The crisp air and beautiful leaves always make me think of one thing: pumpkin! This season, I’ve been busy in my kitchen creating some amazing pumpkin cookie recipes. If you love the warm, cozy taste of pumpkin, you’re going to adore these cookies.
I’ve gathered five of my favorite pumpkin cookie ideas right here for you. Each one brings its own special flavor and texture, perfect for sharing or enjoying on your own.
Jump to Recipe:
- 1. Warm & Chewy Pumpkin Brown Sugar Cookies
- 2. Classic Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3. Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies
- 4. Sweet Pumpkin Glazed Cookies
Warm & Chewy Pumpkin Brown Sugar Cookies
These pumpkin brown sugar cookies are incredibly soft and packed with fall spices. Their chewy texture comes from the rich brown sugar, making them a comforting treat for any time.
Key Ingredients & Tips for Pumpkin Brown Sugar Cookies
- Brown Sugar Magic: Using mostly brown sugar gives these pumpkin cookies their signature chewiness and a deeper, caramel-like sweetness.
- Pumpkin Puree Quality: Ensure you use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best pumpkin taste and a soft cookie texture.
What You Need for These Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⏱️ Time: 25 minutes🍽️ Yields: 18 cookies
How to Make Pumpkin Brown Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Get Ready to Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 2: Mix Wet & Dry
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Step 3: Scoop and Bake
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
📝 Final Note
For the softest pumpkin brown sugar cookies, take them out of the oven when the edges are just golden and the centers are still a bit puffy. They will finish setting as they cool.
Classic Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can’t go wrong with these delightful pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They combine the best of a soft pumpkin cookie with sweet chocolate chips for a truly satisfying bite.
Key Ingredients & Tips for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Quality Chocolate Chips: Use your favorite type of chocolate chips – milk, semi-sweet, or even dark – to complement the pumpkin flavor perfectly in these cookies.
- Spice Balance: A good pinch of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg really make the pumpkin flavor pop in these cookies without overpowering the chocolate.
What You Need to Bake These Pumpkin Treats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
⏱️ Time: 25 minutes🍽️ Yields: 20 cookies
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 2: Make the Dough
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Stir in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 3: Bake until Golden
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack.
📝 Final Note
If you want thicker cookies, chill your cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This helps prevent them from spreading too much on the baking sheet.
Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies
These pumpkin gingerbread cookies bring together the warm, spicy notes of gingerbread with the subtle sweetness of pumpkin. They are perfect for a cozy afternoon.
Key Ingredients & Tips for Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies
- Molasses Depth: Dark molasses is essential here, providing that deep, rich, and slightly smoky flavor that truly defines gingerbread cookies.
- Fresh Spices: Make sure your ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are fresh for the best aromatic experience in these spiced pumpkin cookies.
What You Need for Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
⏱️ Time: 30 minutes🍽️ Yields: 24 cookies
How to Make Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1: Preheat & Combine Dry
Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Create Wet Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree, molasses, and egg, mixing well after each addition until everything is smooth.
Step 3: Finish Dough & Bake
Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
📝 Final Note
These spiced pumpkin gingerbread cookies become firmer as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to prevent breaking.
Sweet Pumpkin Glazed Cookies
These soft pumpkin cookies are made even better with a sweet, simple glaze on top. It’s an easy recipe that adds a lovely finish to each cookie.
Key Ingredients & Tips for Pumpkin Glazed Cookies
- Room Temp Butter: Softened butter helps create a light and fluffy cookie dough that bakes evenly, which is key for these delicious pumpkin cookies.
- Perfect Glaze Consistency: Add milk to your powdered sugar slowly for the glaze until it’s thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable over the pumpkin cookies.
What You Need for Sweet Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk (or water)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⏱️ Time: 30 minutes🍽️ Yields: 20 cookies
How to Make Pumpkin Glazed Cookies
Step 1: Prepare Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.
Step 2: Bake the Cookies
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 3: Make & Apply Glaze
While cookies cool, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth for the glaze. Once cookies are completely cool, drizzle or spread the glaze over each one. Let the glaze set before stacking.
📝 Final Note
Wait until the pumpkin cookies are completely cool before applying the glaze. If they are even slightly warm, the glaze will melt and soak into the cookie, rather than setting nicely on top.
