These pumpkin spice cookies capture everything we love about cool, crisp fall in one perfect bite.
Soft, chewy, and packed with real pumpkin and warming spices, they’re the kind of cookies that disappear from the counter almost as fast as you can make them.
The secret is using actual pumpkin puree, which keeps them incredibly moist while adding that subtle earthy sweetness.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These aren’t your typical dry, cake-like pumpkin cookies. The texture hits that sweet spot between soft and chewy, with edges that have just the right amount of bite.
The spice blend is perfectly balanced with warm cinnamon and nutmeg without being overpowering. In other words, you can actually taste the pumpkin, not just the spices.
They stay fresh for days (if they last that long), making them perfect for meal prep or sending in lunch boxes. Plus, they fill your kitchen with the most incredible fall aroma while baking!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer.
Beat in the egg, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until well combined. The mixture might look slightly curdled – that’s normal.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Don’t overmix.
In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the coating.
Scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.
Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. Don’t overbake – they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Pro tip: For extra soft cookies, slightly underbake them and let the residual heat from the pan finish the job. They’ll stay perfectly chewy this way.
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Pumpkin Spice Cookies
These soft and chewy pumpkin spice cookies are made with real pumpkin puree and a perfect blend of warm fall spices. Each cookie gets rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking, creating a lightly sweet coating that complements the moist, tender interior!
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Beat in the egg, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until well combined. The mixture might look slightly curdled – that’s normal.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the coating.
- Scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.
- Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. Don’t overbake – they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
