It’s the best time of the year! In my opinion, that is. It’s officially the time to start pumpkin spicing all things! Not only is pumpkin spice one of the most fragrant scents, it also makes for pretty yummy treats, baked goods and sweets as well as offer health benefits. Pumpkin spice is the official fall scent and now that we are quickly approaching the season, you’re going to start seeing (and smelling) much more of it!
You can find all sorts of recipes and even decor involving pumpkin and spices – most common recipes being muffins, breads and drinks. But did you know that you can easily make pumpkin spice cookies, too? Not only are these little delights delicious, but they’re absolutely adorable and easily customizable. Pumpkin spice cookies are super great because, unlike pumpkin spice bread, the cookies are not as messy and they’re tiny enough to pack a few into a lunch box or give out as gifts.
If you’re searching for the perfect pumpkin spice cookie recipe, search no further! We have the perfect recipe for you to try out on your family and get everyone ready for fall. Make sure to keep this recipe handy, since these cookies are so delicious they are sure to go fast!
Cooking Time
Prep: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-22 minutes
Ready: About an hour, plus or minus 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown or light brown sugar (depending on preference)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg (optional – this may be too strong for some)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin or canned pumpkin (Like Smith’s) See below for homemade fresh pumpkin puree recipe
- ½ cup butter – softened
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
Materials
- Two medium-sized bowls
- One cookie sheet for baking
- One whisk for mixing
- One wooden or plastic spoon for mixing
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Cooking spray (optional), cooking oil, or parchment paper
Instructions
Step one:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step two:
Either use cooking spray/oil or lay parchment down on a cookie sheet.
Note:
Parchment paper is easier to use as far as clean up goes, but since these cookies are very dense because the recipe calls for pumpkin, using an oiled cookie sheet may be your best bet. The cookies themselves may stick to the parchment paper and cause some trouble getting them off the paper once cooled.
Step three:
Combine all of the dry ingredients in one of the bowls and sift; the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg (optional) and salt.
Note:
Use a whisk if you can’t sift by simply stirring the dry ingredients together lightly to incorporate all ingredients evenly. Sifting is important so that all the dry ingredients get incorporated into the recipe without any lumps. Sugar and baking powder do have the tendency to lump up, so make sure you don’t see any lumps in the mixture before baking.
Step four:
In another medium-sized bowl, cream all the wet ingredients and sugar together; white sugar, brown or light brown sugar, pumpkin puree, butter, egg and vanilla. Make sure to add each ingredient individually and mix well before adding the next ingredient. (If you prefer to make your own puree from fresh, here’s a great tutorial on how to make your own pumpkin puree.)
Note:
It’s better to cream the butter at room temperature. If you can, leave the butter out of the fridge for a few hours beforehand to make it easier to work with. Once the butter is soft, cream it together with the white sugar and brown sugar. After that, add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Make sure to incorporate this all evenly without over stirring. Over stirring may make the egg a bit tough in the mixture.
Step five:
Once the wet mixture is ready, slowly start to add the sifted dry mixture, incorporating slowly and stirring well.
Note:
Make sure to add dry mixture slowly and scrape the sides to make sure the batter will all be properly mixed. Be sure to work out any lumps, too!
Step six:
Once cookie dough is ready, plop tablespoon amounts onto a greased cookie sheet or lightly oiled parchment paper. Lay out dough at least 2 inches apart from one another to give room for expanding while cooking.
Note:
The dough may be a bit sticky to work with, so you might want to lightly oil the spoon you’re using to measure out the dough with cooking spray or melted butter. Don’t add too much additional oil or butter since this recipe is already dense enough.
Step seven:
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cookie are slightly browned at the bottom.
Step eight:
Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from hot pan to prevent sticking or breaking.
Note:
If the cookies aren’t sweet enough or if you’d like to add variety – you can easily add some granulated sugar to the slightly flattened cookies before baking or add a quick drizzle with a glaze recipe included below.
Optional: Cookie Frosting or Glaze
Note:
This is just an extra addition you can add to these cookies for a sweeter surprise. Since these cookies are a bit cake-like, sometimes the extra sweet glaze on top can add sweetness to the dense recipe. It’s a quick, easy way to liven up the recipe and goes perfectly with coffee!
INGREDIENTS
- One cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Mix the sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl to create a simple sweet drizzle to top the cookies with. You may want to add more or less sugar depending on the thickness of the frosting.
And You’re All Done!
That’s it! Pretty simple, huh? Even if you choose to use canned pumpkin over pureed pumpkin, these cookies are absolutely delicious and everyone is sure to love them. If you think the cookies are a bit too spicy, you can adjust the pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg easily. Add less or more of these items to adhere to your own preference.
These cookies are dense, sweet and go well with morning coffee or an afternoon snack. These are definitely crowd pleasers, so you can make a whole lot ahead of time to keep on hand for company or family. These are perfect for the holidays and can be left out fine. You can refrigerate these if you prefer, but it’s really not necessary. Since the pumpkin makes these cookies dense, the odds of them drying out is not likely. Store on a counter-top or in a bread bag.
You’re sure to enjoy these cookies as they’re perfect to bring in the fall season and they’re so easy to make! Enjoy! And for even more delicious pumpkin recipes to use this Fall, check out our pumpkin cornbread recipe here.
