Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

Fluffy, spiced, and perfectly cozy!

These Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting are the ultimate fall treat — tender, cake-like cookies filled with pumpkin flavor and cozy spices, topped with a smooth cinnamon frosting that melts in your mouth. 🍂 They’re light, fluffy, and just sweet enough to pair beautifully with your morning coffee or a warm mug of cider. This easy healthy recipe also makes a perfect fall dessert idea for family gatherings, bake sales, or cozy weekend baking. Every bite tastes like a little piece of autumn happiness.

⏱️ Time Breakdown

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Cool Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

📝 Ingredients List

Pumpkin Cookies

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

Cinnamon Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2–3 tbsp milk (as needed for consistency)

✨ Kitchen Tools You’ll Need

This recipe doesn’t require fancy gadgets, just a few reliable kitchen basics to keep everything simple and stress-free.

• Mixing bowls (medium and large)
• Hand or stand mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
• Cooling rack
• Spatula or offset knife for frosting

🍪 Step-by-Step Beginner-Friendly Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin purée; mix until smooth. 🎃
4. Combine mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined — don’t overmix!
5. Scoop dough: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each.
6. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the cookies are set and slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.
7. Make the frosting: Beat butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla together until fluffy. Add milk gradually until smooth and spreadable.
8. Frost cooled cookies generously and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon for that perfect fall touch. ✨

💡 Pro Tips

• Pure Pumpkin Only: Avoid pumpkin pie mix — it’s too sweet and spiced already.
• Make It Dairy-Free: Use vegan butter and dairy-free milk for an easy swap.
• Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Make Ahead: Unfrosted cookies freeze well for up to 2 months — frost before serving for a fresh-baked look.

📊 Nutrition Table

Conclusion

These Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting are pure autumn comfort — pillowy soft, perfectly spiced, and topped with the most deliciously creamy cinnamon frosting. Whether you’re baking them for a family gathering, a fall bake sale, or just to fill your home with that cozy pumpkin spice aroma, these cookies deliver every time. Simple to make, impossible to resist — they’re the sweet taste of fall in every bite.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

These fluffy pumpkin cookies topped with smooth cinnamon frosting are the perfect fall treat, light and tender with a cozy spice flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the Pumpkin Cookies

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.25 tsp ground cloves
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter (softened) at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

For the Cinnamon Frosting

• 0.5 cup unsalted butter (softened) at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp milk (as needed for consistency)

Instructions

 

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin purée; mix until smooth.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined — don’t overmix!
• Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each.

Baking

• Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the cookies are set and slightly golden around the edges.
• Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.

Frosting

• Beat butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla together until fluffy.
• Add milk gradually until smooth and spreadable.
• Frost cooled cookies generously and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon for that perfect fall touch.

Notes

Avoid using pumpkin pie mix as it is too sweet. For a dairy-free option, substitute with vegan butter and dairy-free milk. Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Unfrosted cookies can freeze well for up to 2 months, frost before serving.

Keyword Baking, Cinnamon Frosting, Comfort Food, Fall Recipe, Pumpkin Cookies