These bakery-style Pumpkin Cinnamon Cookies are a delicious way to enjoy the fall season! Each bite gives you an incredibly soft cake-like pumpkin, cinnamon-flavored cookie topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. They’re so good; they’ll be gone in no time!
Table of Contents
Reasons You’ll Absolutely Love This Recipe
- Easy-to-follow recipe
- No chilling of cookie dough
- Super soft cake-like cookies
- Pumpkin and cinnamon flavors in each bite
- Frosted with a smooth cream cheese frosting
- Yields roughly 36 pumpkin cinnamon cookies—great for sharing with friends, family, or neighbors
Ingredients Needed
To make these pumpkin cinnamon cookies, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour. I used the King Arthur brand, but use what you like best. I did not make this with any other type of flour.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder. Both are needed!
- Cinnamon. It gives the pumpkin a nice added bit of flavor!
- Salt. Just a pinch is needed (or 1/8 teaspoon)
- Vegetable Shortening. Room temperature is best. I did not test this with butter, but it could be used as a substitute if you don’t have access to shortening.
- Granulated Sugar. Good, old-fashioned white granulated sugar will work perfectly. You can also use organic pure cane sugar.
- Egg. Yep, just one, and make sure it’s also at room temperature. I do not have any egg substitutions.
- Canned Pumpkin. We’re using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin butter. Be careful not to mix them up. I used Libby’s Organic Canned Pumpkin.
- Cream Cheese. This is only for the frosting. It’s best softened to room temperature.
- Unsalted Butter. Also, just for the frosting, and should be at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract. Used for both the pumpkin cookies and the cream cheese frosting.
- Powdered Sugar. This is only for the cream cheese frosting. Make sure it’s sifted prior to adding it to the frosting mixture.
Substituting Vegetable Shortening with Butter
This is a 1:1 ratio. Substitute 1 cup of butter for 1 cup of shortening.
One thing to note with this substitution is with butter; because it’s not 100% fat like shortening is (it’s made up of butter and water), the cookies may spread out more.
Quick Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Cookies
Use a cookie scoop. You can use a spoon, but a cookie scoop is much nicer! I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop.
Use vegetable shortening. I know this ingredient is taboo for some, but it gives the cookies a dome-like shape and won’t spread.
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes!
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Cookies
These bakery style pumpkin cinnamon cookies are a delicious way to enjoy the fall season! Each bite gives you an incredibly soft cake-like pumpkin, cinnamon flavored cookie topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. They're so good, they'll be gone in no time!
Ingredients
pumpkin cinnamon cookies
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Vegetable Shortening , room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
Instructions
pumpkin cinnamon cookies
- Adjust the oven rack to 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set to the side.2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Cinnamon, 1/8 tsp Salt
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegetable shortening and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.1 cup Vegetable Shortening, 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- Add in the egg, canned pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract mixing until completely blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 Large Egg, 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Switch the mixer speed to low gradually adding in the dry ingredients until the cookie dough is just combined.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon size cookie scoop or spoon, placing the cookie dough roughly 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350ºF.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Cookies should be completely cooled before frosting.
cream cheese frosting
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter on medium-high speed until smooth and well blended. Add in the vanilla extract.8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature, 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Switch the mixer speed to low and add in the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time making sure it's blended before adding more. Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
- Frost the cooled cookies using an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar or pumpkin pie spice for garnish.
- Place frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator with a sheet of wax paper in between to keep the frosting from sticking to the bottom of the cookie on top.
Notes
- To keep the frosted cookies from sticking to one another, place a sheet of wax paper in between them.
- Remember to keep them stored in an air-tight contacted in the refrigerator after they’ve been frosted.
- Recipe adapted from A Taste of Bedminster Elementary cookbook.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1229IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
Recipe could use a bit more sugar in the dough. I’m surprised there isn’t brown sugar! But bakes well when sticking to the recipe.
They look awesome. I will be making them this year for my cookie trays.
Thanks Cindy! This makes me so happy to hear! I absolutely love how soft they are!
The cookies look absolutely great, but I would also like a bowl of frosting on the side.
Thanks Ben!! You got it!!
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