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Perfect Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

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These are not your average pumpkin cookies. They’re soft without being mushy, sturdy enough to hold a generous swipe of cream cheese icing, and packed with chocolate in every bite. The texture is spot-on—soft, chewy, and sturdy—and the icing is the perfect finishing touch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch cloves)
  • 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, as needed

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter and sugars together. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy—about 2 minutes with a hand mixer. Scrape down the sides once.
  3. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined, then add the pumpkin puree and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
  4. Whisk the dry ingredients separately. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula or mixing on low speed until just barely combined. A few streaks of flour are okay.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips. Use the spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  7. Chill the dough (optional but recommended). Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  8. Scoop and bake. Use a cookie scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden.
  9. Cool completely before icing. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Make the icing. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat on low speed until combined, then increase speed and beat for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the icing reaches a spreadable consistency.
  11. Ice the cookies. Spread or pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies. Let the icing set for about 15 minutes before stacking or serving.

Notes

Don’t skip blotting your pumpkin if it looks watery. Measure flour correctly by spooning and leveling. Room temperature ingredients matter. Watch the bake time closely—pull cookies when edges are set and centers still look slightly underdone. Let the icing set properly before stacking.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, cream cheese icing, fall baking, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, soft pumpkin cookies

Find it online: https://milaspoon.com/perfect-pumpkin-cookies-with-cream-cheese-icing/