Tasty Pumpkin Cookies
Spicy with a hint of pumpkin, these tasty pumpkin cookies are an easy and fun treat to spice up your fall! Almost like pumpkin snickerdoodles!
I’m jealous of all the people who make those cute Halloween recipes. Things like cocktails spewing smoke or cupcakes topped with witch’s legs (that you can almost see twitching)!
But this year seems to be extra busy (don’t I say that every year?). So I’m happy just to have this new EASY fall recipe for Pumpkin Cookies.
Now true confessions, this is more or less a snickerdoodle recipe with pumpkin and spices added. You know those yummy vanilla cookies with the cinnamon sugar coating?
So if you’ve always loved a good sinckerdoodle (who doesn’t!), keep reading! Yes, I figured pumpkin might make it even better!
Why You’ll Love This!
Tasty. Who doesn’t like snickerdoodles—and in this recipe, the browned butter, pumpkin and spices only add flavor!
Easy. I simplified the basic recipe, skipping the straining and blotting of the pumpkin.
Seasonal Fun. While these don’t use seasonal ingredients, they are full of fall fun. I’ll take it!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Butter. Butter adds richness and helps hold the ingredients together. And because it is browned, it will add some caramel flavor.
- Brown sugar. This adds sweetness and notes of caramel. You can use light or dark brown. (I used dark, so your cookies may be lighter if you use light)
- Egg. This adds richness and helps the cookies rise.
- Vanilla. This adds flavor.
- Pumpkin puree. This adds flavor and color.
- All purpose flour. This comprises the bulk of the cookie.
- Cinnamon, ginger, allspice. These add pumpkin spice flavor. You can use pumpkin spice blend if you prefer. Cinnamon is also used in the topping.
- Baking soda. This helps the cookies rise.
- Salt. This enhances flavor.
- Granulated sugar. This is used in the pretty sugar coating.
Special Tools
- No special tools required! I didn’t even use a mixer!
Step by Step Directions
Brown the butter. Place in a small pan, melt and heat to a boil. Simmer until butter is brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour into a heat proof mixing bowl. Note that the butter will go from unchanged to browned very quickly so keep an eye on it or it can burn.
Add brown sugar to the brown butter and whisk to blend. Add pumpkin puree and whisk to incorporate. Make sure the mixture is just warm (not hot enough to cook an egg), then add egg.
Combine dry ingredients and stir into the butter mixture.
Cover and chill until firm, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar to form the topping.
Form dough into generous 1-inch balls. Roll the cookie balls in the sugar mixture until covered all around. Set onto the parchment, 9-12 per cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies have just a hint of brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet, then use a thin spatula to transfer to a cooling rack.
How to Serve
Pumpkin cookies are a great light dessert or snack. I like serving with milk, coffee or tea for the best experience. And if you want to make a nice tray of fall cookies, why not add some Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies or a nice Pumpkin Cheesecake Macaron!
Leftovers
These should last a couple weeks well-sealed and stored at room temperature. But if you want them to last that long you’d better hide them! They can also be frozen.
Tips & FAQs
The butter is browned for two reasons. First, it gives these cookies a lightly caramelized flavor—yum! And second, it reduces the moisture in the butter. This means you can use any butter brand (did you know butter can vary in water percent?) and you don’t need to dry out the pumpkin.
Although these cookies have a solid pumpkin spice cookie flavor, there isn’t a lot of pumpkin in here. If you want to get some legitimate vitamin A in a super easy dessert, take a look at my Pumpkin Milkshake!
This recipe doesn’t make a lot, about 15 cookies. I like to go with smaller batches because it’s a lot easier to double a recipe than cut it in half (that whole half egg thing). So if you’re in a bigger household or feeding the swim team, hit the 2X button next to the INGREDIENTS heading on the recipe to double it!
Pumpkin season is here, and we are celebrating our love of pumpkin with #PumpkinWeek hosted by Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 11 bloggers will be sharing over 30 pumpkin-filled recipes for all your Autumn celebrations, including breakfasts, baked goods, savory pumpkin recipes, desserts, and drinks.
More #PumpkinWeek Recipes Below:
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Cheesecake Egg Rolls from Blogghetti
- Amish Pumpkin Crunch from Palatable Pastime
- Pumpkin-Cranberry Bread Pudding from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
- Pumpkin Custard Pie from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from The Redhead Baker
- Pumpkin Almond Kheer from Magical Ingredients
- Pumpkin Scones from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Tasty Pumpkin Cookies from Art of Natural Living
Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch ginger
- pinch allspice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For rolling:
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Place in a small pan, melt and heat to a boil. Simmer until butter is brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour into a heat proof mixing bowl. Note that the butter will go from unchanged to browned very quickly so keep an eye on it or it can burn.
- Add brown sugar to the brown butter and whisk to blend. Add pumpkin puree and whisk to incorporate. Make sure the mixture is just warm (not hot enough to cook an egg), then add egg.
- Combine dry ingredients and stir into the butter mixture.
- Cover and chill until firm, about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar to form the topping.
- Form dough into generous 1-inch balls. Roll the cookie balls in the sugar mixture until covered all around. Set onto the parchment, 9-12 per cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until there is just a hint of brown on the edges.
- Let the cookies cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet, then use a thin spatula to transfer to a cooling rack.
I’ve got some leftover pumpkin puree in the freezer, time to take it out and get these cookies in the oven.
These pumpkin cookies sound like a delightful treat, especially for the fall season! I like how simple and accessible this recipe is.
I am much more about the flavor than the cute! I always freeze my pumpkin purée in 1 cup amounts, and I often make recipes (your pumpkin crème brûlée, included) that call for less, so I am thrilled for a small batch cookie recipe like this. Thanks! You seem to be my pumpkin recipe go-to person!
These cookies look so soft and delicious. Packed with pumpkin flavor!
These look like the perfect cookie for fall!! I’ll just need a nice vanilla latte to go with mine 🙂
Who needs all those cutsie Halloween treats when you can have these cookies!
i appreciate the vote of confidence Karen!