Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Printable Version)

Tender, cake-like cookies with pumpkin and warm autumn spices. Ready in under 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
08 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 1 cup pumpkin purée
13 - 1 large egg
14 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped nuts

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in chocolate chips or nuts if using, distributing evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops look dry. The centers should still be slightly soft.
09 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Chef's Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies stay incredibly soft for days thanks to the pumpkin
  • The spice blend hits that perfect autumn cozy spot without being overwhelming
  • They are unexpectedly simple despite tasting like bakery fare
02 -
  • Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices already added, so it will throw off the whole recipe
  • These cookies look underdone when you take them out but they keep cooking on the hot pan
  • Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps them hold their shape, though it is not strictly necessary
03 -
  • Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop for uniform baking times
  • Rotate the baking sheets halfway through if your oven has hot spots

Go Back