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!
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.
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.