If you’re on the hunt for a delightful autumn treat, this Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe will quickly become your go-to. I absolutely love how these cookies come out—soft, chewy, and packed with that warm pumpkin spice flavor that just feels like a cozy hug in every bite. When I first tried this recipe, I was amazed at how simple it was to make yet so full of fall magic. Stick with me here because I’ll share tips and tricks you’ll appreciate to nail these cookies perfectly every time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Fall Flavor: The blend of pumpkin spice and cinnamon hits just the right cozy note every time.
- Soft, Chewy Texture: These cookies maintain a tender center with just crisp edges — my family goes crazy for it!
- Simple Ingredients: No pumpkin puree here, just pantry staples that make prep a breeze.
- Customizable Coating: Rolling the dough in a pumpkin spice sugar mix adds an irresistible crunch and spice hit.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients in this Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe are straightforward, yet each one plays a special role. The brown sugar gives incredible moisture, while the pumpkin spice mix is the real star for aroma and flavor. When you shop, try to pick fresh spices for maximum punch.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the saltiness in the dough perfectly.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a caramel-like depth that keeps cookies chewy.
- Pumpkin spice: The essential combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger that defines fall.
- Ground cinnamon: A pinch more cinnamon boosts warmth and complements the pumpkin spice.
- Egg + egg yolk: The extra yolk helps achieve a richer, more tender texture.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors and adds subtle sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of your cookie—make sure it’s measured properly to avoid dryness.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookie a light lift and slight spread.
- Cream of tartar: Helps with the texture and keeps these cookies soft inside.
- Table salt: Balances the sweetness and heightens the spice flavors.
- Granulated sugar (for rolling): Adds crunch and a pretty finish.
- Extra pumpkin spice (for rolling): Sprinkled on top to punch up that signature flavor.
Variations
I love how versatile this Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe is — you can easily switch things up depending on what you and your loved ones enjoy most. Don’t hesitate to experiment with add-ins or tweaks for diet preferences; the base dough is forgiving and adaptable.
- Add-ins: My personal favorite is folding in white chocolate chips or chopped pecans to add extra texture and sweetness.
- Dietary modifications: For a gluten-free option, try a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. Just watch your baking time closely as it can vary.
- Spice variations: If pumpkin spice isn’t your thing, swap it out for chai spice or just cinnamon and nutmeg for a simpler warm cookie.
- Texture twists: For a bit crispier cookie, flatten the dough balls slightly before baking.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars
Start by combining softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat them together until you get a smooth, well-creamed mixture. This step is crucial — it helps create that tender crumb you’ll love in every bite. I make sure my butter is room temperature but not melted to get the perfect creaminess.
Step 2: Add Eggs and Vanilla
Next, stir in one whole egg and one yolk along with vanilla extract. Keep the mixer on low speed and scrape down the sides every so often to fully incorporate everything. This adds richness and moisture, which really elevates the cookie texture, as I learned after my first few batches turned out a bit dry.
Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients Separately
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. This step ensures even distribution of the leaveners and salt so you get consistent flavor and rise throughout your dough.
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients using the mixer on low speed, doing this in a few parts. Scrape the bowl often to make sure everything gets combined without overmixing — that’s key to keeping these cookies tender. Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. I sometimes skip this, but chilling makes the dough easier to handle and helps control spreading during baking.
Step 5: Prepare the Spiced Sugar Coating
While the dough chills, whisk together granulated sugar and pumpkin spice in a small bowl. Rolling the cookie dough in this mixture right before baking adds a lovely glassy crunch and layers on big pumpkin spice flavor — a trick I discovered after a few batches! It’s an easy way to make each bite a little extra special.
Step 6: Shape and Coat the Dough Balls
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it into balls about 1 ½ tablespoons each (I use a cookie scoop to make these uniform). Then roll each ball in the spiced sugar mixture until fully coated. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets spaced at least 2 inches apart — this spacing helps keep their shape while baking.
Step 7: Bake and Cool
Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 8-10 minutes. You’ll want to watch for the edges to set while leaving the centers slightly underbaked — that’s what ensures a soft, chewy finish. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring or enjoying. My family literally races to the kitchen at this stage!
Pro Tips for Making Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
- Butter Temperature: Using butter that’s too cold or melted will affect creaming; soften it to room temp for best results.
- Chill the Dough: I learned chilling helps prevent spreading and makes the cookies easier to roll with the sugar coating.
- Watch Baking Time Closely: Remove cookies just as edges set — the centers continue to cook slightly off the heat for perfect chewiness.
- Even Size Matters: Using a cookie scoop ensures consistent baking and uniform cookies every time.
How to Serve Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I like to keep things simple here — a light dusting of powdered sugar over cooled cookies can add a sweet, wintry touch. For a fun twist, a drizzle of white chocolate or a sprinkle of chopped toasted pecans adds texture and visual appeal when I’m serving guests.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair beautifully with a warm cup of chai tea, coffee, or a glass of cold milk — my family always loves dunking them. Around the holidays, I like to serve them alongside pumpkin or butternut squash soup for a cozy meal.
Creative Ways to Present
When hosting cookie exchanges, I arrange these on festive platters with autumn leaves or small pumpkins as decor. Wrapping a few in cellophane tied with twine makes a lovely homemade gift that friends and neighbors always appreciate.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once fully cooled, I store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh and chewy for up to 5 days, though typically they disappear sooner around my house! If you like them softer after a day, adding a slice of bread to the container keeps moisture in.
Freezing
I’ve had great success freezing these cookies. Just pop cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment paper. They freeze well for up to 3 months and thaw gracefully at room temperature — perfect for making batches ahead during busy seasons.
Reheating
To refresh flavors and soften frozen cookies, I warm them in a low oven (around 300°F) for 5-7 minutes, or microwave them for 10-15 seconds. This small step really revives their fresh-baked delight and melts the sugar coating slightly.
FAQs
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Can I use pumpkin puree in this Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe?
This recipe doesn’t call for pumpkin puree because the pumpkin spice blend does all the flavor work, keeping the dough firm and chewy. Adding pumpkin puree changes moisture content and could make the dough too wet, so if you want pumpkin puree cookies, I can share a different recipe that’s designed for that.
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How can I make these cookies vegan or dairy-free?
To make these vegan, swap butter for a plant-based butter and replace the egg and yolk with a flax or chia seed egg substitute. Keep in mind the texture might differ slightly but the pumpkin spice flavor will still shine.
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Why are my cookies spreading too much?
Common causes for spreading include using melted butter instead of softened, dough not chilled, or too much sugar. Make sure to chill your dough for at least 30 minutes and use room-temp butter to help keep the cookies from spreading too thin.
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Can I skip the sugar and spice coating?
You can, but I recommend it! That coating adds a wonderful crunchy texture and intensifies the pumpkin spice aroma, transforming simple cookie dough into something special.
Final Thoughts
This Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe holds a special place in my fall baking lineup because it’s both simple and soulful. Giving these a try is like inviting a little season’s coziness into your kitchen — and trust me, once you taste that pumpkin spice sugar coating with the soft centers, you’ll keep coming back to this recipe year after year. So grab your mixing bowl and get ready to bake up some sweet autumn memories!
Print
Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 28 cookies
- Category: Dessert/Cookie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Pumpkin Spice Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm autumn flavors. The perfect treat for fall, they combine pumpkin spice with buttery dough rolled in a cinnamon-sugar coating for a delightful seasonal twist on classic cookies.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
For Rolling
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and ground cinnamon until the mixture is smooth and well-creamed.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Stir on low speed, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt to combine evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 to 4 additions on low speed, ensuring it is completely blended by scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the cookie dough bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the granulated sugar and pumpkin spice in a small bowl for rolling.
- Prepare for Baking: When the dough is nearly chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form and Coat Cookies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it into balls about 1 ½ tablespoon (35 g) each. Roll each ball through the prepared sugar and pumpkin spice mixture until fully coated. Place the coated balls on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Bake: Bake the cookies on the center rack of the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly underdone.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring them to a cooling rack or serving plate to enjoy.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- For best texture, do not overbake; centers should be slightly soft when removed from the oven.
- You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin spice if unavailable.
- To make dough easier to handle, keep it chilled before rolling into balls.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
