These Homemade Autumn Pumpkin Spice Cookies are soft, cake-like cookies made with real pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and a heavy dose of pumpkin pie spice, finished with a simple cinnamon-sugar coating.

They bake up thick and moist, closer to a mini pumpkin cake than a crisp cookie.

They’re also a lovely choice for Thanksgiving dessert tables, fall potlucks, bake sales, and holiday cookie trays.

The pumpkin keeps the cookies soft while cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice give them that classic fall flavor.

If pumpkin desserts are your thing this time of year, these are worth adding to the list:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices already mixed in) gives the cookies their moisture and color. Pumpkin pie spice covers the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove in one shake, but you can mix your own blend if that’s what you have.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, for rolling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl.
Set this dry mixture aside while you work on the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer.
Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined.
The mixture will look a little looser than a typical cookie dough at this stage (that’s normal, since pumpkin adds a lot of moisture).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two batches, stirring just until combined each time.
Don’t overmix once the flour goes in, or the cookies turn out tougher than they should.
The finished dough will be soft and slightly sticky, more like a thick batter than a rollable cookie dough.
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and roll each one gently in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart (they spread a little, but not a ton).
Flatten each one slightly with your palm, since this dough won’t spread much on its own in the oven.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look slightly cracked.
The centers will still look a bit soft when you pull them out, and that’s exactly what you want (they firm up as they cool).
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Serve once fully cooled and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Use pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in, which throws off the whole recipe. Double-check the can before you buy it, since they sit right next to each other on the shelf.
Don’t skip the flatten step. This dough is thick and holds its shape in the oven, so if you don’t flatten the dough balls before baking, you’ll end up with round, dome-shaped cookies instead of the classic flat top.
They’ll look underdone when you pull them out. The centers stay soft and slightly shiny even when they’re fully baked. Pulling them a minute early keeps them from drying out, since they continue to set on the hot pan.
Make your own pumpkin pie spice if needed. Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves for a close substitute. It’s not an exact match, but it gets you most of the way there.
These freeze really well. Baked and fully cooled cookies freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating.
Add a glaze if you want more sweetness. A simple powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar thinned with a little milk) drizzled over the cooled cookies turns these into more of a dessert than a snack. It’s an easy addition if the cinnamon-sugar coating isn’t sweet enough for you.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving: These are best served the day they’re baked, once fully cooled, with a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee alongside. A light drizzle of glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar dresses them up if you’re serving them for company.

Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week if your kitchen runs warm. They also freeze well for up to 3 months, layered between sheets of parchment paper.

Customizing: Stir in 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips or chopped pecans for extra texture. Swap the cinnamon-sugar coating for a cream cheese glaze if you’d rather have something closer to a frosted pumpkin cookie.