Pumpkin season is here, and I know you’re looking for new cookie recipes to try. I’ve gathered five of my favorite pumpkin cookie ideas that are perfect for fall baking. Each recipe brings its own special taste to the table.
These recipes use classic pumpkin flavors with fun additions like pecans, caramel, and white chocolate. Get ready to bake some truly delicious treats!
Jump to Recipe:
- 1. Pumpkin Pecan Cookies
- 2. Pumpkin Salted Caramel Cookies
- 3. Pumpkin Snowball Cookies
- 4. Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
- 5. Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
Easy Pumpkin Pecan Cookies Recipe
These pumpkin pecan cookies are soft and chewy, with a nice crunch from the pecans. They’re a classic fall cookie that everyone will enjoy.
Key Ingredients & Tips
- Pumpkin Puree: Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling, for the best pumpkin taste.
- Toasted Pecans: Toast your pecans lightly before adding them to make their flavor even better.
- Brown Sugar: This helps keep the cookies soft and adds a lovely depth of sweetness.
What You Need
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
⏱️ Time: 35 minutes🍽️ Yields: About 2 dozen cookies
How to Make It
Step 1: Get Ready to Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla until everything is well combined.
Step 3: Combine and Bake
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chopped pecans. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto your prepared baking sheets.
Step 4: Cool and Serve
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
📝 Final Note
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to keep them fresh and soft.
Sweet & Salty Pumpkin Salted Caramel Cookies
These cookies bring together the warmth of pumpkin with a delightful salted caramel center. It’s a sweet and salty treat that’s hard to pass up.
Key Ingredients & Tips
- Caramel Filling: Use soft caramel candies or a thick caramel sauce for an easy filling in the center of each cookie.
- Flaky Sea Salt: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top after baking balances the sweetness perfectly and adds a nice texture.
- Chilling Dough: Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This helps the cookies hold their shape better and prevents the caramel from leaking.
What You Need
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15-20 soft caramel candies, unwrapped (or 1/2 cup thick caramel sauce)
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
⏱️ Time: 40 minutes🍽️ Yields: 18-20 cookies
How to Make It
Step 1: Mix Dry and Wet
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. In another large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until creamy. Stir in the pumpkin puree and egg until well combined.
Step 2: Form and Fill
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Take about a tablespoon of dough, flatten it slightly, place a piece of caramel in the center, and wrap the dough around it to fully seal the caramel inside.
Step 3: Bake and Finish
Place the filled dough balls on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle them with a little flaky sea salt.
Step 4: Cool Down
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, allowing the caramel to set slightly, before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
📝 Final Note
If the caramel in your leftover cookies hardens, warm a cookie slightly in the microwave for a few seconds to make it soft and gooey again.
Classic Pumpkin Snowball Cookies Recipe
These delicate pumpkin snowball cookies are light, buttery, and melt in your mouth. Rolled in powdered sugar, they look like little snowballs and are a delightful fall treat.
Key Ingredients & Tips
- Powdered Sugar Coating: Roll them twice in powdered sugar – once when warm and again when cool – for a thicker, more even coating.
- Finely Chopped Nuts: Add finely chopped walnuts or pecans to the dough for extra texture and a nutty flavor.
- Chilling Dough: Chilling the dough before baking helps prevent spreading and keeps their round, snowball shape better.
What You Need
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- Optional: ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
⏱️ Time: 40 minutes🍽️ Yields: About 2.5 dozen cookies
How to Make It
Step 1: Prep the Dough
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until light. Add vanilla extract and the pumpkin puree. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in chopped nuts if using.
Step 2: Shape and Bake
Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Form the dough into small balls (about 1 inch in diameter). Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms are lightly golden and the cookies are set.
Step 3: Sugar Coat First Time
While the cookies are still warm, gently roll them in extra powdered sugar. This first coat will melt slightly and stick well. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 4: Double Coat for Finish
Once completely cool, roll the cookies in powdered sugar a second time. This gives them a beautiful, bright “snowball” look.
📝 Final Note
These cookies are lovely with a cup of coffee or tea. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Bright Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
These cookies offer a wonderful mix of flavors with pumpkin, tart cranberries, and sweet white chocolate. They’re colorful and taste amazing for autumn.
Key Ingredients & Tips
- Dried Cranberries: Use dried cranberries for a chewy texture and a bright, tart flavor that balances the cookie’s sweetness.
- White Chocolate Chips: Good quality white chocolate chips will melt smoothly and give a creamy, sweet taste to the cookies.
- Spiced Dough: A generous blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves makes the pumpkin flavor really shine in these cookies.
What You Need
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
⏱️ Time: 35 minutes🍽️ Yields: About 2 dozen cookies
How to Make It
Step 1: Get Started
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Combine Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Step 3: Bake Away
Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are firm and lightly golden.
Step 4: Cool & Enjoy
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set up nicely.
📝 Final Note
For an extra festive look, sprinkle a few additional white chocolate chips and cranberries on top right after baking, while the cookies are still warm.
Classic Spiced Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
These pumpkin molasses cookies are soft, chewy, and full of warm spices. The molasses adds a rich, deep flavor that pairs perfectly with pumpkin for a comforting treat.
Key Ingredients & Tips
- Dark Molasses: Use dark (unsulfured) molasses for a stronger, more traditional flavor that stands out against the pumpkin.
- Roll in Sugar: Rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking gives them a pretty sparkly crust and a little extra crispness.
- Fresh Spices: Make sure your ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are fresh for the best and brightest spiced flavor in your cookies.
What You Need
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup dark molasses
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
⏱️ Time: 40 minutes🍽️ Yields: About 2 dozen cookies
How to Make It
Step 1: Prep Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until well combined.
Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and molasses until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
Step 3: Form and Bake
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat. Place the sugared dough balls on your prepared baking sheets.
Step 4: Final Bake
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still soft and slightly puffed. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
📝 Final Note
These cookies taste even better the next day as the flavors have more time to blend. Store them in an airtight container for best results.