We’re pretty sure you’re going to fall in love with our Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies! An irresistible fusion of sugar cookies and snickerdoodles, this fall-inspired treat is in a league of its own.
These cookies are absolutely bursting with sweet pumpkin flavor and warm spices. Plus, they’re super soft, require minimal prep time (no dough chilling required!), and have a quick cook time.
Whether you prefer them plain or topped with your favorite icing, this easy recipe is sure to become one you put on repeat!
Table of Contents
The Best Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
What better way to celebrate fall than with a freshly baked batch of soft pumpkin cookies? Warm, sweet, and totally irresistible, they’re better than anything store-bought and are super quick to make.
Whip them up along with pumpkin french toast casserole, baked pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin banana bread, and healthy pumpkin pancakes, and enjoy your favorite flavors all season long!
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
Just a handful of ingredients are all you need to make this pumpkin cookies recipe, and you probably already have most of them on hand!
- Butter – Use softened, unsalted butter.
- Sugar – A combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar creates a sweet flavor while keeping the cookies super soft and chewy. Then, we roll the dough in extra sugar for a bakery-worthy treat!
- Large Egg – Let it come to room temperature for easy mixing.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract to enhance the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Pumpkin Purée – Make sure to use pure canned pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkin!
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour forms the base of the dough. If needed, swap it out for a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour instead.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt contribute a warm, fall-inspired taste that balances out the sweetness of the sugar.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – Make sure they’re fresh! Otherwise, your cookies won’t rise or stay soft.
Pumpkin Perfection: Your Guide to Irresistible Soft Cookies
These might be the easiest cookies we’ve ever made, but don’t take our word for it! Try them out for yourself with the simple steps below.
- Prepare. Before you begin, preheat your oven, and line a baking sheet with
parchment paper . - Mix the wet ingredients. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat again until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin purée until the mixture is smooth.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, spices, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Working slowly, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, stirring until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix!
- Portion and coat. Portion the dough into balls, and roll them in sugar to coat the outside. TIP: For easy, mess-free portioning use a cookie dough scoop!
- Bake. Place each cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet leaving space between them, and bake just until the edges are a light golden brown.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool slightly before transferring them to a wire rack completely. This is crucial to help them set and prevent them from falling apart!
Icing Options
Rolled in sugar, we think these pumpkin cookies are plenty tasty on their own. However, if preferred, you can always add an extra topping!
Try icing them with buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, or simple vanilla icing, and feel free to decorate with sprinkles, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, or your own creative additions!
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are a few of our tried and true baking tips to ensure these soft pumpkin cookies turn out perfectly every single time you bake!
- Measure Carefully. Baking is a science. So, it’s crucial that you measure all the ingredients carefully. For the best results, we recommend using a food scale. However, if that isn’t an option, the spoon and level method also works well.
- Avoid Overmixing. Be sure to combine the ingredients just until the batter is smooth. Continuing to mix will overwork the gluten, resulting in dense, tough cookies.
- Adjust the Baking Time. Every oven bakes differently. So, be sure to keep a close eye on your cookies, and take them out as soon as the edges are a light golden brown. Remember, they’ll continue to bake and set as they cool so it’s okay if they look a little underdone!
Common Questions About This Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Yes, just be sure to drain or blot off any excess liquid. Otherwise, your cookie dough may be too watery.
No, unlike other cookie doughs that need to be chilled before baking, pumpkin cookie dough is best when baked right away!
Once cooled, leftover cookies can be transferred to a sealable bag or airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to three days.
Or, freeze them for up to two weeks! To prevent them from clumping together, place the cookies on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container until you’re ready to eat.
Absolutely! Feel free to fold in whatever additions you like just before portioning the batter. Some of our favorite options are chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or coconut flakes.
More Delectable Cookie Recipes
On the hunt for more easy cookies that are a breeze to make? Check out these favorites that we think you might just fall head over heels for:
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- White Chocolate Chip Biscoff Cookies
- Brown Butter Brookies Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe
Super Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup (122 grams) canned pumpkin purée
- 2 cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sugar for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.¾ cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture, and beat until well combined.1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Mix in the canned pumpkin puree until the batter is smooth.1/2 cup (122 grams) canned pumpkin purée
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2 cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Scoop out tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar for dipping to coat the outside.1/3 cup sugar for dipping
- Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My cookies didn’t look anything like yours. Could this be because I baked them in the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven? I just assumed it would be the same as a regular oven.
Thank you
It could be! Did you follow the recipe otherwise?
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Great! Simple, quick to make, and they taste amazing
Thank you, Kristina! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa