Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

Okay, so I’ve been making these pumpkin cookies for like three years now, and I’m pretty sure they’re the reason my neighbors still talk to me. Seriously. Last fall, I brought a batch to the block party and people were literally asking for the recipe before they’d even finished chewing.

Here’s the thing though – I totally messed these up the first two times I tried making them. The first batch came out hard as rocks (my kids used them as hockey pucks, I’m not kidding), and the second time I somehow managed to make them taste like cardboard with a hint of sadness. But third time’s the charm, right?

The Story Behind These Pumpkin Cookies :

I think I originally found this recipe on Pinterest… or maybe it was from my sister-in-law? Honestly, I’ve tweaked it so much over the years that it’s basically become my own thing. My 8-year-old calls them “the orange cookies” because apparently “pumpkin” is too fancy for her vocabulary.

The cinnamon frosting was actually a happy accident. I was supposed to make cream cheese frosting but realized I was out of cream cheese (story of my life), so I just threw some cinnamon into regular buttercream. Best mistake ever.

What You’ll Need :

Shopping tip: Don’t buy the fancy pumpkin puree. The regular Libby’s stuff works perfectly fine, and it’s like half the price.

For the cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (don’t skip this – it makes a difference)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (I use salted because that’s what I always have)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling – learned that one the hard way)

For the cinnamon frosting:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Pro tip: Get the butter out like an hour before you start. Room temperature butter is crucial, and microwaving it just makes everything weird and oily.

Let’s Make These Cookies :

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. I always forget this step and then stand around impatiently waiting for my oven to heat up while my cookie dough sits there judging me.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set it aside. This is the boring part, but don’t skip it because evenly mixed spices matter.

Step 3: In a large bowl (and I mean large – trust me on this), cream together the softened butter and both sugars until it’s fluffy. This takes about 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer. Your arm will get tired if you do it by hand, but hey, extra workout points.

Step 4: Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Then add the pumpkin puree. The mixture will look kind of orange and weird at this point. That’s normal.

Step 5: Gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix it or you’ll end up with tough cookies. I learned this from my great-aunt who was basically a baking wizard.

Step 6: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. They spread a little, but not too much.

Step 7: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the centers look set but still soft. They should NOT be brown on top. If they’re brown, you’ve gone too far. They’ll keep cooking a bit on the hot pan after you take them out.

Step 8: Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. This is where patience is key. I know you want to eat them immediately (I’ve burned my tongue more times than I can count), but let them cool completely before frosting.

The Cinnamon Frosting Magic :

This frosting is stupid easy, which is perfect because by the time I get to this step, I’m usually tired and slightly covered in flour.

Beat the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time – and here’s where I always make a mess because I forget to start the mixer on low speed. Learn from my mistakes.

Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until smooth and spreadable. If it’s too thick, add more milk a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. It’s pretty forgiving.

Assembly Time :

Once the cookies are completely cool (I cannot stress this enough – warm cookies will melt the frosting and you’ll have a sad, drippy mess), spread or pipe the frosting on top. I usually just use a butter knife because I’m not fancy, but you can totally use a piping bag if you want them to look all professional.

What I’ve Learned Along the Way :

These cookies are best eaten within 2-3 days, but honestly, they never last that long in my house. Store them in an airtight container – I use an old Tupperware that’s probably older than my marriage.

Don’t refrigerate them unless it’s super hot in your kitchen. The frosting gets weird and hard when it’s cold.

If you want to freeze them, freeze the unfrosted cookies and make the frosting fresh when you’re ready to serve them. Frozen frosted cookies are… not great.

Random tip: My neighbor Sarah swears by adding a tiny bit of maple syrup to the frosting, and I have to admit, it’s pretty good. Just replace half the vanilla with maple syrup.

The Real Talk :

Look, these aren’t going to win any beauty contests. They’re soft, homey cookies that taste like fall in the best possible way. My kids fight over the last one, my husband hides them from me (unsuccessfully), and I’ve definitely eaten way too many while standing in the kitchen “checking if they taste right.”

The best part? They make your house smell incredible. Like, candle-companies-should-bottle-this-scent incredible.

Final Thoughts :

This recipe makes about 30 cookies, depending on how big you make them. I usually get 28 because I always eat some of the dough (don’t judge me).

They’re perfect for fall potlucks, bake sales, or just because it’s Tuesday and you need something sweet in your life. Plus, they’re way easier than making pumpkin pie and infinitely more portable.

Seriously, try these and let me know how yours turn out! And if you have any tricks for making them even better, I’m all ears because I’m always looking for ways to improve my cookie game.

Happy baking! (And may your frosting be smooth and your cookies be soft!)