Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Printable)

Tender, cake-like cookies with pumpkin and warm spices. Easy autumn comfort treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
08 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
13 - 1 large egg
14 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped nuts

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Mix in the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold in chocolate chips or nuts if desired.
07 - Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops appear dry.
09 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These cookies stay incredibly soft for days, unlike typical crisp cookies that go stale
  • The warm spice blend fills your whole kitchen with the most wonderful autumn aroma
  • They come together in under 30 minutes with ingredients you probably already have
02 -
  • Using pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin purée will make your cookies turn out gummy and way too sweet
  • The cookies might look slightly underbaked when you take them out, but they'll continue cooking on the hot pan and set up perfectly
  • Measuring your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup rather than dipping prevents dense, dry cookies
03 -
  • If your pumpkin purée seems especially watery, blot it gently with paper towels before adding it to the dough
  • These cookies freeze exceptionally well once baked—just layer them between wax paper in an airtight container

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