These Soft Pumpkin Cookies are a fall favorite around here. I think these pumpkin cookies are the perfect way to celebrate the fall season!
We just recently realized we’d never shared them with you all on Lovely Little Kitchen. Time to change that, friends!
We both thought for sure they were on here somewhere… If I remember correctly, these Soft Pumpkin Cookies even won first place in a cookie baking contest at church years ago! They are loved by many, for sure.
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.
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.
Sometimes the powdered sugar melts into the dough before you bake it, and won’t be as visible when they come out of the oven. You can roll them in powdered sugar twice if you’d really like to see that powdery crackle.
Does Soft Pumpkin Cookie dough need to be chilled?
The dough for Soft Pumpkin 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!
Can I use fresh pumpkin rather than canned?
Some of us love the convenience of keeping a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry and pulling it out to make Soft Pumpkin Cookies, or the Best Ever Pumpkin Muffins when the craving strikes. But it you have fresh pumpkins available to roast and use in your baking, this is a great recipe to try.
This is the easiest way to roast a pumpkin. Sometimes a freshly roasted pumpkin will have more liquid than a can, so make sure you strain out as much of the liquid as possible. You can set the pumpkin puree in a fine mesh stainer over a bowl for a few hours to catch the drips.
What is the difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling?
A can of pumpkin puree will only list pumpkin for the ingredients. Look for 100% pure pumpkin puree on the front of the label.
Pumpkin pie filling is often right next to the pumpkin puree on the grocery store shelf and looks similar but is a very different ingredient. It is already spiced and much sweeter. Because of this they are not interchangeable in recipes.
Did you make this recipe?
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
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 32 mins
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Soft Pumpkin Cookies are the softest, fluffiest, most tender pumpkin cookies I have ever tasted! They will absolutely melt in your mouth!
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
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick baking spray.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat granulated sugar and butter with mixer on medium high speed, then blend in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until incorporated.
- Gradually mix in flour and dry ingredients. Refrigerate dough for 3-4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- 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.
- Remove from baking sheet to a cooling rack. When completely cool, store cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 101mg
- Fat: 2.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.2g
- Cholesterol: 12mg
Laura says
These cookies were AMAZING!!!! Perfect texture, delicious taste! I could eat the whole dang batch.
Quick question, has anyone attempted a sugar free version? I adore these but I’m also diabetic lol! Soooo need to be careful with the sugar content.
Margie says
I use Greek yogurt instead of egg — a little less than 1/8 cup. It worked great.
Jana says
I needed to use a can of pumpkin pie purée, so I tried it with a few adjustments. They turned out absolutely delicious! I used the full can of pumpkin pie purée and didn’t add any granulated sugar at all, but coated the cookies well in the powdered sugar before putting them in the oven. All other measurements, including the cinnamon and nutmeg, stayed the same as your recipe. They came out like a delicious puffy muffin top- not too sweet. I’m not sure how it compares to the original, but these are some of the best cookies I’ve made. Thanks so much!
Hayley Johnston says
About to make this recipe for the 6th time made it for a yard sale and people were asking about the recipe offering to pay for it even (I quickly showed them this sight). I have also made it for friends and family who can’t stop talking about how good it is. I plan on trying a vegan version of this recipe and can’t wait to see if it works out.
Julie says
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! So glad they are a hit!
Kathy says
Delicious! I was pressed for time so instead of draining my pumpkin puree, I threw a handful of dried currants into the batter to suck up any extra moisture. I put the batter in the freezer for one hour instead of the fridge for 3. The recipe is very forgiving.
Julie says
Yes, I agree – so many LLK bakers have adapted it to their own preferences and it always seems to work well! Thanks for letting me know how yours turned out!
Debbie Whittington says
Everyone loved this recipe!! Thanks!!
Julie says
I’m so glad Debbie, thanks for letting me know!
Donna says
Do you use unsalted butter or salted butter for this recipe thank you.
Julie says
Hi Donna, I used salted butter for this recipe. Enjoy!
Donna says
Thank you.
Beryl says
Oh, wow! They are really amazing! I made simple, with chocolate chips and walnuts. Good with coffee or milk. Thank you
Cindy says
These are delicious – a new fall tradition. Thank you!
phx cooks says
Amazing food. I like your recipe. It is so easy and good. These were amazing! So nutty and moist, delicious! I made them today, even though I was a little skeptical. Great. I’ve had THREE so far… I’ve put some in the freezer but something tells me they won’t stay there that long. Thanks.
Julie says
Best cookies ever! We catch ourselves eating way too many! Love the light sweetness and fluffiness. My boys don’t usually like pumpkin flavored anything, but there is something about these cookies that won them over immediately! Thank you for a perfect recipe. I roasted some sugar pumpkins and used that purée and it turned out great. I also chilled the dough in the freezer like you suggested and they were pretty easy to roll into balls. This is a new staple in my cookie repertoire!
Jeanne Spaulding says
These were really good!! I posted a picture on my IG! I will make these again.
Simran says
I made this recipe yesterday, and it turned out wonderfully! The cookies taste sweet, with a pleasant mix of spices and a hint of the bitter aftertaste of pumpkin. Describing them as a cross between a cookie and a muffin is accurate, since they’re very fluffy. They go nicely with a cup of coffee!
I made a few minor changes to the procedure. Instead of leaving the dough in the fridge for a few hours, I put it in the freezer for one hour to save time. It was still relatively sticky, but it was manageable since I worked quickly. I used an ice-cream scoop to shape the cookies. I also made the cookies a bit bigger, so they needed to be baked for about 15-20 minutes. I also sprinkled icing sugar on the top (before baking, and also after) instead of rolling the cookies in it.
A really great recipe! I will definitely be making these again for the fall season!
pascale villeneuve says
The are absolutely divine… omg…. the best cookies ever! They taste like heaven!!
Donna Stevenson says
I wanted tea and a quick cookie, using the leftover canned pumpkin from another baking item. I halved the recipe since that’s about how much pumpkin I had. I used a borrowed bowl-lift stand mixer, something I’ve never had a chance to try before. OMG, I just threw all the ingredients into the bowl and presto, cookie dough. I used a couple of spoons to scrape the dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. No time to refridgerate — Into the oven, and 11 minutes later, pulled them out. (I did cut the sugar down somewhat, as I must watch my glucose intake – still perfectly sweet enough.) It drew my husband and son into the kitchen with the wafting cookie baking aroma.
Delicious! Thanks!
Aryn says
Do the baked cookies freeze well?
Julie says
The powdered sugar will melt into the cookie, but they still taste great!
Ali says
Best pumpkin cookies ever!!!
Pafr says
I reduced sugar to 1c, used half whole wheat flour, half unbleached, added 1/2t ground ginger, 1T fresh grated orange and lemon peel, 1/2c chopped pecans. So melty delicious warm, and still plenty sweet. I’m sending to out of state family, since no Thanksgiving visit, hoping the cookies travel well. Mine were more brown than the orange pictured – the whole wheat flour, I think. Dough in freezer 1hr, two people working dough quickly into cookie balls, still sticky by end of bowl, but ok. Most cookies not have that nice white crackle – powdered sugar needs to be very thick. May try chopped dried cranberries instead of nuts next time. Recipe is a keeper – thanks!
Rice says
These were surprisingly easy to make! Even though mine turned out like little domes and not exactly cookie shaped, they still taste amazing otherwise! It was really easy for me to make as well, and it is a very well done recipe.
Rebekah says
Turned out great, yummy & fluffy, even when made gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free!