These soft pumpkin cookies are an adaptation of a classic Amish recipe. I prefer a quick cream cheese frosting for these cookies because it’s faster and easier than making caramel frosting, though both are delicious. The result is warmly spiced, tender cookies topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting—perfect for a cozy fall treat.
If you enjoy soft cookies or whoopie-pie-style treats, try other recipes for pumpkin whoopie pies, chocolate whoopie pies, Amish sugar cookie whoopie pies, chocolate cake-mix cookies with caramel frosting, or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for more seasonal baking ideas.
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Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
marilynpeight
20 mins
10 mins
Dessert
American, Amish
2 dozen
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Parchment paper (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F:
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Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
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Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, drop dough onto greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing scoops several inches apart. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned and centers are set. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
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For the frosting: beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth. Gradually add sifted confectioner’s sugar and beat until the frosting is smooth and lump-free. If too dry, add a splash of milk; if too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar.
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Spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto cooled cookies. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
These cookies achieve a soft, cake-like texture when the batter is thicker than cake batter but thinner than typical cookie dough.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies, Cream Cheese Frosting, Amish Pumpkin Cookies
Equipment needed:
- Cookie sheets — lighter-colored sheets help prevent over-browning on the bottoms.
- Mixing bowls — separate bowls for dry and wet ingredients and for frosting.
- Measuring cups and spoons — accurate measuring helps results every time.
- Parchment paper — makes removing cookies easier and reduces sticking.
Ingredient summary: Flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, brown sugar, vegetable or canola oil, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. For the frosting: cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar.
Shortcut option — pumpkin pie spice:
You can replace the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you prefer. The cookies rely on a generous amount of warm spice for their signature flavor, so choose a quantity you enjoy.
Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients together. Combine brown sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla in another bowl. Add wet to dry and mix until just combined.
Texture note: The mixture should be between cake batter and cookie dough—thicker than cake batter but thinner than standard cookie dough to achieve a soft, cake-like cookie.
Step 2: Scoop onto prepared sheets and bake 10–15 minutes at 350°F. If baking two sheets at once, rotate them halfway through for even baking. Cookies should be fully baked (not gummy) but not overbaked or they’ll dry out.
Step 3: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add sifted confectioner’s sugar and beat until lump-free. Adjust with milk or more sugar to reach the right frosting consistency.
Step 4: Frost cooled cookies with a spoon or piping bag and optionally dust with cinnamon. Serve and enjoy.
Storage tips: Because the cookies are frosted with cream cheese frosting, store them refrigerated for up to 5 days. For long-term storage, freeze cookies and frosting separately in airtight containers for several months; thaw and frost before serving.
If you make these, feel free to pin the recipe and tag me on Instagram to share your results. Thank you for your support!
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