Wonderfully light and fluffy, these soft pumpkin cookies are full of all the warm Fall flavours! A great seasonal pumpkin treat!
I have been making these cookies for a couple of years and it wouldn’t be Fall without a batch of these Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies. And when I say soft, I mean pillow soft! Think muffin tops or whoopie pies. These are soft and fluffy and spicy and well, just taste like Fall.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the simple ingredients you will need for these cookies …
All-purpose flour
Baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and salt
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves
Butter, white sugar, brown sugar
Eggs (2)
Canned pumpkin puree
Icing/confectioners sugar (for garnish)
Cook’s Notes
These cookies are absolutely at their delicious best warm from the oven. After that, it gets a little tricky. They are so soft and moist, that they tend to get a little sticky, so storing is not easy. I’ve learned though that they freeze beautifully. Simply freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. To enjoy from the freezer, place on a doubled up piece of paper towel and microwave for 10-15 seconds (or thaw on the counter-top for 30-40 minutes).
Another strategy is to cook these on demand, keeping the dough covered in the fridge and baking as needed. Then you can enjoy them all warm from the oven :)
I decorated mine with some icing sugar. To make the design, I placed some leaf shape cutters on top of the cookies before dusting with sugar, so the shape of the cutter was left behind. Makes these especially festive. Be sure to dust right before serving, as it won’t last.
Get the Recipe: Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- Pinch ground cloves
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 2-3 Tbsp. turbinado or demerara sugar OR icing/confectioners sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Line a baking sheets with parchment paper. and preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the white and brown sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.
- Scrape down the bowl, then mix in the flour mixture on low speed until well combined.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or a large tablespoon, scoop dough in to mounds, placing several inches apart, as these will spread. You will probably get 6-8 per baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate remaining dough, while the first batch cooks. If using turbinado sugar, sprinkle on cookies before baking.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and very slightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool. If desired, dust with icing sugar before eating. Repeat with remaining dough, or leave refrigerated and cook as needed. Note that dough cold from the refrigerator may need an extra minute or two of baking time.
- These cookies are best enjoyed warm out of the oven, or on the same day they are baked. They do freeze well.
Notes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
These look amazing but I it’s just me, how long will the batter keep in the refrigerator? I’m not a fan of freezing cookies either. Thank you.
Hi Edie. I’ve never kept the batter in the fridge, but I would think only up to 24 hours. You could form and freeze batter though then cook from frozen on demand.
I adore pumpkin spice cookies, these look fabulous!
Thanks so much, Laura :)
These are my next bring-to-work-to-bribe-people-to-like-me cookies! Where did you get your cookie cutters? They are so cute!
Hi Sarah, I am not absolutely sure where I got them, but if I had to guess, I would say they were probably a President’s Choice (Grocery store brand) Fall item one year a few years ago. A regular, small leaf-shaped metal cookie cutter works well, too. Simply place on top of the cookie and scrunch a little wad of plastic wrap in the center (so the icing sugar stay out of that part), then dust. Remove the cutter and you’ll have a nice leaf shape in the middle.
These pictures are STUNNING, they belong in a magazine! The cookies sound like the perfect fall treat!
Thanks so much, Sara :)
These cookies are EVERYTHING, Jennifer! Seriously, these are absolutely gorgeous and they scream fall! Love the decorative sugar! And the a cookie as soft as pillows? Sign me UP! Pinned! Cheers, girlfriend!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne :)
WoW!! WTG Jennifer, you did it again. :-)
How cute are theses cookies?! I’m not sure if I would eat them…..too pretty…..let alone share them….LOL!!
They look too perfect to eat, but eat them I will!
The flavor combo sounds super yummy and cookies are just a wonderful treat to have anytime.
Especially now, I’m seeing pumpkins everywhere and the mood seems right for these little babies.
Pinned!
Thanks so much, Dalila :) I am really enjoying pumpkin right now. It’s a great welcome to Fall and Winter baking!
First of all, these are just perfect. I love your beautiful decoration on each cookie. So clean and absolutely lovely! I can’t wait to try these – the “soft pillowy” thing has me hook, line and sinker! Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks Tricia :) I am in love with the soft texture of these cookies!
stop. it. can these be any cuter?? i love the sweet fall stencils and of course PUMPKIN!
Thanks Cathy! I had some fun with icing sugar, for sure :)
How cute are these Jennifer! I think having this dough in my fridge at my beckon call would be extremely dangerous! But, I’m not scared! Can’t wait to try.
Thanks Mary Ann :) They are so wonderful warm from the oven. They taste just like Fall!
These are just adorable, I could eat pumpkin for breakfast, lunch and dinner right now…sharing and pinning!
Thanks Sue and yes, I’m still enjoying pumpkin all times of day, too :)
Momma Mia, you have outdone yourself, Jennifer. These photos took my breath away. The perfect capture of fall! And those cookies? Swoooon! I don’t go crazy for pumpkin the way the rest of the world does but I sure could knock back a few of these and hide some in my pockets, too! Shared :)
Thanks so much, Robyn. I had some fun with icing sugar ;) I absolutely love pumpkin anything, so I’ve been baking up a pumpkin storm. I’m sure it will wear off soon, though. Apples and pears are calling!
Love these Jennifer. I think they wouldn’t last long enough to cool at my house :) Such a fun way you decorated them too. I think we’re kindred spirits – I’m posting pumpkin cookies today too!
Thanks Chris :) I’ve been enjoying these from the freezer with my afternoon coffee!