Soft and cozy, these frosted pumpkin cookies are the kind of treat that disappear fast. They’re fluffy, warmly spiced, and topped with a creamy frosting, and they’re super easy to make. Back when I owned a local bakery, these were the most popular cookie in the case, selling out again and again. These pumpkin cookies are perfect for a cozy afternoon baking sesh, a holiday cookie tray, or just because pumpkin season deserves celebrating!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
The Best Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Friends! I’m beyond excited to share this frosted pumpkin cookie recipe with you!
I really don’t feel like I’m exaggerating when I say they are the best pumpkin cookies ever. They are pure perfection, and were tested in my bakery many, many times.
I can’t count how many thousands of these cookies we sold when I had my bakery.
So this is very nostalgic for me to share, and I love that it mixes my first business with my current blogging business. 🫶
I truly believe the hype is warranted, but you can let me know when you try them yourself. 🙂
And for more yummy pumpkin recipes, try:
- 20-Minute Easy Homemade Pumpkin Bagels (Yeast-Free!)
- Healthy Pumpkin Scones Recipe with Maple Glaze (Easy)
- Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe (for Thanksgiving and Christmas)
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones (that will make you swoon)
- Pumpkin Waffles to Make Your Fall Extra Delicious
Frosted Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients:
- canned pumpkin
- vegetable oil (I like sunflower, but others work well too)
- molasses (I usually use regular/fancy molasses, but you can also use blackstrap for a deeper flavor)
- granulated sugar, any kind (white, date, coconut sugar, erythritol, etc.)
- flour (I usually use white, but have tried with whole wheat as well; you can also use gluten-free flour)
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- salt
Spice Frosting Ingredients:
- butter or margarine
- icing sugar
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cloves
Frosted Pumpkin Cookie Variations
Vegan Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
When I had my bakery, there were lots of requests for vegan baking recipes, so I developed a lot of vegan recipes over those years.
There are no eggs in this pumpkin cookie recipe, and there is no dairy either, so it’s already a vegan pumpkin cookie recipe.
No subs needed!
Related recipe: Pumpkin Matcha Latte (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
You can substitute this gluten-free all-purpose flour 1:1 for the flour.
You might need an extra tablespoon or two of gluten-free flour if the pumpkin cookie batter seems a little thin.
Pumpkin Cookie Tips
Use a cookie scoop to make uniform cookies. It helps them bake evenly and look extra pretty. 💕
I used that large cookie scoop to make the bakery-style cookies at my bakery.
If you want smaller cookies, you can use this scoop and make 24 cookies instead of 12 large ones.
Use plain canned pumpkin for this recipe. It has a consistent moisture level so will turn out the best.
If you want to use your own fresh pumpkin puree, you might need to play around slightly with the amounts.
It won’t be way off, but you might need a little less of the pumpkin if the fresh puree is more watery.
This pumpkin cookie recipe was developed with plain, non-sweetened canned pumpkin.
During prime pumpkin season, you might find all the plain canned pumpkin is gone from the shelves. 😭 I had to buy canned pumpkin pie filling this past season, because I was craving pumpkin desserts and didn’t want to wait for them to restock. 🙂
If you use canned pumpkin pie filling, it’s already sweetened, I’d recommend you decrease the amount of sugar you add to the pumpkin cookie dough from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup.
Okay, let’s make these pumpkin cookies!
Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Soft, cozy, and perfectly spiced, these frosted pumpkin cookies were the most popular cookie back when I owned a local bakery. They're easy to make, and a total crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 small can of pumpkin (=14 oz)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (=120 grams)
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (ex. white sugar, date sugar, cane sugar, erythritol)
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose, or gluten-free all-purpose)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
Pumpkin Cookie Frosting
- ¼ cup butter or dairy-free butter for vegan cookies
- 4 cups icing sugar (approx./no need to level)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1-4 tablespoons of water (you can use milk if you wish)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the oil, pumpkin puree, molasses and sugar.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet and stir until fully mixed.
- Scoop the pumpkin cookie batter with a cookie scoop (level, not rounded) onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- I fit 6 large or 12 small pumpkin cookies on a tray.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes at 350F, until top doesn't sound squishy when you tap it lightly.
- Makes 12 large or 24 small cookies.
- Cool slightly and frost.
For the frosting:
1. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to blend the icing sugar, margarine or butter, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
2. Add a tablespoon of water at a time, until the frosting comes together.
3. Then mix on high speed for a couple of minutes until the color gets lighter and the frosting gets fluffier.
4. Spread over cooled cookies.
5. If you have leftovers of the frosting, you can keep it tightly sealed in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
6. You can also store extra spice frosting in the freezer and thaw overnight at room temperature before using.
7. Store the frosted pumpkin cookies in a sealed container in the fridge.
You might also like this post: 21 Affordable Amazon Kitchen Finds for Pumpkin Lovers
Pin this pumpkin cookie recipe to save:
