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Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin cookies with cake-like soft centers made from a soft, sticky drop dough. Baked at 350°F and finished with a quick powdered sugar glaze dusted with pumpkin pie spice for an easy, cozy fall cookie.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 128
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For glaze
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, then line baking sheets with parchment so the cookies release easily after baking.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
Make the cookie dough
  1. Beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
  2. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated; the dough should be soft and sticky.
Bake and glaze
  1. Drop dough by 2-tablespoon rounds onto the prepared sheets with space between each cookie.
  2. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350°F until the edges look set and the centers no longer look wet.
  3. Cool completely before glazing to keep the glaze from melting off.
  4. Stir powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon for the glaze until smooth, then drizzle over cooled cookies.
  5. Dust the glazed cookies with pumpkin pie spice for a visible speckled finish.

Notes

Pro tip: keep a steady 2-tablespoon scoop so the cookies bake evenly—if the dough gets too sticky, chill it briefly for easier portioning (10–15 minutes). Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked cookies (glazed or unglazed) up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a plant-based butter substitute and use unsweetened plant milk in the glaze.