Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze

These moist and tender Pumpkin Cookies are full of fall spice and everything nice! They’re drizzled with a smooth cinnamon glaze and absolutely packed with pumpkin. Plus, you can whip them up in under 30 minutes.

Dreamy Pumpkin Spice Cookies for Fall

Every year, I feel like fall can’t come soon enough. I am such a huge fan of all the season’s famous flavors – apple, maple, cranberry – you name it! But there’s one fall staple that’s particularly near and dear to my heart. You guessed it! Pumpkin.

These easy cookies are for all my fellow pumpkin lovers out there. They’re wonderfully moist and soft with plenty of pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavor, and the sweet cinnamon glaze tips them over into utter cookie perfection. They have a bit more of a cakey texture than your average cookie, so I’d definitely say they cater more to soft cookie fans. But no matter what your preferences are, these drool-worthy pumpkin treats are bound to become an annual tradition.

What You’ll Need

Both the cookies and the glaze rely on kitchen staples, so you may already have everything you need to make them. Let the fall baking begin!

For the Pumpkin Spice Cookies

• Butter: Brought to room temperature.
• Brown & White Sugars: You’ll need half a cup of each.
• Pumpkin Puree: If you choose to make your own pumpkin puree, be sure to drain out all of the excess liquid.
• Egg: To help bind the ingredients together.
• Vanilla: Use a high-quality extract for the tastiest results.
• Flour: Measure it accurately by using a food scale or the spoon and level method.
• Salt: For moisture and flavor enhancement.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: The use of both ensures light and tender cookies.
• Cinnamon: The first fall spice we’ll be adding to the cookie dough is cinnamon.
• Nutmeg: One of three pumpkin spices in these cookies, nutmeg is a must.
• Cloves: Last but not least, we’ll be rounding out the seasonings with some warm ground cloves.

For the Cinnamon Glaze

• Powdered Sugar: You may need to add some extra if you like a thicker glaze.
• Cinnamon
• Milk: For creaminess.
• Vanilla Extract

How to Make Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze

I can’t stress enough how simple these cookies are. The dough and glaze each come together in a single bowl!

1. Heat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream Butter & Sugars: Cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add Pumpkin, Egg & Vanilla: Add the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
4. Add Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. The dough will be sticky.
5. Form Cookies: Drop 2-tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten them out just a little.
6. Bake: Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Don’t under-bake them.
7. Let Cool: Let your cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet, then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
8. Make Glaze: Once the cookies are completely cooled, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. Add more powdered sugar little by little if needed to thicken the glaze.
9. Add to Cookies: Drizzle your glaze over the cookies and allow it to set.

Tips for Success

In order to knock these pumpkin spice cookies out of the park, look over the simple tips listed below.

• Avoid Over-Measuring the Flour: It’s really easy to over-measure your flour if you’re not careful since it packs itself into the measuring cup. To avoid this, either spoon it in little by little and level it off with a butter knife or simply use a food scale to measure it.
• Cream the Butter & Sugars Well: Keep beating together the butter and sugar until the mixture lightens in both color and texture. This signifies that it’s fully creamed.
• Sticky Dough Hack: Because the dough is sticky, I dropped one tablespoon onto the baking sheet at a time, then lightly pressed on the second tablespoon. You could also use a small cookie scoop. Don’t forget to flatten out the dough balls a little bit – if they’re too tall, the bottoms will cook too much before the tops are done.
• Under-Baking is Bad: For many cookie recipes, you actually want to take them out of the oven while they’re still slightly under-baked in the middle. Well, that’s not the case for these, as they won’t continue baking when you remove them from the oven. Once the tops start to look done, you can take them out.
• Cool the Cookies Completely: Don’t pour the glaze over your cookies until they’ve cooled all the way down to room temperature. You want it to set on top of them rather than soak into them.

Variation Ideas

If you want to change up this recipe a bit, be my guest! One of the following variations might pique your interest.

• Frosted Pumpkin Cookies: Do you prefer a frosting over a glaze? If so, I highly recommend topping your cooled cookies with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting instead.
• Caramel Pumpkin Cookies: Pumpkin and caramel go together so well, and I’m a huge fan of drizzling homemade caramel sauce on all the things. I have 3 amazing caramel recipes on my site, but my favorite has to be this Easy Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce. It’s divine!
• Pumpkin Nut Cookies: Pecans and walnuts are often paired with pumpkin, and I can’t get enough of it. Feel free to fold some chopped nuts into your dough if you’d like to add some crunch and extra flavor.
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies: It’s never a bad idea to fold some chocolate chips into your cookie dough. White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate – it would all taste delicious in these cookies!

How to Store Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Since the glaze for these cookies is made with milk, I suggest storing them in the refrigerator. Keep them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. If you have to stack them in multiple layers, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each one. You can bring the cookies to room temperature before enjoying them if you’d like.

Can I Freeze These?

Yes, you can keep your cookies in the freezer for extended storage, but you’ll have to flash-freeze them first. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and freeze them for 1 hour. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store them for up to 3 months. Separate layers with parchment or wax paper if needed and thaw out your cookies before enjoying them.

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More Easy Pumpkin Treats to Try

I have no shortage of pumpkin delights to share with you. Take a look at the following recipes next!

• Spice Cake with Pumpkin Mascarpone Buttercream
• Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Pecan Streusel Topping
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

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