Pumpkin Spice Cookies
These pumpkin spice cookies are melt in your mouth delicious! This quick and easy recipe takes just 20 minutes in total. These cookies are warmly spiced and so flavorful. They are perfect for fall. This recipe uses only pantry staple ingredients and requires no cookie dough chilling. They are absolutely delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These pumpkin spice cookies are so cozy and comforting!
- This recipe is quick and easy.
- No dough chilling is needed.
- From start to finish, these cookies only take 20 minutes.
- They are great for autumn!
- The combination of pumpkin and spices adds the best flavor.
- This recipe is simple and straightforward.
- I make these cookies every September and October. My friends and family love them!
- No prior baking experience is necessary.
- This recipe can be made with gluten free flour.
- Feel free to add in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, oats, or coconut flakes. This recipe is adaptable.
- Check out these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies and this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread for another soft baked treat!
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for pumpkin spice cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.
Use room temperature butter. This makes it much easier to cream together with the sugar.
Both white sugar and brown sugar add sweetness. Tightly pack the brown sugar when measuring.
Pumpkin purée adds the classic pumpkin flavor. In addition, it adds a soft and cake-like texture.
Only one egg is needed. For a vegan version, make these Healthy Pumpkin Cookies!
Vanilla extract adds a delicious warmth.
Use all purpose flour or gluten free flour. If you are gluten free, King Arthur Flour gluten free 1 to 1 flour works well. For a grain free option, make these Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies!
Baking soda helps leaven these cookies.
A pinch of sea salt adds a balance of flavor.
Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg make up the pumpkin spice. Each one adds a distinct and delicious flavor. If desired, replace with pumpkin pie spice.
Taste & Texture
These pumpkin spice cookies have a warm and cozy pumpkin flavor! The spices add so much flavor to each bite. These cookies are not overly sweet. They taste similar to a pumpkin sugar cookie.
The texture is soft and gooey! They have lightly golden edges.
How to Make
Step 1
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
Step 3
Then, add the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
Step 5
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Step 6
Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet. Space 3 inches apart.
Step 7
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Step 8
Finally, remove the pumpkin sugar cookies from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Make these pumpkin spice cookies exactly as written for perfect cookies!
Use either all purpose flour or gluten free flour. Do not substitute with another flour.
Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer for this. Do not mix by hand.
Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
If your dough is too sticky, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
Adjust the spice quantities to suit your preference.
For a bolder spice flavor, increase the amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves.
How to Serve & Store
Serve your pumpkin spice cookies with a steaming cup of apple cider or a warm mug of chai latte tea to enhance the autumn experience!
These cookies are perfect for sharing during holiday gatherings or as a thoughtful treat for friends and neighbors.
To store, place the cooled cookies in an airtight container with layers of parchment paper between them to prevent sticking.
They can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Just remember to thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! These pumpkin spice cookies pair well with cream cheese frosting and buttercream frosting.
Use gluten free flour to keep these cookies gluten free.
These pumpkin spice cookies have a soft and gooey texture. They are not crispy.
Use either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. Do not mix the butter and sugar by hand. They need to be creamed together.
Yes! This dough can be chilled for up to 24 hours before baking. If your cookie dough is too sticky, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Equipment Needed
Hand Mixer: This hand mixer is easy to use and great for creaming butter and sugar.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer: I love this stand mixer for making cookies! I have owned a KitchenAid for over 20 years and use it regularly.
USA Pan 3 Piece Cookie Sheet Set: This cookie sheet set is heavy duty and great for baking. It evenly distributes the heat.
Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Sheets: Use parchment paper to prevent sticking. In addition, it makes clean up super easy!
Pyrex 3 Glass Mixing Bowls: These are my favorite mixing bowls.
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups: I love these measuring cups.
Check out all of my kitchen favorites!
You May Also Like
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
- Sweet Potato Blondies
If you make these pumpkin spice cookies, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Join my exclusive Facebook Group for a behind the scenes look. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Dessert Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour, all purpose or gluten free
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Then, add the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet. Leave 3 inches between each cookie.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may look soft, but they will firm up slightly as they cool.
- Finally, remove the cookies from the oven. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Both all purpose flour and gluten free 1 to 1 flour work well.
- Since I am gluten free, I used King Arthur Flour gluten free 1 to 1 flour for these cookies.
- Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Space the dough balls 3 inches apart. These cookies spread while baking.
- These cookies will be slightly soft when they come out of the oven. Do not overbake.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
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8 Comments on “Pumpkin Spice Cookies”
These were very good. However, I had to chill them for quite some time. The batter is far too loose for me, since I portion cookies by rolling them into balls. A cream cheese frosting (with pumpkin spice) put them over the top.
Thank you for the feedback! I bet that frosting was absolutely delicious.
I might add chopped walnuts or perhaps pecans.
Needs more protein to balance the sugars.
I count carbs. 29g is a whole meal for me so 1 cookie would be too many carbs. IMO
These just scream fall! Love their soft-baked texture. So perfect with milk or tea and the warming spices make them the coziest treat!
I loved the fall flavours in these cookies. They came out perfectly. I’ll definitely be making these again soon as the colder season starts.
I love the smell of aromatic spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg! The cookies are so easy to make and so delicious!
Bring on the season of everything pumpkin spice, including these delicious cookies. Next time I’m going to stir in a few chocolate chips! 🙂
I cannot rave enough about these cookies. I made them this weekend and enjoyed these soft spiced cookies with some vanilla ice cream oh it was delightful!