These old-fashioned Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are big and soft, just like your favorite bakery-style pumpkin cookies. This is a classic fall cookie recipe.
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin cookies are some of my family’s favorites. We ate my mom’s pumpkin cookies just about all year round. They were a regular in our cookie rotation.
I’ve shared a few pumpkin cookies with you over the years and I love that they’ve become favorites in your homes too.
Pumpkin Toffee Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting and Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are a couple more pumpkin cookies you’ll want to try.
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Cookies
These Cream Cheese Frosted Pumpkin Cookies are a twist on my family’s favorite soft pumpkin cookies.
I switched it up here and included cream cheese frosting because pumpkin and tangy-sweet cream cheese are always terrific together.
This Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie is proof positive of that perfect pairing.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
I don’t think you can find an easier pumpkin dessert than these pumpkin cookies. (Okay, maybe pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting would be even easier, but I promise the cookies are VERY simple too!)
This is a pretty standard cookie recipe. First cream the butter and sugars, beat in eggs and pumpkin and stir in the dry ingredients. Then bake them up.
Once the cookies are cooled, whip up the cream cheese frosting and enjoy! Just try not to eat too many at once – it isn’t fall in my world until I’ve eaten more pumpkin cookies than anyone actually should really eat in one sitting.
How to Store Pumpkin Cookies
Cookies with cream cheese frosting should be stored in the refrigerator for best results. These cookies will keep several days in the fridge in an airtight container.
In an ideal situation, it would be best to wait to frost them until you serve them, just leave the cookies on the counter until ready to frost. Once they’re frosted though, just pop the cookies in the fridge until serving.
Cream Cheese Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces of cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until well creamed. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Do not over bake. Let cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, best the softened cream cheese and butter together with a mixer. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Frost cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
{originally published 9/12/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 9/22/22}
If you’re looking for other cookies with cream cheese frosting, these all sound amazing!
If summer is all you can think about, try these Zucchini Cookies with cream cheese frosting from Creations by Kara
Or if you’re only in a fall mood, Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting by I Heart Nap Time sound delicious.
Or if Christmas is on you’re mind, check out these Soft Peppermint Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting from Chelsea’s Messy Apron.
Here are some Pumpkin sandwich cookie recipes from my blog that are also favorites.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
Chocolate Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
Kelli Funfar says
These are the best pumpkin cookies ever!!!
Mary says
I’m so happy you like them!
Deb Guinan says
I made these for a church luncheon a year ago.
The luncheon is coming up again in a couple of weeks. I was asked to bring them again this year. 😃
Mary says
Deb, Looks like you have hit on your hands. Enjoy the luncheon.
Arika says
Can I replace the butter in the cookie with crisco?
Mary says
You can Arika. My preference is definitely butter.