · 1688 words. About 9 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These pumpkin cookies are so easy to make! Just two bowls and a hand mixer is all you need. They have crispy edges, with soft, chewy centers, and taste like fall!

    Large and small pumpkin cookies arranged in an interlocking pattern on a white surface.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    I just wanted some pumpkin cookies that would hold their shape and not turn into a gooey sticky mess within 15 minutes, is that too much to ask? I couldn't find any so I made some for you!

    We're using more brown sugar and granulated sugar in the recipe to give these cookies structure—they are cookies, NOT cakeballs! And because of this, they store well at room temperature for up to 4 days.

    You can make big, giant ones, or small ones, whatever suits your fancy. I say big cookies are always better!

    Jump to:
    • Easy and quick pumpkin cookies!
    • Crispy on the edges, soft and pillowy in the center
    • Lower in moisture than other pumpkin cookies
    • Available in two sizes!
    • Pumpkin cookies filled with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg for big fall pumpkin spice flavor!
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • Recommended tools and equipment
    • How to make pumpkin cookies in just a few easy steps!
    • Tips for perfect pumpkin cookies
    • FAQ
    • More baking recipes
    • Recipe

    Easy and quick pumpkin cookies!

    • You don't need a stand mixer or any special equipment beyond a cookie scoop to make these pumpkin cookies.
    • We'll mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another using a hand mixer.
    • There's no need to chill the dough, so you can go straight to the oven, and have tasty pumpkin cookies ready to eat in minutes.
    • Easy cleanup: Just two bowls!

    Crispy on the edges, soft and pillowy in the center

    We're using two cups of sugar and a good amount of butter in the dough so these pumpkin cookies are in fact, cookies. They hold their shape and come out crispy around the edges with a pillowy, but not cakey, center.

    Lower in moisture than other pumpkin cookies

    The recipe only calls for ¾ cup of pumpkin purèe, a lot less than you might find in other recipes. Don't worry, you'll still get loads of that pumpkin flavor, but without overpowering the flour's ability to absorb the moisture. Therefore, NO MORE sticky pumpkin cookies!

    Available in two sizes!

    The versatility of this cookie dough means that you can make about 2 dozen large pumpkin cookies (about 4 inches in diameter), or 4 dozen small ones (about 3 inches in diameter)! Use two scoops of dough for large cookies or one scoop for small.

    Pumpkin cookies filled with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg for big fall pumpkin spice flavor!

    You can't have pumpkin cookies without these spices! Play with the ratios if you like. I love a ginger-forward cookie, so that flavor is very prominent in the recipe. You could also add some cardamom, allspice or cloves. Choose your own adventure!

    One egg surrounded by small bowls of ingredients including flour, sugar, canned pumpkin, salt, spices, butter and baking powder.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • Canned pumpkin: Be sure you are using pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling!
    • Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Combining these is the key to the structure of our cookies.
    • Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger: These warm spices are the ultimate pumpkin spice medley.
    • Unsalted butter, softened
    • One egg
    • Vanilla extract
    • AP flour
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Kosher salt

    Recommended tools and equipment

    • Hand mixer: To cream the butter and sugar, and mix in the pumpkin purée.
    • Mixing bowls: For the wet and dry ingredients.
    • Cookie scoop: To scoop out the pumpkin cookies and ensure they are all evenly sized.
    • Baking sheet or cookie sheet: To bake our cookies!
    • Parchment paper and cooling rack: So the cookies won't stick and so they cool quickly and stay crispy.

    How to make pumpkin cookies in just a few easy steps!

    Adapted from New York Times Cooking. Follow these instructions for foolproof results!

    Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper.

    A whisk in a glass bowl of flour with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

    A mixer in a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

    Step 2: Cream together butter and sugar

    In another bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes. See tip below.

    A hand mixer in a bowl of beaten butter and sugar, with canned pumpkin mixed in.

    Step 3: Add the egg and pumpkin to the cookie dough

    Add the egg, pumpkin purée, and vanilla to the sugar mixture and beat until they come together. It will look a little funny and curdled, but this is okay. Have no fear.

    A mixer in a bowl of finished cookie dough. It is thick with swirls in it.

    Step 4: Combine the wet and dry ingredients

    Add the flour to the pumpkin mixture in two batches, mixing only until combined. Don't overmix. Make sure all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will be thicker than cake batter, but not as thick as typical cookie dough.

    A bowl of pumpkin cookie dough with a scoop in it next to a sheet pan with four scoops of dough on it ready to be baked.

    Step 5: Scoop out the cookies and bake!

    Use a cookie scoop to measure the dough. For giant cookies stack two balls of dough on top of each other, leaving 3 inches in between. Use one scoop for small cookies.

    Bake 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are golden around the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the parchment with the cookies to a rack to cool completely before serving. (For small cookies bake 12-15 minutes.)

    Baked cookies cooling on parchment paper set on top of a wire baking rack.

    Tips for perfect pumpkin cookies

    • Butter should be soft, but not overly soft. If it's so soft it's almost melted, this will affect the texture of the cookies. They may spread a lot more.
    • There is a high sugar to butter ratio, this is what gives the cookies their structure. So when creaming the butter and sugar together, it will not be as light and fluffy as it is for other pumpkin cookie recipes you may have made.
    • When you open your can of pumpkin, be sure to stir it up before measuring. The pumpkin fibers can settle in the can, and the water in it will rise to the top. This could affect the moisture level in your dough and make your cookies turn out cakey and sticky instead of crisp on the edges.
    • You'll get a slightly different texture if you use a sheet pan vs an airbake cookie sheet. They are both delightful, but the cookie sheet will give you a more crispy, chewy texture throughout.
    • I used this cookie scoop which is just slightly larger than a tablespoon. If you use one that is larger or smaller, your cooking times may vary.

    FAQ

    How do you store pumpkin cookies?

    These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Stack them between layers of parchment paper so they don't stick together.

    Can you freeze pumpkin cookies?

    Yes, pumpkin cookies are easy to freeze. First, lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. (This will keep them from getting broken before they freeze.) Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container with parchment layered in between each cookie to prevent sticking.

    More baking recipes

    • Pecan Sandies Cookies also scream fall and you can make them in one bowl.
    • If you're here for the holiday flavor of it all, take a gander at these classic Spritz Cookies.
    • Earl Grey Madeleines also have a crisp edge and a soft center, so are they cookies or cakes? Who cares?! They're delicious.

    Recipe

    Four pumpkin cookies arranged in a grid on a white surface.

    Easy Pumpkin Cookies

    These pumpkin cookies are so easy to make with just two bowls and a hand mixer. They have crispy edges, with soft, chewy centers and taste like fall!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: easy pumpkin cookies
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 24 big cookies
    Calories: 156kcal

    Equipment

    • mixing bowls
    • hand mixer
    • whisk
    • cookie scoop
    • cookie sheet
    • parchment paper
    • cooling rack

    Ingredients

    • 1¾ cup flour
    • 2 teaspoon ginger
    • 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 12 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • ¾ cup canned pumpkin
    • 1 egg
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
    • In another bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes. It won't be light and fluffy like typical cookie dough, see note.
    • Add the egg, pumpkin purée, and vanilla to the sugar mixture and beat just until they come together. It will look a little funny and curdled, but this is okay. Have no fear.
    • Add the flour to the pumpkin mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined. Make sure all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will be thicker than cake batter, but not as thick as typical cookie dough.
    • Use a cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon size) to stack two balls of dough on top of each other for large cookies, leaving 3 inches in between. (Use one scoop for small cookies.)
    • Bake 15-18 minutes for large cookies, 12-15 minutes for small cookies, until they are golden around the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the parchment with the cookies to a rack to cool completely before serving.

    Notes

    • Butter should be soft, but not overly soft. If it's so soft it's almost melted, this will affect the texture of the cookies. They may spread a lot more.
    • There is a high sugar to butter ratio, this is what gives the cookies their structure. So when creaming the butter and sugar together, it will not be as light and fluffy as it is for other cookie recipes you may have made.
    • When you open your can of pumpkin, be sure to stir it up before measuring. The pumpkin can settle in the can, and the water in it will rise to the top. This could affect the moisture level in your batter and make your cookies turn out cakey and sticky instead of crisp on the edges.
    • You'll get a slightly different texture if you use a sheet pan vs an airbake cookie sheet. They are both delightful, but the cookie sheet will give you a more crispy, chewy texture throughout.
    • I used this cookie scoop which is just slightly larger than a tablespoon. If you use one that is larger or smaller, you cooking times may vary.
     
    This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1377IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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