The BEST PUMPKIN COOKIES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Soft chewy pumpkin spiced cookies with a fluffy sweet cream cheese frosting. The perfect frosted pumpkin cookie recipe!
It’s pumpkin season! Hey it may be a tad early but is it ever too early to bring out the pumpkin spice? I don’t think so.
I have experimented with making the perfect chewy pumpkin cookie recipe. I grew tired of getting all excited about eating a pumpkin cookie only to discover that it was so cakey that it literally left a film on the roof of my mouth. I wanted to create a thick pumpkin cookie that was soft and chewy. We had success in the kitchen!
I have already shared my Saucepan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and my White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies. Now it is time to add some cream cheese frosting. These Frosted Pumpkin Cookies are out of this world good. In my opinion…cream cheese frosting and pumpkin cookies just go together like peanut butter and jelly.
So how do you make pumpkin cookies soft and chewy?
It all comes down to the butter and flour ratio. When you add too much flour, it becomes cakey and thick. Instead of adding so much flour, I added 1 cup of rolled oats which adds some chewiness to these pumpkin cookies.
What type of canned pumpkin should I use in these Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting?
You want to reach for unsweetened plain pumpkin puree. You don’t want the pumpkin pie canned pumpkin which has spices already added to the pumpkin puree. You want it clean and simple as it is the perfect base for these cookies.
To make the perfect cream cheese frosting, you need a mix of sweet cream butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. It may be a simple recipe but it is all about the right ratios. This is a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting recipe and it pairs perfectly with these pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
The beauty of these Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting is that you can make them ahead of time and freeze the cookies. They freeze and defrost beautifully. You can even freeze the pumpkin cookies and then frost when you are ready to serve them.
How to make the Best Frosted Pumpkin Cookies:
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar and sugar. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes silky smooth and glossy. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and Pumpkin Puree.
- Fold in flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt. I reach for rolled oats instead of the quick-acting 5-minute oats.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, making sure not to overbake. I love to use these parchment baking sheets so they don’t stick to the pan. Let cool before frosting.
- To make the frosting…make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature. In order for the cream cheese to blend well into the frosting, it needs to be very softened. You can put it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften it.
IF YOU LOVE PUMPKIN, CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE POPULAR PUMPKIN RECIPES:
The BEST Pumpkin Pie Recipe -- award-winning!
Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Pancakes
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅔ cup Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- 1 cup Rolled Oats
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 - 1 ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup Butter (softened)
- (1) 8-ounce pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
- 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar and sugar. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes silky smooth and glossy. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir in vanilla and egg yolk. After it is completely mixed, stir in pumpkin puree.
- Add flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well to incorporate ingredients.
- Let chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop cookie dough on baking sheets, lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until lightly golden brown on edges. Let set up for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy. Once the cookies have cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.
Sierra
Amazing recipe! I love the addition of oats to the cookies!
Sarah
Made this last fall and they were the perfect mix of hearty with the oats + the amazing frosting.
Alyssa
Delicious and perfect for the fall!
Donna A Pollock
I love these cookies. I try to make them every year from Halloween until Valentines Day. They don't last at my house at all. They are so good not to sweet full of good things and easy to make. We like them with brown butter frosting instead of cream cheese. Great cookies
Melinda Kriskie
Hi Melissa,
I really want to make the Pumpkin Cookies w/Cream Cheese Frosting, however, my Family is not too fond of Oats. They wouldn't eat anything that involves Oats. Can you suggest a substitute?
Thanks,
Melinda
Michelle Mollner
What is the best way to store these cookies