Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

Introduction

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting are the perfect autumnal treat—moist, cakey cookies bursting with warm pumpkin flavor, topped with a creamy, spiced frosting. This comforting combination makes them a nostalgic favorite and a standout dessert for family gatherings or festive potlucks. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture and inviting aroma are guaranteed to draw a crowd.

Why You’ll Love These Soft Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies deliver a deliciously tender crumb thanks to the pumpkin puree, while the cinnamon frosting adds a luscious, slightly tangy finish. They’re easy to make with simple pantry ingredients, require no fancy equipment, and come together quickly—making them an ideal recipe for both everyday snacking and special occasions.

Creating the Perfect Cinnamon Frosting

The cinnamon frosting takes these cookies over the top, blending butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a generous helping of ground cinnamon. For best results, make sure your butter is at room temperature before beating it to a smooth, fluffy consistency. The frosting can be spread or piped onto cooled cookies for a beautiful and delicious finish.

Assembly and Serving Suggestions

Once cooled, frost each cookie generously and, if desired, sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon or chopped pecans for texture. Serve them with a mug of hot chai or coffee for a cozy afternoon treat, or pack them into a festive tin for gifting during the holidays—sure to be appreciated by everyone who receives them.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This batch yields about 24 soft pumpkin cookies, each topped with a creamy cinnamon frosting. Depending on the size of your cookies and thickness of the frosting, each one will have around 150–180 calories—just right for a sweet treat without going overboard.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting (Recap)

These pumpkin cookies combine the very best parts of fall baking: a tender, spiced cookie, paired with a creamy, cinnamon-kissed frosting. They’re simple, crowd-pleasing, and perfect to make ahead for gatherings or to keep on hand for a comfort food pick-me-up.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to instantly generate an organized shopping list sorted by store section—making your weekly grocery shopping efficient and straightforward.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
4. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
5. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing gently until no flour streaks remain.
6. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the cookies look set and spring back lightly when touched.
8. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
9. For the frosting, beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Add milk, a little at a time, until a smooth, spreadable consistency forms.
10. Frost each cooled cookie generously. For extra flair, dust with cinnamon or sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Weekly Meal Planning

This cookie recipe is a great addition to your weekly meal and treat prep. Save and schedule this recipe so you can decide which day to bake and automatically create smart shopping lists, combining ingredients from all your planned meals for the week.

Planning Benefits:

• Syncs shopping lists across multiple recipes for accuracy and convenience
• Groups all ingredients by store section—no more backtracking through the grocery aisles
• Helps you avoid duplicate purchases and forgotten ingredients
• Keeps meal prep organized so you can spend less time planning and more time enjoying home-cooked treats

Pro tip: When you plan several recipes with overlapping ingredients, schedule your bakes to automatically calculate joint ingredient totals—streamlining your grocery shopping and minimizing food waste.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes