Pumpkin Cookies

These Pumpkin Cookies are chewy, soft, and delicious. They are coated in a spiced sugar before baking, which makes them have a crunchy outside. The cookies are topped with a fabulous Maple Glaze.

In this post I will show you how to make this delicious pumpkin cookie recipe step-by-step.

These cookies are perfect to make during Fall season. They can be great for dessert, or to share with friends for the holidays!

Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are super easy to make, they have fabulous taste, are perfectly cozy for Fall and the holiday season.

The full ingredients list and instructions are below on the bottom of the page.

We will start by draining the extra moisture from the pumpkin puree.

This step is super important in order to have a chewy and soft cookie instead of a cakey cookie. If you prefer a chewy texture instead of a cake texture, make sure to not skip this step.

Place the pumpkin puree in a strainer, if the strainer holes are too large, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels.

Place a sheet of paper towel on top of the pumpkin puree. Then put a paper towel on top of the puree, and a small plate or bowl over. On top of the plate or bowl, place something heavy like a can of pumpkin puree, to apply weight on the puree and help the liquid get strained.

Let the pumpkin strain for a couple of hours. You can also do this overnight and keep it in the fridge. The next day, remove it from the fridge a bit before you make the recipe, to give the puree a chance to come to room temperature.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar

Make the Pumpkin Spice Sugar by mixing the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Set it aside.

Cookie Dough

When ready to make the cookies mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon powder. Set it aside.

With a mixer, beat the butter for one minute in a large mixing bowl.

Add the granulated and brown sugar. I like to use a mixture of both, because the brown sugar adds moisture to the cookie, and keeps it gooey. And the granulated sugar adds sweetness as well as keeps the cookie a bit more chewy and firm.

Beat the butter with the sugars until combined.

Add the pumpkin puree and mix. Follow by the egg yolks, and mix again until incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract, mix.

Pour the dry ingredient mixture in the bowl and stir on low to combine.

The dough should come together and become smooth.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball, and roll it between your hands.

Dredge the cookie dough balls in the Pumpkin Spice Sugar.

Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mat. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes in the pre-heated oven.

The cookies should look set around the edges, and slightly undone in the center, it will continue to cook as it cools down.

Maple Glaze

Mix the powdered sugar, maple glaze, milk, maple extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until the glaze is smooth and runny.

If the glaze is too thick, add a bit of milk at a time to thin it out. And if the glaze is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to it, and whisk until the perfect consistency is achieved.

Once the cookies have cooled down, drizzle the glaze on top of them.

Storage

If the cookies aren’t glazed, they can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

And if the cookies are glazed, they should be refrigerated because of the milk in the glaze. To keep the cookies from having to be refrigerated, add water to the glaze instead of milk.

Freezing Pumpkin Cookies

You can freeze this recipe by placing the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat. Then place the tray in the freezer for an hour or so, or until the cookie dough balls are frozen. Transfer cookies to a ziploc bag, or to a freezer container.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, simply place the frozen cookie balls on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until ready.

Tips for making Pumpkin Cookies

• Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
• Don’t skip straining the pumpkin puree. It’s important to not end up with cakey cookies, but chewy and soft ones instead.
• If you don’t have pumpkin spice, follow the notes below to make it yourself using cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
• In case the cookie dough is too wet and sticky when forming the balls, place the bowl with the cookie dough in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes, until it’s easy enough to handle, and not sticking so much.

Variations for this recipe

You can add chocolate chips to the cookie dough. They can be white chocolate chips, dark, or milk chocolate. Add about 1/3 cup of chips or chopped chocolate.

You could also add up to 1/3 cup of chopped pecans or any other nuts.

A cream cheese frosting would also be delicious on top of the cookies instead of the Maple Glaze.

If you like this Pumpkin Cookie Recipe, here are some more pumpkin recipes you may like:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Pasties
• Pumpkin Tiramisu
• Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Brigadeiro

Pumpkin Cookies

Camila Hurst

These Pumpkin Cookies are chewy, soft, and delicious. Coated in a spiced sugar, topped with Maple Glaze.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 cookies

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin Cookies

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree 160 grams
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 191 grams
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter 168 grams
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 110 grams
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice Sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 15 grams
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

Maple Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar 125 grams
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp milk or water
• 1/4 tsp maple extract optional
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

 

Pumpkin Cookies

• About 2 hours before making the recipe, place the pumpkin puree on a fine mesh strainer. If your strainer has large holes, use a cheesecloth.
• Place the strainer on top of a bowl and let the pumpkin puree drain. You can place a piece of paper towel on top of the puree. Then place a small plate with something heavy like a can of pumpkin puree on top, to help drain the excess liquid. This step will make your cookie’s texture much better.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
• To a small bowl add the flour, the baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
• Add the butter to the bowl of a mixer, or bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter with the electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.
• Add the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar, and beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy. Now, add the strained pumpkin puree to the bowl, mix to combine.
• Add the egg yolks to the bowl and mix until incorporated.
• Then add the vanilla and mix.
• Add the dry flour mixture to the bowl and stir on low to combine, until a smooth dough forms.

Pumpkin Spice Sigar

• In a shallow bowl or plate, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Mix to combine.
• Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough into balls, roll between your hands. Roll the cookie in the Pumpkin Spice Sugar mixture. If the cookie dough is too wet to roll between your hands, place the bowl with the cookie dough covered with plastic in the fridge, and set a 5 minute timer. Try to roll then. If it is still too wet to roll, give it another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Once you roll the cookies, and coat them in Pumpkin Spice Sugar, place each on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, or silicone mat, 2 inches apart from each other.
• Flatten the cookies a bit, by pressing down on them gently. You want them to be about 3/4” thick.
• Bake them in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should look set on the edges, and still a bit undone in the center. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool down.

Maple Glaze

• To make the Maple Glaze, place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the maple syrup, the milk, the maple extract if using, the vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
• Use a whisk to incorporate the mixture together.
• If the glaze is too thick to drip, add a bit more milk, a teaspoon or so at a time.
• And if the glaze is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to the bowl and whisk to combine, until the perfect consistency is achieved.
• Once the cookies cool down, drizzle them with the Maple Glaze.

Storage

• If they aren’t drizzled with the glaze, you can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• If the cookies are drizzled with the glaze, store them in the fridge in a container for up to 5 days. To keep the cookies from having to be refrigerated, add water to the glaze instead of milk.
• Let them come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Pumpkin puree: I love using Libby brand. Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Straining the pumpkin puree is a super important step in order to have a chewy and soft cookie instead of a cakey cookie.

How to freeze: to freeze the cookies before baking, place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone. Place the tray in the freezer until the cookie dough balls are frozen. Remove the cookie dough balls to a zip loc bag or freezer container. To bake the frozen cookie dough balls, simply put them on a tray 2 inches apart, and bake them straight from the freezer.

Pumpkin pie spice: You can make pumpkin spice by mixing 2 tsp cinnamon with 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cloves. Then use 2 1/2 tsp of it to make the cookie dough, and the remaining 1/2 tsp in the sugar coating.

Chocolate chips: Add up to 1/3 cup of chocolate chips, or chopped pecans or other nuts to the dough.

Keyword cookies, pumpkin