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Best Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing – Easy 20-Min Recipe

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These soft, pillowy pumpkin cookies are topped with a tangy cream cheese icing that perfectly balances sweetness and spice. Quick and easy to make in under 20 minutes, they’re the ultimate fall treat that will disappear from any dessert table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients together: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Whisk until evenly distributed.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy—about 2 to 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
  4. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla: Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Fold in the dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
  6. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheets: Use a cookie scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes: The cookies should look set around the edges and still slightly soft in the center. They will continue to set as they cool.
  8. Cool completely on a wire rack: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. They must be completely cool before icing.
  9. Make the cream cheese icing: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then mix in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat for another minute until light and fluffy.
  10. Ice the cookies: Spread a generous dollop of icing onto each cooled cookie using an offset spatula or butter knife.

Notes

For thicker cookies, chill the scooped dough for 15-20 minutes before baking. If your pumpkin puree is watery, pat it dry with a paper towel. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. The cream cheese icing can be thickened with more powdered sugar if needed.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, cream cheese icing, fall cookies, easy pumpkin cookies, soft pumpkin cookies

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/best-pumpkin-cookies-with-cream-cheese-icing-easy-20-min-recipe/