Oh my goodness, when the air finally gets that crisp little bite, what’s the first thing my kitchen starts smelling like? Spices! Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger—the works! My absolute favorite part of fall isn’t the changing leaves; it’s baking up these Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies To Delight Your Taste Buds. You read that right—it’s like someone shrunk a whole slice of perfect pumpkin pie and put it into a soft, chewy cookie. I developed this recipe because I always wanted that rich pie flavor without the hassle of a water bath or a slumping crust. Trust me, these cookies are easy, they hold their shape, and the sweet spice filling just melts in your mouth!
Why You Will Make Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies To Delight Your Taste Buds Again and Again
Look, I’ve tried every pumpkin dessert under the sun, but these cookies have stolen the show. They are everything you want when that autumn craving hits, but they skip all the fussy steps usually involved with pie. You’re going to love how quickly they come together!
Key Benefits of These Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies To Delight Your Taste Buds
- The texture is spot on—soft, cakey centers that are just heavenly.
- The spice blend is intense; you really taste that pure pumpkin pie flavor!
- Minimal cleanup! No pie dishes to scrub, just a couple of mixing bowls.
- They bake up fast, which is great when you need a last-minute dessert for a gathering.
- They hold their shape beautifully, even after glazing.
Essential Ingredients for Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies To Delight Your Taste Buds
Gathering your ingredients is half the battle, and honestly, this list is straightforward because we’re using pantry staples we often have on hand during the fall. The most important thing here is getting the right pumpkin, and make sure your butter is properly softened—that creaming step is vital for getting that classic soft cookie texture!
For the Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (Remember, super soft butter creams up the fluffiest!)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree—this MUST be pure pumpkin, not that spiced filling in a can!
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For the Simple Sweet Glaze
This glaze sets up perfectly firm but stays soft enough to give you that extra sweet layer. It’s so easy, you’ll barely need a bowl!
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk (We adjust this for thickness later!)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions for Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies To Delight Your Taste Buds
Okay, here’s where the magic happens! Don’t rush this part, especially the creaming. When you get the foundation right, the rest is smooth sailing. I always have my baking sheets lined with parchment paper before I even touch the mixer—it saves so much time later. If you are looking for tips on getting those gorgeous, slightly crisper edges that I love, check out my guide on amazing cookie secrets!
Preparing the Dough and Baking the Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies
First things first: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line those baking sheets! In your big bowl, cream together that softened butter with both the brown and white sugar until it looks fluffy and pale—this traps the air we need for that soft bite. Beat in your egg and vanilla, then mix in that beautiful pumpkin puree until it’s totally smooth.
In a separate bowl, just whisk your flour, baking soda, salt, and all those gorgeous spices together really well. Now, slowly add the dry stuff to the wet stuff. You have to mix on low, and I mean *low*, until they just barely disappear. Seriously, stop mixing right when you see the last streak of flour vanish. Overmixing the flour is just asking for tough cookies, and we want soft and wonderful!
Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the sheets, giving them about 2 inches of space to spread out. Pop them in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. You want the edges to look set, but the middle should still seem just a touch soft when you pull them out. Let them sit on the hot pan for five minutes—this lets them firm up just enough—before moving them onto a wire rack to cool completely. They need to be stone cold before we try to glaze them!
Glazing the Cooled Cookies
Once those cookies are totally cool—and I mean totally, otherwise the glaze will just melt into a sticky mess—it’s time for the finale. For the glaze, just whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and that milk together until it’s silky smooth. If it looks too thick to drizzle nicely, add a tiny splash more milk, maybe a teaspoon at a time, until it flows prettily off your whisk.
You can gently drizzle it back and forth over the tops or use a small offset spatula to spread a nice layer on top. Then all you have to do is let them sit on the counter until that glaze gets just a little firm. Then, run, don’t walk, to enjoy them!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies
When you’re aiming for that perfect pumpkin pie flavor in a cookie, small ingredient choices make a huge difference. I know how frustrating it is when you look at a recipe and the main ingredient isn’t quite right sitting on your counter! Don’t worry; I want to clear up the most common confusion point right now so your cookies turn out perfectly spiced.
Pumpkin Puree vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling
Listen to me closely on this one, because it matters: You absolutely cannot swap pure pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie filling. The filling is already sweetened and loaded with spices, which will completely throw off the balance of your dough and make these cookies way too sweet and crumbly. We want to control the spices ourselves, right? Always reach for the plain, 100% pure pumpkin puree—it’s just straight-up squash, full of the moisture and earthiness we need.
Flavor Variations for Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies
While the original recipe is perfection, sometimes you run out of pumpkin or just want to switch things up a little as the season progresses. If you find yourself out of pumpkin puree, don’t panic! You can actually substitute it with apple butter in a pinch, which gives a lovely, slightly tangier fall flavor profile. Also, if you feel like the spice needs a little extra kick, try adding just 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves to your dry ingredients. It really deepens that warm background note!
Tips for Perfect Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies To Delight Your Taste Buds
Getting that perfect chewiness when you bake cookies usually comes down to tiny details you might overlook. Since these are based on pie flavor, we want them super soft, almost melting when you bite in. My biggest tip, the one I learned after batch number five, involves how you handle the sugar and butter right at the start. Trust me, properly creaming them until you think you can’t possibly beat it anymore is key!
Also, don’t be tempted to bake them past the 12-minute mark. If you wait until the centers look fully set coming out of the oven, they will bake up stiff as a cracker on that cooling rack. I always pull mine when the edges look baked but the very middle still looks *slightly* pale. For more detail on controlling the crunch factor, I wrote a whole piece on my favorite cookie secrets!
Another thing: If your spices seem a little flat, gently toasting the pumpkin pie spice lightly in a dry skillet for 30 seconds before adding it to the dry ingredients wakes up those oils and makes the whole cookie taste fresher!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Your Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies
One thing I absolutely love about these pumpkin cookies is that they are even better the next day! If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers—sometimes I hide a few just for myself—they keep really well. You just need to make sure they are totally cool, glaze and all, before you put them away.
Store your finished cookies in an airtight container right there on your counter at room temperature. They stay wonderfully soft for up to four days. Don’t glaze them ahead of time if you plan to freeze them, though! If you want to freeze the dough, roll it into balls, lay them on a sheet pan, and pop that pan in the freezer until they are solid, then transfer the frozen balls into a freezer bag!
Frequently Asked Questions About Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies
It’s totally normal to have questions when you’re trying a new recipe, even one that seems simple! I’ve collected the things folks usually ask me about getting these Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies just right. If you’re wondering about substitutions or how to freeze them, I’ve got the answers right here!
Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of puree?
Oh, please don’t! I emphasized this because it’s really important for that authentic pie flavor. The pie filling comes pre-sweetened and pre-spiced. If you use that, your cookies will end up overly sweet, maybe soggy, and the spice balance will be all wrong. We need that plain, 100% pumpkin puree so we can load up the right amount of pumpkin pie spice ourselves!
How do I make these pumpkin cookies thicker or chewier?
For a thicker, chewier cookie, you actually want to chill your dough! After you mix everything, wrap up the bowl and pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before scooping. This prevents the butter from spreading too much in the oven, keeping that gorgeous dome shape on top. If you want them even chewier, you can slightly decrease the flour by just two tablespoons—it lets that moisture really shine through!
Can these Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies be frozen?
Yes, they freeze beautifully, which is great for batch baking! I highly recommend freezing the dough balls *before* you bake them. Just scoop them onto a parchment-lined tray, freeze them solid, and then toss those frozen dough balls into a zip-top bag. When you want cookies, just pull out what you need, pop them on a sheet, and add about 3 to 4 extra minutes to the baking time. If you want to freeze leftovers, make sure they are totally cooled and unglazed, and check out my tips on freezing baked goods over at pumpkin spice favorites!
Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies
Since we’re baking from scratch, we know exactly what wonderful ingredients went into these treats! Here is what one of these fantastic cookies usually clocks in at, based on my calculations and standard ingredient databases.
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 25g
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Protein: 2g
Now, just remember these are estimates, darling! If you decide to go heavy on the glaze (and I don’t blame you if you do!), those sugar and calorie counts might creep up a little. Bake happy!
Share Your Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies Experience
Now that you’ve baked a batch—or maybe, like me, you’ve already eaten half of them warm from the cooling rack—I absolutely need to hear about it!
This recipe truly shines when you make it your own, whether that means adding extra cinnamon or maybe trying a maple glaze instead of plain vanilla. Did the kids love them? Did they disappear faster than you expected? Please let me know!
Drop down below in the comments section and leave a star rating for these Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cookies. Seriously, your feedback helps other bakers decide to try them out next time they need that perfect taste of pumpkin pie in cookie form. And if you snapped a picture of your glazed beauties, tag me on social media! Nothing makes me happier than seeing your kitchen creations.
Print
Pumpkin Pie Cookies
- Total Time: 32 min
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Simple cookies flavored like pumpkin pie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- For the glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar
- For the glaze: 3 tablespoons milk
- For the glaze: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the pumpkin puree until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, if the glaze is too thick.
- Once cookies are completely cool, drizzle or spread the glaze over the tops. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute apple butter for pumpkin puree if you prefer a different flavor.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie flavor, fall baking, spiced cookies, easy dessert