These pumpkin cream cheese cookies are little, pillowy fall clouds that just happen to be edible 🤤. You’ll love sinking your teeth into these beauties!
Nothing says “fall” quite like all the pumpkin desserts. There are so many to choose from, and it can be overwhelming to find the perfect one sometimes! Might I recommend these pumpkin cream cheese cookies? These cookies are the perfect treat for all of your fall gatherings.
Pumpkin cookies with frosting have always been one of my favorite fall desserts. While cookies are often chewy or crispy, these cookies are really more of a hybrid between cookies and cake. If we’re really honest here, most pumpkin cookies are really just cookie-shaped cakes. But that’s a paradox that I’m actually quite ok with 😉.
This pumpkin spice cookies recipe is my take on the delicious fall classic. You’ll love the subtle flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger that pop through the rich flavor of the pumpkin. And to make things even better, they are slathered in creamy frosting. What can be better than that?
This post is all about how to make pumpkin cream cheese cookies.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
- Brown sugar- Brown sugar gives these cookies a richer flavor than if they only had white sugar.
- White sugar- Because everyone uses two kinds of sugar in cookies, so why not? My process is so scientific 😂.
- Butter- Butter is the hero of every cookie recipe.
- Pumpkin- Use regular, canned 100% pumpkin for this recipe. Don’t be tricked into buying canned pumpkin pie mix. It’ll get you every time. Also, why is it so hard for me to type the word “pumpkin”?? It always ends up being “pumpking” or “pumkin”. My brain doesn’t like this word, apparently.
- Egg- An egg helps to hold things together.
- Vanilla- That subtle background flavor.
- Flour- Can’t have a cookie without flour… usually.
- Salt- We’ll pretend like this makes a difference.
- Baking soda/baking powder– These help the cookies to rise.
- Spices- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger help these cookies to have the perfect amount of spice.
- Cream cheese- This is for the cream cheese frosting.
- Powdered sugar- This helps to sweeten the frosting.
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Step 1 (Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies)
In a mixing bowl, beat the brown and white sugar with the butter. Beat in the pumpkin, followed by the egg and vanilla. Beat just until mixed.
Step 2
In a second mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Step 3
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring them in between additions. Once combined, refrigerate the dough for one hour (or at least 40 minutes if you’re in a hurry).
Step 4
Right before taking the dough out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking-paper-lined tray, spoon or scoop out about 12 equal portions of dough. Make sure to leave some space in between them for the cookies to rise. Put the tray in the oven and bake for about 14 minutes (I know this is a ridiculously specific number, but that’s just how it worked out 😂) or until the cookies are firm, but not browning. Take the cookies out of the oven, and let them cool completely.
Step 5 (Cream Cheese Frosting)
While the cookies are cooling, beat the room-temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Set the mixer aside and stir in the softened butter until it’s smoothly incorporated. (It’s very important for it to be fully softened!) Lastly, fold in the powdered sugar until it’s combined. Finish by adding the frosting to the tops of the cooled cookies. Enjoy!
If you’re looking for other delicious desserts, you can try these!
Cheesecake Brownie Bars with Caramel
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup Brown sugar
- ¼ cup White sugar
- 8 tbsp. Butter (melted)
- 7.5 oz. Pumpkin (half a can, 100% pure)
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1½ cups Flour
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Nutmeg
- 1 tsp. Ginger
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp. Butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup Powdered sugar
Instructions
Cookies
- In a mixing bowl, beat the ¾ cup of brown and ¼ cup of white sugar with the 8 tbsp. of melted butter. Beat in the 7.5 oz. of pumpkin, followed by the egg and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Beat just until mixed.
- In a second mixing bowl, stir together the 1½ cups of flour, ½ tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of baking soda, 1 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, ½ tsp. of nutmeg, and 1 tsp. of ginger.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring them in between additions. Once combined, refrigerate the dough for one hour (or at least 40 minutes if you're in a hurry).
- Right before taking the dough out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking-paper-lined tray, spoon or scoop out about 12 equal portions of dough. Make sure to leave some space in between them for the cookies to rise.
- Put the tray in the oven and bake for about 14 minutes or until the cookies are firm, but not browning. Take the cookies out of the oven, and let them cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, beat the 8 oz. of room-temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Set the mixer aside and stir in the 2 tbsp. of softened butter until it's smoothly incorporated. (It's very important for it to be fully softened!) Lastly, fold in the ⅔ cup of powdered sugar until it's combined. Finish by adding the frosting to the tops of the cooled cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy your pumpkin cream cheese cookies!