Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

This crisp cool fall air calls for something cozy to eat and a fire and a blanket. And I have just the thing for you, soft pumpkin cookies with a cream cheese frosting. Trust me here; these are not just any sweet fall snack; they are delicious indulgences. These cookies baking will fill your home with the scent of pumpkin spice better than any candle.  

Sometimes, we turn our tv into a fireplace with this:

How to make this recipe

Ingredients

Below is a quick and easy shopping list, which you can use to gather ingredients.  

Cookies

• Butter, softened
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin puree
• Flour

Frosting

• Butter, softened
• Cream cheese, softened
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

Tips and tricks

How to soften butter: This is our favorite way to soften butter. Cut a stick of butter into cubes. Leave it at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes or until it visibly softens. 

How to soften cream cheese: Our favorite method takes about 45 minutes, so do plan ahead. Remove the cream cheese from the foil wrapper, place it on a small plate, and cover it with a bowl. Do note that it is normal for some liquid to leak out of it and onto the bowl. 

For extra creamy frosting: The biggest tip to have extra creamy frosting is to make sure that the butter and cream cheese are fully softened before mixing. 

Chill the dough: If it feels sticky after mixing, chill it for 15-20 minutes. Chilling can help the cookies hold their shape better and prevent spreading during baking.

Frosting tip: Use a piping or plastic bag with a cut corner to frost the cookies. This will be a cleaner method; you can swirl the frostings with decorative swills if you like.

Step-By-Step

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F. This is an essential step because you want the oven to be hot so that your cookies bake evenly.

Step 2: Ensure your butter is soft before doing this step. Next, it is time to cream the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. This should take around 2 minutes.

Step 3: It is time to add the dry ingredients: sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the butter. Beat until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

Tip: Mix on a low setting to start and pause to scrape down the sides. Scraping the sides will help to make sure all of the ingredients get fully incorporated.

Step 4: Now, it is time to add in the wet ingredients. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree to the bowl. Beat until everything is smooth.

Note: The pumpkin puree will add moisture, so if the dough looks soft, don’t worry. That is normal at this stage.

Step 5: Gradually add the flour and mix on low until you no longer see the flour and it is thoroughly mixed in. Once you no longer see the white flower, stop the mixing so as not to overmix the dough. Overmixing the dough can cause the cookies to become tough.

Step 6: Scoop the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. For consistent cookie size, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon for measurement.

Step 7: Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

Make the frosting

Step 8: First, we will cream the butter and cream cheese together. Make sure that the butter and cream cheese are soft. Then add them to a bowl and slowly blend them together for about 3 minutes or until they are fluffy.

Step 9: Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the bowl and mix until smooth

Step 10: Frost the cookies using a knife or a piping bag. 

Finally, to make these a bit extra festive, consider sprinkling some pumpkin pie spice on top of the frosting before they set. And our final note is that you should store these cookies in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.