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Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting deliver tender, cake-like crumb with warm pumpkin pie spice. Bake until just set, then frost generously and finish with cinnamon and pecans.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 30 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pecan press one on top of each cookie

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment so the bottoms bake evenly without sticking.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until the mixture looks uniform and evenly speckled.
  3. Beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2–3 minutes, then scrape the bowl once if needed.
  4. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract, and beat just until combined and glossy.
  5. Fold in the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain; the dough should be soft and cake-like.
  6. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them apart for spreading.
  7. Bake at 350F for 10–12 minutes until the cookies look set around the edges and no longer look wet in the centers.
  8. Cool cookies completely on a rack so the frosting won’t melt or slide off.
Frost and finish
  1. Beat cream cheese frosting ingredients until smooth, pausing to scrape the bowl for a creamy, lump-free texture.
  2. Frost each cookie generously with a thick swirl so the top is fully covered.
  3. Dust the frosted cookies with cinnamon and press a pecan into the top so it adheres as the surface sets.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the cookies fully before frosting so the cream cheese stays thick and forms clean swirls. Store airtight in the refrigerator up to 5 days; bring to room temperature before serving. Freezing is yes—freeze unfrosted cookies up to 2 months, thaw and then frost fresh. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and slightly reduce powdered sugar to maintain a spreadable frosting.