The second that crisp fall breeze hits, you know it’s pumpkin spice season. These pumpkin spice cookies are your cozy-in-a-bite moment: soft, spiced, and just the right amount of sweet. I know life gets busy, so I’ve made this recipe simple, with day-by-day steps to make baking relaxing instead of rushed. You deserve a cozy treat at the end of a long day, and these cookies are the perfect way to slow down and savor the season.
I love pumpkin spice and everything nice when fall comes around!!! If you're new to baking, this is a great recipe to start with and no need to worry about refrigeration when you want to bring to a get together.
Want more pumpkin spice recipes? Try this pumpkin spice cake, perfect for get-togethers. Need a perfect pairing for the cookies? I have the perfect tiramisu latte recipe for you!
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🩵Ease Level & Flavor Profile
- Ease level: This recipe is beginner-friendly and stress-free. No mixer, no fancy tools, and minimal prep.
- Flavor profile: Warm, cozy, and lightly spiced. These soft cookies balance sweet brown sugar with earthy pumpkin and a gentle cinnamon warmth.
- Amount Of Dishes: Cleanup is quick. Just two bowls and one spatula to wash!
⭐Reader Spotlight
This is a special spot for those that make the recipe and send me the images so I can place it here :)
🥣Main Ingredients
Ingredient picture for Pumpkin Spice Cookies to be added in the future :)
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and a buttery flavor while helping the cookies stay soft and chewy. Using unsalted butter helps us to control the salt levels.
- All-purpose flour: The main structure of the cookie that holds everything together.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds that cozy, classic pumpkin spice warmth and aroma.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread just a little and gives a light, soft texture.
- Baking powder: Works with baking soda to give extra lift and make the cookies fluffier instead of flat.
- Fine sea salt: Balances the sweetness and deepens all the flavors.
- Light brown sugar: Sweetens the cookies while adding moisture and a subtle caramel note from the molasses.
- Canned pumpkin puree: The star ingredient! It gives the cookies their signature pumpkin flavor, soft texture, and that beautiful orange hue.
See recipe card below for ingredient measurements! This is for those that want a more in-depth idea of what each ingredient is and what they do. ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
✨Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Gather Ingredients & Tools
Double-check you have all ingredients. Measure them all out. Set up your tools.
Step 2: Soften Butter
Put the cold unsalted butter in a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 10 second bursts until it’s half melted / softened (soft edges but still a little solid in the middle).
Tip: Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan over low heat and let cool slightly. You want it soft, not piping hot.
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
Use a rubber spatula to mix until smooth and evenly combined.
Pro Tip: Scrap the sides. Remember to scrape the bowl so no pockets of butter remain!
Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate small bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly blended.
Add the dry mixture to the wet pumpkin-butter mixture. Fold gently with the spatula until no streaks of flour remain — stop once evenly mixed. Don’t overmix.
Step 5: Portion Dough
Use a 1.5 oz ice-cream scoop (about 3 tbsp) to portion the dough into balls. Place them close together on a parchment- or plastic-lined tray (they’ll be chilled, not baked yet).
Cover the tray tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. For best flavor and texture, you can chill up to 24 hours.
Step 6: Bake Pumpkin Cookies
When you’re ready to bake, preheat to 350°F (177°C) no fan, or 325°F (163°C) with convection/fan.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove chilled dough balls from the fridge and place them on the prepared sheet, spacing about 3 inches (7–8 cm) apart to allow for gentle spreading.
Bake for 12–16 minutes, depending on your preferred texture
Move cookies to a wire rack to cool completely (or at least 10 minutes) to finish setting. If you don’t have a wire rack, cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
Enjoy warm, or store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
🔄Substitutions/Variations
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't Want to switch it up? Here are some variations and substitutions you can try✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ ):
- Chocolate Chips: Fold in ½ cup of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips before chilling the dough to make them chocolate chip pumpkin spice cookies.
- Coconut: Add ¼ cup shredded coconut and a pinch of nutmeg for a tropical-fall fusion. Coconut pumpkin cookies sound delicious!
Enjoy! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ Please tag @sparklecakerie if you make this! I’d love to see and share your creations ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡⋆˚✿˖°
🔍Common Questions
That can happen if there’s a bit too much flour or pumpkin puree. There's a balance! For accurate results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, you can also try blotting excess moisture from the pumpkin puree with a paper towel before mixing.
Pumpkin puree is just cooked and blended pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling however, has added sweeteners and spices. DO NOT use pumpkin pie filling for this pumpkin cookie recipe!
‼️Pro Tips
Here are some tips I learned from mistakes I made so you can make this recipe perfectly!
- Too cakey? You may have added extra flour. Weigh flour for accuracy.
- Spreading too much? Chill dough longer so the butter firms up.
- Want deeper spice? Swap 1 teaspoon cinnamon for 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
- No microwave? Gently soften butter in a small saucepan, then let cool slightly before mixing.
🔪Tools
- Heat-safe mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale)
- Ice cream scoop (1.5 oz or about 3 tbsp)
- Parchment paper or plastic wrap
- Baking sheet or tray
- Wire rack
- Microwave (or small saucepan)
🍪How To Store/Freeze
- At Room Temperature:
Store cooled pumpkin spice cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy. Add a small piece of bread or a slice of apple to the container to help keep them moist. - In the Fridge:
Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The cookies will firm up a bit when chilled so to restore their softness, try microwaving one for 5–8 seconds before eating or leaving at room temperature for about 10 minutes. - In the Freezer
- Baked Cookies:
Freeze in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying. You can also give them a quick toast to refresh them when thawed. - Unbaked Dough:
Freeze pre-scooped dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. Bake straight from frozen at 300-325°F for about 14-15 minutes or until your preferred texture. You’ll get fresh, bakery-soft cookies anytime you crave them!
- Baked Cookies:
⏲️Overwhelmed? Make Ahead!
Do you feel overwhelmed or have a busy schedule but still want to make this Pumpkin Cookies recipe?! Here is a general idea of the work flow I would do as a professionally trained baker (with a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts) and years of experience in NYC bakeries to help you have more fun!⬇٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
(Spoiler (ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ.ﾟ: most bakes in professional kitchens/bakeries are broken down into steps for efficiency. We usually aren't measuring, mixing, baking EVERYTHING on the same day. Some components are prepped beforehand so don't feel bad if you feel like you aren't accomplishing what you'd like to in your baking journey, you just haven't figured out the right system yet! Let me help you with that~⋆˙♡)
You can combine any of the work days to suit your timeline. The idea is you really don't have to make everything in ONE DAY! My recipe card below is written in a way to make and bake this in one day for recipe structuring purposes (as well as reading or printing) but if I were to break up the baking steps for this recipe, this is what I would do:
ˏˋ ★ Day By Day Baking Steps For Pumpkin Spice Cookies★ ˎˊ˗
Day 1: Prep Ingredients & Tools
- Double-check you have all ingredients. Measure them all out. Set up your tools.
Day 2: Make Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- Mix dough: Follow the recipe steps up to scooping the dough.
- Scoop Dough: Place the scooped cookie dough balls on a lined tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container.
- Chill: Chill dough balls until solid or chill the dough for up to 24 hours to deepen the flavor and improve texture.
Day 3: Bake & Enjoy
- Preheat your oven (350°F or 325°F with a fan).
- Bake straight from the fridge: No need to bring to room temp.
- Cool and store: Let cookies rest on a wire rack, then enjoy fresh or store as described above.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ woohoo, you did it!!! ٩>ᴗ<)و I hope this was fun and it helped you become a more confident baker ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
For an easy Pumpkin Spice Latte inspired cookie, I wrote one for my friend, Kat Lieu's blog (where I regularly write recipes for) that you can also try next time! It uses this same pumpkin cookie base recipe with a deliciously creamy, sweet mascarpone topping.
💕More Recipes You’ll Love
If you love fall baking, try these recipes next!
📘Recipe
Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 113 grams unsalted butter cold
Wet Ingredients
- 120 grams light brown sugar
- 80 grams canned pumpkin puree
Dry Ingredients
- 160 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Prep Butter
- Soften Butter: In a heat safe bowl, microwave 113 grams unsalted butter until half melted or softened.
Mix Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough
- Mix Wet: Into the softened butter bowl, add in 120 grams light brown sugar, 80 grams canned pumpkin puree, and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Mix Dry: In a separate small bowl, stir together 160 grams all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin butter mixture until no streaks of wet or dry spots remain. Don't overmix.
Scoop Dough
- Portion Cookie Dough: Scoop the dough with a 1.5 oz ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoon each) onto a parchment- or plastic-lined tray, placing them close together. Chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the mixture is firm.
Bake
- Preheat Oven: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (without a fan) or 325°F (with a fan).
- Bake: Transfer the chilled cookie dough balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the cookies are to your preferred texture. Move cookies to a wire rack to cool.
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