Easy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Servings: 24 big cookies
Calories: 156kcal
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!
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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
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 gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack to cool completely before serving. (The cookies will be too soft when they come out of the oven to move individually to the rack without breaking, so keep them on the parchment.)
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.
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