Soft and chewy pumpkin spice cookies are buttery fall cookies made with real pumpkin, warm pumpkin pie spice, and a sparkly spiced-sugar coating. The important difference is texture: blotting the pumpkin down to about ¼ cup removes enough moisture to keep the centers dense and chewy instead of cakey.
They have crisp-set edges, soft middles, and the kind of craggy top that catches every last bit of cinnamon-scented sugar. If you already love my Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies, this is the pumpkin version to put on your fall baking list.
What Are Pumpkin Spice Cookies?
Pumpkin spice cookies are soft drop cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. This version uses egg yolks, brown sugar, a short chill, and concentrated pumpkin so the cookies bake chewy rather than fluffy or cake-like.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chewy, not cakey: Removing excess pumpkin moisture changes the texture in exactly the right direction.
- Real pumpkin flavor: Concentrating the puree gives you pumpkin flavor without making the dough loose.
- Simple fall finish: Pumpkin-spice sugar gives each cookie a delicate crunch and a pretty crackled surface.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze the baked cookies or the shaped, sugar-coated dough balls for later.
Recipe At-a-Glance
- Flavor: Buttery brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and warm baking spices
- Texture: Crisp-set edges with soft, dense, chewy centers
- Difficulty: Easy, with one moisture-removal step that matters
- Prep: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling
- Bake: 12-14 minutes per batch at 350°F
- Yield: 18 cookies
- Best occasions: Fall baking, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dessert trays, and cookie exchanges
A Modern Fall Cookie With a Better Texture
Pumpkin cookies are a modern American fall favorite, but pumpkin puree naturally carries much more water than the ingredients in a standard drop cookie. That is why many pumpkin cookies turn out soft and puffy. Blotting the puree, using only egg yolks, and chilling the dough bring this version closer to the satisfying chew of a classic sugar cookie.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice: These make the crackly coating.
- Salted butter: Softened butter creams smoothly with the brown sugar.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture, caramel notes, and chew.
- Egg yolks: Add richness and binding without the extra water in egg whites.
- Vanilla bean paste: Gives the dough a rounder vanilla flavor; extract also works.
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain canned pumpkin, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon it into the cup and level it rather than packing it down.
- Baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt: Balance spread, lift, and flavor.
Shop the Main Ingredients
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Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps
Pumpkin puree: Start with ½ cup and blot until the thick pumpkin measures about ¼ cup. That final concentrated amount is the useful target because canned pumpkin varies in moisture.
Vanilla: Substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste. For another way to use the paste, try my Pumpkin Streusel Muffins with Vanilla Bean Glaze.
Butter: Unsalted butter is fine; add an extra pinch of kosher salt to the dough.
Pumpkin pie spice: A store-bought blend works well. A homemade blend should contain cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Tools That Make It Easier
I use mixing bowls, an electric hand mixer, a whisk, two large baking sheets, parchment paper, a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, and a wire cooling rack when I make these cookies.
Helpful Baking Tools
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Buy Now → How to Make Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
1. Blot the pumpkin. Spread the puree on a plate and press it repeatedly with fresh paper towels until it is thick, concentrated, and measures about ¼ cup. If it still looks glossy or loose, keep blotting.
2. Mix the dry ingredients and spiced sugar. Whisk the flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt in one bowl. In a shallow bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the remaining ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
3. Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is creamy and noticeably lighter. This short creaming step helps the cookies spread evenly without making them airy.
4. Add the yolks, vanilla, and pumpkin. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth, then mix in the blotted pumpkin on low speed until the color is even.
5. Finish and chill the dough. Mix in the dry ingredients on low only until no visible flour remains. Cover the soft dough and refrigerate it for 30 minutes so it is easier to roll and less likely to spread too far.
6. Shape and coat. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chilled dough per cookie, roll each portion smooth, and coat it completely in the spiced sugar. Place the balls at least 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
7. Bake and cool. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers remain puffed and soft. Rest the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack for at least 15 minutes so the centers can finish setting.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Judge the pumpkin by both texture and volume. It should look thick and matte, and the blotted amount should be close to ¼ cup.
- Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Extra mixing builds gluten and can make the cookies tougher.
- Keep portions consistent. Two tablespoons per cookie gives the tested yield and bake time.
- Choose your edge texture. Pull the cookies closer to 12 minutes for the softest chew or 14 minutes for firmer edges.
A Few Easy Mistakes to Avoid
Cakey cookies: The pumpkin was probably not blotted enough. Remove moisture until the puree is thick and reduced by about half.
Cookies that spread too much: The butter may have been overly warm, the pumpkin too wet, or the dough not fully chilled. Use softened-not melted-butter and give the dough the full 30 minutes.
Dry or firm centers: The flour may have been packed into the cup or the cookies baked too long. Spoon and level the flour, then begin checking at 12 minutes.
A Few Things That Make These Cookies Better
The combination of concentrated pumpkin, brown sugar, and egg yolks is what makes the texture work. Brown sugar supplies chew, yolks bring richness without the extra water of whites, and the chilled dough holds its shape long enough for the edges to set before the centers dry out.
The spiced-sugar coating is doing more than decorating the top. It gives the first bite a faint crunch and distributes the pumpkin spice where your nose catches it immediately.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They can also be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 1 week; bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Can you freeze baked pumpkin cookies? Yes. Freeze completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, then thaw them at room temperature.
Can You Make Them Ahead?
You can make the dough ahead by shaping and coating the cookie balls, freezing them on a baking sheet until firm, and transferring them to a freezer-safe container. Bake directly from frozen for up to 2 months, adding a few extra minutes as needed.
What to Serve with Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
For a cozy fall dessert spread, serve these cookies with Easy Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, or a sliced loaf of Amish Pumpkin Bread. Add coffee, hot tea, cold milk, or warm apple cider and call it a very good afternoon.
Easy Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
Easy One-Bowl Amish Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my pumpkin cookies cakey?
Excess moisture in pumpkin puree makes cookies puffier and more cake-like. Blot the measured ½ cup repeatedly until it becomes thick and concentrated and measures approximately ¼ cup.
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree?
The tested recipe specifies canned pumpkin puree, which is generally more consistent. Fresh puree varies widely in moisture, so using it would require careful draining and is best treated as an untested substitution.
Can I skip chilling the dough?
The 30-minute chill helps the soft dough firm up for rolling and controls spread in the oven. Skipping it can change both the shape and texture.
How do I know when the cookies are done?
The edges should look set while the centers remain puffed and soft. Bake closer to 12 minutes for softer cookies and toward 14 minutes for firmer edges, then let them finish setting on the hot pan.
Can I use vanilla extract instead?
Yes. Replace the vanilla bean paste with an equal amount-2 teaspoons-of vanilla extract.
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Recipe
PrintSoft and Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Soft, buttery pumpkin spice cookies with chewy centers and a crackly spiced-sugar coating. Blotting the pumpkin keeps them tender without turning cakey.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes per batch
- Total Time: About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Spiced Sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin Cookies
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spoon the pumpkin puree onto a plate and spread it into an even layer.
- Press clean paper towels over the pumpkin to absorb excess moisture. Repeat with fresh paper towels several times, until the pumpkin becomes thick and concentrated and measures approximately ¼ cup.
- Whisk the flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt together in a medium bowl.
- Combine the granulated sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in a shallow bowl.
Make the Dough
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes, until creamy and noticeably lighter.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste. Continue mixing until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Beat in the prepared pumpkin on low speed until evenly incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until a soft dough forms and no visible flour remains.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Shape
- Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of chilled dough for each cookie.
- Roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Roll the dough balls in the spiced sugar until completely coated.
- Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each cookie.
Bake
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers remain puffed and soft.
- Bake closer to 12 minutes for softer, chewier cookies. Extend the baking time toward 14 minutes for firmer edges.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pumpkin moisture: Thoroughly blotting the pumpkin is important because excess moisture can give the cookies a cakier texture and cause them to spread or bake differently.
- Vanilla: Substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste if desired.
- Butter: Unsalted butter may be used. Add an extra pinch of kosher salt to the dough to compensate.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Store-bought pumpkin pie spice works well, or use a homemade blend containing cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Serving: Serve with coffee, hot tea, cold milk, or warm apple cider.
- Storage: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerating: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. Bring the cookies to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezing baked cookies: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freezing cookie dough: Form and coat the cookie dough balls, freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months and bake directly from frozen, allowing a few additional minutes as needed.
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