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Soft Pumpkin Cookies

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Soft Pumpkin Cookies on a plate.

These Soft Pumpkin Cookies are a fall favorite around here. We just recently realized we’d never shared them with you all on Lovely Little Kitchen.

We both thought for sure they were on here somewhere… If I remember correctly, these cookies even won first place in a cookie baking contest at church years ago! They are loved by many, for sure.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies on a baking sheet.

These are probably the softest, fluffiest pumpkin cookies I’ve ever tasted. They are like little pumpkin-y pillows that melt in your mouth.

I think they probably do fall into the category of a more “cake-like” cookie, which I think some baker’s try to avoid, but to me they are so tender and light, the texture is just perfect. They are a cross between a cookie and the top half of a muffin.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies on a plate.

I love how rolling the dough in powdered sugar gives them that crinkle cookie look, and their resemblance to a snow-covered mountain peak makes them decidedly wintery and cozy.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies on a plate.

The dough for these cookies will be pretty sticky. If you have a cookie dough scoop, you may be able to unload the dough straight from the scoop into the powdered sugar so you don’t have to roll them in your hands. Chilling the dough will help, but they are a little messy, as are most good things!

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Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen

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Soft Pumpkin Cookies

★★★★★ 4.9 from 37 reviews
  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 32 mins
  • Yield: 3 dozen 1x
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick baking spray.
  2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Beat sugar and butter with mixer on medium high speed, then blend in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until incorporated.
  4. Gradually mix in flour and dry ingredients. Refrigerate dough for 3-4 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  6. Scoop dough into one inch balls. Roll in powder sugar, place dough balls on baking sheet (12 per sheet) and bake for 11-13 minutes.
  7. Remove from baking sheet to a cooling rack. When completely cool, store cookies in an airtight container.

 

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Comments

  5. Hi. Made these cookies tonight. I mistakenly added an entire 15 oz can of pumpkin and made them anyway. I also spooned bigger than an inch but still got over 36 cookies. They taste a bit doughy. Help!

    Reply

    • Hi. I did the same thing. One can is double the pumpkin called for in this recipe so just double the other ingredients and they turn out delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    • I made these with flax eggs and vegan soft margerine. I also added craisns .They came out so good. They raised a lot so next time I will spoon out a bit smaller cookies. I did not roll out but sprinkled powdered sugar on top. Great recipe!

      Reply

  6. Hi julie! Can I freeze the dough?? If I could, for how long can I leave it in the freezer? Thanks! By the way I used oatmeal flour instead and still the recipe is delicious!

    Reply

  8. Delicious!!!!! And easy to make. Didn’t like having tonwait 3-4 hours for the dough to chill but they are worth it!! Highly recommend using a scoop and just dumping them into a container of powedered sugar. Thanks!!!

    Reply

  11. I made these and they are very good! The taste just like Panera Bread’s muffins which I love. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!

    Reply

  13. Great cookies! In Utah 14 minutes is the idea cooking time, 12 was good but they had to set for a few hours until you could pick them up. Will make again.

    Reply

  14. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made them a few weeks ago and they turned out perfectly and tasted wonderful!! MY 21 year old son absolutely loved them as well. I’m make another batch of them today. Thx

    Reply

    • My cookie scoops aren’t labeled but that would be nice if they were! As long as you make the dough balls about 1 inch around you should be good. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  16. Gonna point out a little silly flaw in your steps.

    I am preheating my oven after they sit in the fridge for a few hours. Rather than at the beginning and letting it sit for 3 to 4 hours. <3

    They are sitting in the fridge now and i'm excited to try them. 😀

    My only worry is that I am high altitude and I worry my calculations changes wont work out.

    Reply

    • Oh goodness, I see what you mean. 3-4 hours is definitely too long to let the oven preheat! Thanks for pointing that out. I hope they work out for you even with the altitude.

      Reply

  17. I made these for a fundraiser. The chilling helps but they still are sticky, so for the second batch I just dropped onto cookie sheets and sprinkled the powdered sugar on top. Still got the crackle appearance but not they aren’t as uniform. Still taste good. I’m sure they’ll be a hit.

    Reply

    • Hi Marilyn, sounds like your batch of dough could have used a bit more flour, but yes the dough is a bit sticky. I think that sticky dough makes the cookies very tender though. Good luck with your fundraiser and thanks for taking the time to leave me a note!

      Reply

  20. Hi

    I need to make this for tomorrow’s bake me something for my son’s school activity.
    I have all the ingredients except nutmeg. Can I do without it? Or do you have a substitute for it.

    Would highly appreciate your prompt reply. Just sort of urgent(sorry)

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply

  21. Oh shoot. My dough is currently in the fridge but i accidentally blended in the powdered sugar instead of rolling it. Do you think they will still come out okay?

    Reply

  22. These cookies were so delicious and soft! Thank you for sharing the recipe. My husband who doesnt usually eat sweets had so many I lost count.

    Reply

  24. Had pumpkin left over from a pumpkin mousse I made for Thanksgiving. Found this recipe. The cookies are delicious and keep well in a well sealed container. Absolutely worthwhile. Will definitely make them again.

    Reply

  28. Do you know the nutritional value for these cookies. They sound yummy. Going to try them tomorrow

    Reply

  29. Wow!! This recipe is spot on. K knew the moment i tasted the dough they were going to be amazing. Then when i tasted one fresh out the oven, it was like heaven on earth! Thanks for this amazing recipe.

    Reply

  30. I have made these cookies several times. If you are a fan of pumpkin bread, these cookies are for you. I am looking forward to surprising my daughter with the cookies. She associates the bread with the holidays and now she can enjoy the taste year round. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Reply

  32. Made these and they turned out delicious! The powdered sugar didn’t really stick on too well and they didn’t get that crackle appearance like the photo. But still tasted great!

    ★★★★

    Reply

  33. I was distracted by my 3 year old and added the sugar to the dry ingredients instead of mixing it with the butter. I hope they still turn out! Fingers crossed!

    Reply

  34. So ya know how there is always that dessert during the holidays that is a habitual must?? Like, maybe,pumpkin pie. Well that particular dessert is not one of them for us. In fact my hubby and I kinda don’t like pumpkin anything (‘cept for Halloween yard decor). HOWEVER, this cookie recipe….OMG and Great Balls of Fire!! We are still wondering why if we don’t like pumpkin pie we love this. I only bothered with this recipe because of upcoming fall festivities and wanted to test it on others. While making the dough I, out of habit, licked the spoon and yumm-ohhhhh!
    The only issue I had was how sticky it was to roll into a ball. I moistened my hands which helped, then I rolled it in pwdr sugar. Not sure if i messed up somewhere or if that was to be expected. No matter, it came out so delicious. With a texture like an actual muffins top. I shared it with my husband’s co-workers. It was new to them and they couldn’t get enough. Thanks for sharing what now is my go to holiday cookie!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  37. I made this recipe as written. Loved the crunch from the sugar coating. I don’t know what I did wrong but it made about 5 dozen. I started with 1″ but wound up going to at least 1 1/2″. Keeping the dough in the fridge was a good idea.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  38. Just made these for a fall dinner party. So delicious. They fill the house with a delicious spiced pumpkin smell as they bake. The perfect autumn treat! Thanks for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Hi, have you ever tried using just granulated sugar (no powdered) and did it turn out okay? My friend and I suddenly decided to make some cookies and we wanted to know how to adjust the measurements if we only use granulated.

    Reply

  43. made these yesterday and added choc chips to half the recipe they were instant gone lol they are super good with or without choc chips. Excellent recipe and making another batch tonight.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  45. the most wonderfully delicious melt in your mouth cookie recipe. my family and my friends could not get enough.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • For future reference- You can make your own pumpkin puree. Just cut a small pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds. Place in a glass pan face down with a little bit of water. Then put in the microwave for 12 minutes. Scoop out and blend! Better than a can every time

      Reply

  48. I read through the comments but didn’t see anyone ask about using real pumpkin. I’ve never baked pie or muffins or anything with canned pumpkin. I want to make cookies for a church event. What do you think? Have you tried using cooked real pumpkin?

    Reply

  50. Soft Pumpkin Cookie recipe – does this recipe work using gluten free flour mix.
    Also instead of greased parchment would the cookies peel cooled from a silpat.
    Thanks

    Reply

  53. It’s amazing! I made these cookies and put some cream cheese frosting in them and they tasted really good.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  56. I made this for my Chinese students for Halloween and they loved them (and Chinese people are hard to please with desserts since they don’t typically like sweet things). I made them a bit spicier, adding half a teaspoon of ginger and a quarter teaspoon of cloves so they would have that pumpkin pie taste. I also used caster sugar for rolling instead of powdered sugar, since powdered is hard to find in China, and I sprinkled some cinnamon in with it. They turned out delicious! I do think you get a slightly bigger batch if you make your pumpkin puree from scratch, but I wouldn’t say that was a problem. 😁

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  57. I just made these last night an accidentally used gluten-free flour. They turned out fantastic! Super moist and flavorful! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  58. I just made these last night and they are pretty yummy. The dough was pretty sticky and hard to work with, so my cookies are lopsided and not quite all the same size. Also, the powdered sugar didn’t quite keep on some of them, looks it melted in on others. They are a tad sweet for me, but everyone at works loves them! The pain in the buttedness of the dough is the only reason I may hesitate before making them again.

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • So I just made these today, and they are yummyyyyy! I didn’t have parchment so scraping them off the cookie sheet was a little tricky, but not really a big deal. I love the combo of a little crunch and the softness of the cookie! I did add a little pumpkin spice to the batter because we just love that flavor. I scooped the dough in my little dough scooper like in the video ,and dropped the dough right into the powdered sugar and once it got a little covered, just rolled them in that a bit and took them out and put them right on the cookie sheet. Not so messy that way. I will make these again for all the kids coming in for TG!! Yum!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  60. Great recipe, tastes great, but I think you should include the refrigerating time in the prep time, because it was a little misleading. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  61. Made these yesterday and they’ve grown on me – enough to make again. I would increase the cinnamon, add a little ginger and reduce the nutmeg (or maybe i grated in too much nutmeg and that’s all I tasted). But the texture is truly ‘cloud-like’, so soft and squishy they are addictive! I chilled for 10 min and really, they weren’t that hard to roll. Made 50 cookies.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  64. Make sure to dip only the top of the cookie in powdered sugar, the bottom of mine burned black after 10 minutes and I think it might be because it had the sugar on the bottom too? 🙁

    Reply

  65. OMG This is by far one of the best tasting cookies I have ever made. I added one cup of coconut to the mix and heavily rolled them in the sugar. Talk about melt in your mouth! What a great flavor and texture. Baking for 12 minutes was perfect. I used parchment paper and the bottoms stayed a nice color. I also used 1 cup of blue hubbard squash from my garden instead of pumpkin. You can’t tell the difference. A++++ recipe!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  66. Mine tasted amazing but they were more muffin textured than cookie….. Did I do something wrong? I thought I followed the recipe correctly….

    Reply

  68. My dough is in the fridge now but I just realized I used the whole 15 oz can of pumpkin instead of a cup! What should I do?

    Reply

    • Hmm… not sure! You can either give them a try as they are, or add a little more flour to thicken the dough… or double all the rest of the ingredients. Sorry I’m not more help.

      Reply

  69. These cookies are Amazing!!!!!!!!! First time through and they came out perfect. Making a new batch this morning 🙂

    Reply

  70. I did not chill the dough to this recipe. I have a small scoop so I just dropped the dough one at a time into the powdered sugar and swirled the bowl around until the dough was covered, then gently placed it on the cookie sheet. Came out perfect.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  71. I made a couple of modifications, using whole wheat pastry flour and reducing the sugar to 1 cup. They turned out perfectly, very light and delicious. Great way to get more vegetables! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  72. Amazing recipe and looks great!!!Thank you for sharing! can’t wait to try it at home and report back with my results!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  73. These were so awesome! Such a hit and I loooove the cake-style cookie. In fact, I am wondering what I can sub out the pumpkin with to still get the same texture result but maybe for a different season? Also seems like not everyone is a pumpkin fan (weird…I know) so just curious! Thanks!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Anna. Interesting question about what to sub to get the cake like texture in a cookie without pumpkin flavor. Cream cheese comes to mind! I don’t think you would sub ounce for ounce, but adding cream cheese to a cookie will definitely make them more cake like in texture. Hope this is helpful!

      Reply

  74. My grandma make pumpkin cookies every Halloween season, this kind of cake makes me miss her so much. I pinned, and surely will make it later! Thank you Julie!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • I’m glad the cookies brought back happy memories for you. Thank you for letting me know that the recipe worked well for you. Happy December!

      Reply

  76. I made these for the 1st time today. I used steamed and pureed home grown pumpkin. They were baking really nice, so to the last half of the dough I decided to try some cinnamon chips in them. The 1st half was rolled in powder sugar. Loved them. Of course I went 1 step more and made a glaze using mascarpone cheese (I used all my cream cheese in pumpkin cheese cake bars) a little powder sugar and a few drops of milk. And lightly drizzled it over the cookies. Results AMAZING. Making these again with the 3 different variations and taking them to work.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  77. These are not only EASY TO MAKE, BUT THEY ARE ALSO VERY YUMMY! This is my quick & easy go to receipe. Ive tried these with and without chilling the dough. They come out AMAZING either way!! I love adding sun dried cranberries!!

    Thank You FOR SHARING!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  79. I was looking for a pumpkin recipe and found this one and then I saw your picture and we went to college together. Small world nice to see pictures of you And your family. I tried the recipie and somehow missed the cinnamon and they are still amazing. My family already said that this is a keeper recipe. So now I will look forward to having them next time with cinnamon.

    Reply

    • Hi Hilery! That’s so funny that you stumbled upon my blog and remembered me. Thanks for saying hello, and I’m so glad your family enjoyed the cookies.

      Reply

  81. I bake a lot but i dont usually bake a lot of pumpkin things and was wondering if there is a difference between pure pumpkin and puree pumpkin and will it matter if substituted with the other?

    Reply

  83. This is the perfect recipe! I made a double batch, which yielded 120 cookies (I must have scooped them smaller), took half of them to work and everyone loved them. They’re so light and fluffy, like little pillows! Thank you!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  84. Made these today. They are Amazing! I doubled the receipe and made them about 1 1/2 to 2 inch balls to save time. This required me to cook them for 15-17 minutes but they turned out perfect! Thanks for a new Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner go to cookie for my huge family! Bravo!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • I forgot to mention i put this double batch in the freezer for one hour. The dough was stiff enough to work with. To combat the sticky dough as it warmed, i used the powdered sugar to dust my hands before forming the balls. Again an awesome receipe !

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  85. Pumpkin Cookies are great! It’s really attractive, from color to taste, everything is perfect, and I really like it. I don’t think it’s so easy to do it. Thanks for your recipe

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  86. Awesome recipe!!! I have made these at least ten times since December. So soft and moist…melt in your mouth kinda cookie.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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