Wondering how to make pumpkin cookies? This homemade pumpkin recipe will become your go-to when you need ideas for Halloween treats, desserts for Thanksgiving recipes, or fall themed desserts for a harvest dinner.
These homemade pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting (don’t miss our homemade icing for pumpkin cookies) are also yummy without icing because they’re thick, fluffy and cake-y sweets.
These pumpkin treats are great for fall bake sale ideas!
How To Make Pumpkin Cookies The Old-Fashioned Homemade Way
These delicious pumpkin cookies are one of my favorite fall recipes for baking.
I like that this dessert recipe is not too sweet and that you can eat them as iced cookies or without icing.
Ingredients for Cake-like Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
- Can pumpkin (or pumpkin pie filling or our fresh pumpkin puree recipe)
- Shortening
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
Print the full super soft pumpkins cookie recipe below. KEEP SCROLLING!
YOU’LL ALSO NEED: Best Cream Cheese Frosting for Pumpkin Cookies
Homemade Pumpkin Cookies Recipe FAQs
BEST RECIPE TIP: Whatever you do, double the recipe because you’ll definitely want some for yourself later if you’re making them for a party.
(And, they freeze well, too! Making them an absolute favorite to make for early fall and then pull out for Halloween parties or Thanksgiving recipes.)
If you like your pumpkin cookie soft and chewy, these will definitely become your new favorite, especially if you have some leftover Libby’s canned pumpkin and are asking “What can I make with pumpkin?”
Think of them as pumpkin pie cookies for sweet treats in the autumn. If you generally love pumpkin bread, you’ll love these yummy cookie treats.
How do you make pumpkin cookies?
Pumpkin cookies are made with a traditional cookie dough batter including flour, sugar, shortening, and eggs.
Then, add in canned pumpkin and spices for a soft, chewy pumpkin cookie recipe.
They can be iced with cream cheese icing or left plain.
Before we get to the recipe for pumpkin cookies (and our book pairing with this recipe), let’s answer some common questions on how to make homemade pumpkin cookies:
Pumpkin Cookies Icing Recipe
I ice some of these cookies with my homemade cream cheese icing and I leave some of them un-iced.
Although the frosting for pumpkin cookies is yummy, we make a huge batch without the icing because they’re really good that way, too.
RECIPE TIP: Don’t freeze the pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing. Leave the icing off if you’re freezing and then ice after defrosting.
Some people make these pumpkin cookies with brown sugar frosting or pumpkin cookies with maple frosting (or using maple syrup), but we really prefer this creamy homemade icing to let the pumpkin flavor of the cookies shine through!
You can also dust them lightly with powdered sugar instead of icing them.
ALSO CHECK OUT THESE FALL APPLE RECIPES & FALL PUMPKIN RECIPES:
Easy Apple Fries Recipe (Baked and Air Fryer!)
Snickers Salad with Apples
Easy Apple Salad with Pear and Cranberry
How To Dry Apple Slices For Healthy Snacks and Nature Crafts
EASY Recipe For Apple Butter
4 Yummy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe Ideas
Is Pumpkin A Fruit? Learning About Pumpkins and Pumpkin Recipes
How To Store Pumpkin Cookies
Store pumpkin cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to a week.
If you are icing this recipe pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Cookies?
Soft, bakery-style pumpkin cookies (or chewy pumpkin cookies like this) freeze well.
If you want to freeze cookies, place the uniced cookies in layers, with wax paper in between, in freezer bags.
The plain pumpkin cookies can be frozen for up to six weeks or longer.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
There are many different versions of cookie recipes with pumpkin.
Pumpkin spice cookies are also really good if you add chocolate chips and make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Just add 1/2-1 cups of chocolate chips into the batter and stir right before putting them on the cookie sheet.
(You can also add oatmeal and make them pumpkin oatmeal cookies!)
Ok!
Here’s how to make pumpkin cookies from scratch — an old fashioned pumpkin cookie recipe from childhood!
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies : FREE Printable Recipe for the Best Pumpkin Cookies for Fall Recipes!
RECIPE NOTE: If you’re looking for crispy pumpkin cookies, these probably are not the recipe you want to bake.
- Looking for more pumpkin baking recipes? Try this homemade pumpkin cornbread for a sweet and savory treat!
Homemade Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Shortening
- 3 Cups Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 30 ounce can pumpkin like Libby's Pumpkin
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 5 Cups Flour sifted
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 Teaspoons Nutmeg
- 2 Teaspoons Baking soda
- 2 Teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix until combined.
- Add canned pumpkin and mix until combined.
- To the canned pumpkin mixture, mix in vanilla and sifted flour. Then, add cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, spoon rounded spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely if before icing. (see icing recipe on site)
- Store iced cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Note
Nutrition calculations are approximate. If you're following a special diet, please calculate your own nutrition values.
Ready for your recipe and read pairing for the pumpkin recipe cookies? Here’s what we picked to go with the how to make pumpkin cookie recipe!
RECIPE & READ: Best Pumpkin Cookie Recipe paired with It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Children’s Book
No matter how old we get, Peanuts still seems to be a favorite for all of us (the books and the movies).
You remember It’s The Great Pumpkin, right?
Everyone loves watching to see if Linus will be visited by The Great Pumpkin this year, but my favorite part is when they all go trick-or-treating and Charlie Brown keeps getting a rock.
(I know, warped, what can I say?)
At any rate, while the best pumpkin cookies recipe are baking, watch It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown full movie or pull out your favorite Halloween or Thanksgiving book and spend some family time reading while you wait.
(ALSO CHECK OUT: Best Preschool Halloween Books and Theme Food Crafts Ideas To Go With Them)
Then, you’ll have some hot and fresh cookies to eat after!
Enjoy!
Listed Book Age Range: 4 years and up
I hope you have fun learning how to make pumpkin cookies!
