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Home » Recipes » Cookies

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Published: Sep 1, 2020 · Modified: Nov 10, 2020 by Kate Hackworthy · 11 Comments

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Pinnable image for Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Pinnable image for Iced Pumpkin Cookies

These soft Iced Pumpkin Cookies are easy to make and absolutely delicious! The soft cake-like pumpkin cookies have warming spices and are drizzled in a tasty vanilla icing. A great fall dessert or for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Iced pumpkin cookies on a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Cookies

These soft spiced pumpkin cookies are absolutely delicious!

Not crumbly or crunchy, they're instead beautifully moist and soft. Even slightly cake-like.

You can make them with canned pumpkin or use up a carving pumpkin (or squash) to make the puree.

I love iced cookies, so this one has a lovely fragrant vanilla icing drizzled over them.

This recipe was originally published on 7 November 2019. Republished 1 September 2020 with extra images and updated text.

Cooling rack with pumpkin cookies drizzled with icing to look like Halloween mummies with candy eyes.

I love making these for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween!

To make them into Halloween Mummy Cookies, all you have to do is add candy eyes. BOO! Perfect for Halloween.

Why you'll love this recipe

Why is this my ultimate Pumpkin Cookie Recipe? That's easy! They're:

Quick

Easy

Delicately spiced

Soft

Iced

Perfect for fall

Uses canned or fresh pumpkin

And hey, they're a vegetable dessert. That pumpkin not only adds some extra goodness, but it makes them moist, soft and orange coloured. Perfect with pumpkin pie spices. 

An iced pumpkin cookie on a white plate on a patterned napkin.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I absolutely adore pumpkin spices.

This mix of cinnamon, ginger and other warming spices is just utterly delicious and screams 'It's fall!'

The spices in this cookie recipe smell absolutely divine as they permeate the air while they cook.

Mix in some pumpkin puree and this recipe is the ultimate pumpkin recipe! Perfect with pumpkin pie spice.

And they are sooooo soft. Like perfect soft bakery cookies. You'll love them, I'm sure.

Overhead shot of soft iced pumpkin cookies with vanilla frosting drizzled on them.

Ingredients

You only need simple ingredients for these soft, tender and delicious iced pumpkin cookies.

Pumpkin - use canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just the plain one) or puree cooked pumpkin flesh to make your own pumpkin puree.

Sugar - I just use granulated white sugar, but brown works too.

Egg - I use medium free range eggs.

Butter - or margarine.

Cream - heavy cream or double cream

All-purpose flour - aka plain flour

Baking powder

Vanilla extract

Spices - ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice

Powdered icing sugar - for the vanilla drizzle.

Pumpkin Recipes

Looking for more pumpkin recipes after making these iced pumpkin cookies? Try these!

Check out my roundup of the Best Vegetarian Pumpkin Recipes.
Pumpkin mincemeat (fruity filling for mince pies)
Quick Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Bark
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Pumpkin Spice Latte

Bakery Style Cookies

Do you love bakery style cookies as much as I do? They're thick, soft and almost cake-like. Bakeries do them so well, but now you can too with this easy recipe!

There are lots of bakery bakes that I wouldn't attempt to make at home, but this one is so easy.

It's sure to be your go-to iced pumpkin cookie recipe!

A cooling rack with soft iced pumpkin cookies drizzled with vanilla icing.

Step by step tutorial

This is a simple recipe! Just follow these step by step pictures and you'll have perfect, soft, iced pumpkin cookies.

Batter for pumpkin cookies in a stand mixer.
Preheat the oven to 175C / 350° F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

Beat the sugar and butter until blended, then add the pumpkin, egg, cream and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Collage showing sifting dry ingredients into a bowl, mixing it and cookies on a cookie sheet.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and soda and stir gently to combine.

Spoon tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and spread out slightly with the back of the spoon. Leave space between these cookies as they rise, spread and puff up.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges firm up and begin to turn golden. Allow to cool on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Soft iced pumpkin cookies being drizzled with vanilla icing.

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📖 Recipe

Overhead shot of soft iced pumpkin cookies with vanilla frosting drizzled on them. On a cooling rack.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
These soft Iced Pumpkin Cookies are easy to make and absolutely delicious! The soft cake-like pumpkin cookies have warming spices and are drizzled in a tasty vanilla icing. A great fall dessert for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Add candy eyes to turn them into Halloween Mummy Cookies.
5 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 15
Calories 161 kcal

Equipment

  • mixing bowl
  • Fine Mesh Strainer
  • Cookie sheet

Ingredients
 

  • ¾ cups (170g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (55g) butter, softened
  • ½ cup (140g) canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tablespoon heavy cream(double cream)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Vanilla Icing

  • ½ cup (100g) powdered icing sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (double cream)
  • 1 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F (175C). Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until blended, then add the pumpkin, egg, cream and vanilla and beat until smooth.
  • Sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and soda and stir gently to combine.
  • Spoon tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and spread out slightly with the back of the spoon. Leave space between these cookies as they rise, spread and puff up.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges firm up and begin to turn golden. Allow to cool on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing all ingredients together. If necessary to get a thick drizzling consistency, add a little more water or icing sugar.
  • Drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 25.65gProtein: 2.06gFat: 5.74gSaturated Fat: 3.46gCholesterol: 27.27mgSodium: 73.31mgPotassium: 52.2mgFiber: 0.65gSugar: 14.28gVitamin A: 1469.56IUVitamin C: 0.34mgCalcium: 16.43mgIron: 0.81mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

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Comments

    5 from 12 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Angela

    September 04, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    I was wondering if I made some now to freeze (and decorate later) if it would be okay? By the end of October our weather here in S Australia gets a bit too hot to put the oven on. Spoils everything when it gets too hot and you can't get in the mood. I was brought up in England when the fun things like Bonfire Night and Christmas are celebrated in the winter - but we didn't celebrate Halloween then. I'm glad that the tradition has been revived - such fun : )

    Reply
  2. Shelley

    September 02, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    Oh, Kate, these are just absolutely darling for Halloween with the little candy eyes - I love that idea! But I agree that they'll be delicious all throughout the fall and into the holiday season, too! In fact, a dear friend of mine who makes hundreds upon hundreds of cookies for Christmas gifts every year, includes an old-fashioned pumpkin cookie that's her very favorite - for sure, pumpkin is even great at Christmastime, as well!
    (And now I've found a wonderful a pumpkin cookie recipe for the holidays, too! Thanks!!)

    Reply
  3. Jacqueline Meldrum

    September 02, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Oh tasty and perfect for handing out to the kids at Halloween.

    Reply
  4. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

    September 02, 2020 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are perfect for Fall! They sound so delicious, definitely going to whip up a batch with the kids!

    Reply
  5. Gina

    September 02, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    5 stars
    These are the perfect fall treat, love making a batch during the Halloween rush!

    Reply
  6. Christian Guzman

    September 02, 2020 at 11:38 am

    5 stars
    These are my favorite spiced cookies! I used canned pumpkin and they were so quick and easy to make. I ate several of them right out of the oven because who can resist the scent of warm cinnamon and ginger in the air?! Yum!

    Reply
  7. Anita

    December 07, 2019 at 7:08 pm

    5 stars
    These pumpkin cookies are so good. They are good even without icing if you prefer less sweet cookies. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Alison

    November 10, 2019 at 6:36 pm

    5 stars
    I love a soft moist cookie and this one does not disappoint. The pumpkin flavor really brings out the best of the seasonal flavors. Tastes great with a pumpkin latte!

    Reply
  9. Andrea Metlika

    November 07, 2019 at 6:58 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies sound scrumptious. I too love the flavors and pumpkin spice and I cannot wait to try these.

    Reply
  10. Kelly Anthony

    November 07, 2019 at 6:42 pm

    5 stars
    I love how the drizzle on top of these cookies adds some decorations and the perfect amount of sweetness to these moist cookies.

    Reply
  11. Beth

    November 07, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    I will certainly need a large batch of these soft cookies! All the pumpkin recipes need to get in my belly!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. Here you'll find vegetarian recipes and vegan recipes celebrating vegetables, from dinner to dessert! If you love vegetables, you've come to the right place. About Me

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