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Pumpkin Cookies With Cinnamon Frosting

Pumpkin cookies with cinnamon frosting are soft, pillowy golden-orange cookies baked until just set, then finished with a light and fluffy cinnamon cream cheese swirl. This method folds the dry ingredients into a spiced pumpkin batter and bakes at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 30 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cookies
  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For cinnamon frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For finishing
  • 1 cinnamon sugar

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the cookie dough
  1. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Stop and scrape the bowl as needed so no streaks remain.
  2. In a separate dry mix, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. Fold the dry mixture into the pumpkin batter just until no dry pockets show.
  3. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto a sheet pan spaced apart, shaping each mound lightly with the scoop. The surface should look like thick, spoonable batter.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, until the cookies look set around the edges and lightly golden on top. Watch closely at the 10-minute mark.
  2. Transfer the sheet pan to a rack and cool completely before frosting. The cookies should be firm enough that frosting won’t melt or slide.
Make cinnamon frosting and finish
  1. In the stand mixer, beat cream cheese and softened unsalted butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy with a pale, spreadable texture.
  2. Pipe or spread frosting generously onto each cooled cookie, forming a thick swirl on top. Dust the frosting with cinnamon sugar so the surface looks speckled.

Notes

Pro tip: Softened butter and cream cheese blend faster and give a smoother frosting; if your frosting looks too thick, beat 1–2 teaspoons of water or milk at a time. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze frosted cookies up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a dairy-lite swap, use dairy-free cream cheese and plant-based butter sticks in the frosting.