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!

reasons you will absolutely love these pumpkin cinnamon cookies

• 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 cookies—great for sharing with friends, family, or neighbors

pumpkin cookies grocery list

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. Gives the pumpkin a nice added bit of flavor!
• Salt. Just a pinch is needed (or ⅛ 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. Just good old fashioned white granulated sugar will work perfectly. Or you can 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 and not pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin butter. Be careful not to mix them up. I used Libby's Organic Canned Pumpkin, but I'm hearing as of September 2020, there is a possible pumpkin puree shortage so use what you can find!
• 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.

what is the ratio for 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.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Cookies

Author: Jennifer

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!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 36 servings

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

pumpkin cinnamon cookies

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Vegetable Shortening (room temperature)
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg (room temperature)
• 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

cream cheese frosting

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon 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 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon 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 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Switch the mixer speed to low gradually adding in the dry ingredients until the cookie dough is just combined.
• Using a 1 ½ tablespoon size cookie scoop or spoon, placing the cookie dough roughly 1 ½ - 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, ½ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature, 1 teaspoon 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.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from A Taste of Bedminster Elementary cookbook.

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.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @beyond.the.butter and tag #beyondthebutter!