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Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting made with a soft, cake-like dough baked at 350°F for 10–12 minutes. Finish with a smooth vanilla cinnamon frosting, a cinnamon dusting, and a pecan pressed on top for a cozy crunch.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 230
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 30 pecan pressed on top

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep & dry mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper so the cookies bake evenly.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl to evenly distribute the spices.
Make the pumpkin cookie dough
  1. Beat softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar and packed brown sugar until fluffy for a lighter cookie texture.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, then mix in the egg and vanilla extract just until combined.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a soft, cake-like dough forms.
Bake & cool
  1. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions onto the lined baking sheets with spacing between cookies.
  2. Bake for 10–12 minutes at 350°F until the cookies look set around the edges.
  3. Cool the cookies completely on a rack so the frosting doesn’t melt.
Frost & finish
  1. Beat softened cream cheese with softened unsalted butter until smooth.
  2. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
  3. Frost each cookie generously with the cream cheese frosting.
  4. Dust the frosted cookies lightly with cinnamon and press a pecan into the top for a finished look.

Notes

For the best texture, make sure the butter and cream cheese are fully softened before mixing—cold dairy can make the dough or frosting lumpy. Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; let sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes before serving. Freeze frosted cookies for up to 2 months (wrap well), or freeze unfrosted baked cookies for up to 3 months. To make them dairy-light, use a dairy-free cream cheese and plant butter in the frosting (the cookie bake time stays the same).