Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are soft, spiced pumpkin cookies topped with a tangy-sweet cream cheese icing that sets firm instead of sliding off. They need no chilling time and bake in under 15 minutes, making them one of the easiest fall desserts you can pull together on a weeknight or for a bake sale.
I landed on this version after one too many batches from other recipes that spread into thin, greasy puddles or came topped with frosting that turned to soup. This one holds its shape, bakes up soft in the center, and works whether you’re feeding a crowd or just using up half a can of pumpkin puree in your fridge. If you love the pumpkin-and-cream-cheese combination, these cookies share the same cozy flavor profile as my pumpkin cream cheese muffins, just in cookie form.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No chilling required. Scoop and bake right away, no waiting around.
- Soft texture that holds its shape. Tender in the middle, sturdy enough to support a generous layer of frosting.
- Frosting that actually sets. Thick enough to spread generously and stay exactly where you put it.
- Beginner friendly. No advanced pastry skills, no candy thermometer — just a straightforward process that works the first time.
Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer or hand mixer — creams the butter and sugar evenly, which is key to a soft texture.
- Cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) — keeps every cookie the same size so they bake evenly.
- Baking sheets and parchment paper — prevents over-browned bottoms and makes cleanup easy.
- Wire cooling rack — lets cookies cool completely before frosting, so the frosting doesn’t melt into them.
- Sifter — keeps the powdered sugar lump-free for a smooth, spreadable finish.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
For the Pumpkin Cookies
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour — the backbone of the cookie’s structure. King Arthur Baking’s spoon-and-level method is the most reliable way to measure it by volume, since scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and dries out the dough. A 1:1 gluten-free blend works as a substitute.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda — give the cookies lift without puffing them up like a muffin.
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice — the source of that warm, cozy flavor. A homemade mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves works just as well.
- ½ teaspoon salt — balances the sweetness and helps the spices come through.
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened — needs to be genuinely room temperature, not cold or melted, for proper creaming. A plant-based butter stick works for a dairy-free version.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup packed brown sugar — granulated sugar for sweetness, brown sugar for chew and depth.
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree — plain puree, not pie filling. Blot with a paper towel if it looks watery.
- 1 large egg, room temperature — binds the dough and adds richness.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract — rounds out the flavor of both the cookies and the icing.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened — full-fat holds its shape; low-fat versions carry too much water. This same full-fat cream cheese base is what gives my no-bake cheesecake its firm, sliceable texture, and the same rule applies here.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened — adds richness and helps the frosting firm up.
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted — sifting prevents a grainy or lumpy finish.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract — keeps the frosting from tasting flat.
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk — adjust for your preferred spreading consistency.
- Pinch of salt — cuts the sweetness just enough.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Make the Cookie Dough
STEP 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. A fully preheated oven keeps the cookies from spreading too much before they set.
STEP 2. Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl, then set aside.
STEP 3. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the butter with both sugars for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. This step works air into the dough, which is a big part of why the cookies bake up soft.
STEP 4. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until combined. The batter may look slightly curdled from the pumpkin’s moisture — that’s normal.
STEP 5. Combine wet and dry. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing on low just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten too much and toughens the cookies.
Bake and Cool
STEP 6. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between mounds. You’ll get 24 to 30 cookies.
STEP 7. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still soft. They firm up as they cool, so don’t wait for them to look fully baked in the oven.
STEP 8. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Frosting warm cookies is the top reason frosting slides off instead of setting.
Make the Frosting
STEP 9. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add cream a tablespoon at a time until spreadable.
STEP 10. Frost and serve. Spread a generous layer over each cooled cookie. Chill for 15 minutes before stacking or transporting.
Baking Tips for Perfectly Soft, Non-Spreading Cookies
- Blot watery pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin varies by brand — extra moisture in the dough is one of the most common causes of spreading.
- Skip the chill, but check ingredient temperature. The dough doesn’t need refrigeration, but the butter and egg need to be truly room temperature for proper creaming, not just left out for a few minutes.
- Measure flour by weight or the spoon-and-level method. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and dries out the dough. 2 ½ cups is roughly 315 grams.
- Calibrate your oven if bakes are inconsistent. Oven thermostats can run 15 to 25 degrees off, and an inexpensive oven thermometer solves this.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Two inches of space keeps cookies from merging into their neighbors.
Cream Cheese Frosting Troubleshooting
Runny Frosting
Usually caused by cream cheese or butter that was too soft, or too much liquid added at once. Chill the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes, then beat in a little more powdered sugar.
Lumpy Frosting
Typically means the cream cheese wasn’t fully softened, or the sugar wasn’t sifted. Beat the cream cheese and butter smooth first before adding sugar.
Frosting Too Thick
Add heavy cream or milk a teaspoon at a time. It’s easier to thin frosting gradually than to fix icing that’s gone too thin.
Frosting Tastes Flat or Too Sweet
A small pinch of extra salt or a touch more vanilla usually balances a cream cheese icing that tastes one-note.
How to Store, Freeze & Reheat
In the Fridge
Store frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days. Because cream cheese is a perishable dairy product, FoodSafety.gov recommends refrigerating it within two hours of sitting at room temperature, so these cookies need to stay chilled rather than sit out on the counter for long periods.
Make-Ahead Dough
Mix the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge — handy for meal prep or fresh-baked cookies without morning-of work.
Freezing
Freeze baked, unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months, layered between parchment in an airtight container. Frosted cookies don’t thaw as cleanly, so it’s better to freeze plain and frost fresh.
Thawing
Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature for about an hour, then frost right before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned?
Yes, but homemade puree holds more water than canned, so straining it through cheesecloth for a few hours first helps prevent overly wet dough.
Do these cookies need to be refrigerated?
Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese isn’t shelf-stable at room temperature for more than a couple of hours, so once frosted, these belong in the fridge.
Why are my cookies sticky on top even after baking?
Usually a sign of slight underbaking, or puree that was too watery. Cooling completely on a wire rack helps excess moisture escape.
Can I adjust the amount of spice in this recipe?
Yes. Two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice gives moderate warmth, but you can go up to a full tablespoon for a bolder flavor without affecting the dough’s texture.
More Fall Desserts You’ll Love
If these pumpkin cookies hit the spot, my pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are a great next bake for the same cozy, spiced flavor in a slightly different form, and the pumpkin cream cheese muffins make an easy grab-and-go option when you want that same combination without frosting a single cookie.
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Cookie scoop (2 tablespoon size)
- Baking sheets
- – Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Sifter
Ingredients
- For the Pumpkin Cookies
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until combined.
- Add flour mixture in two batches, mixing on low just until combined.
- Scoop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until edges are set and centers are still soft.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until spreadable.
- Spread frosting over cooled cookies. Chill 15 minutes before serving or stacking.
Notes
Isabella Rossi
Isabella Rossi is a chef and culinary director with over 20 years of experience in European kitchens. She reviews and approves every recipe to ensure accuracy, balance, and reliable results for home cooks.
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