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Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Iced pumpkin cookies with a thick maple cream cheese icing and soft, cake-like centers. Made with pumpkin, warm spices, and a quick frosting spread on fully cooled cookies.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 190
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 icing
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp milk start with 1 tbsp; add more as needed
  • 1 orange food coloring (optional)
  • 1 cinnamon for decorating
  • 1 sprinkles for decorating

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment or nonstick liners.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar until smooth, then add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. Fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt) just until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Drop 2-tablespoon rounds onto the lined baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies look set around the edges.
  6. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets or a rack before icing.
Ice and decorate
  1. Beat the cream cheese and softened unsalted butter until smooth.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon until the icing is thick and spreadable.
  3. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the icing loosens to a generous spreadable consistency; tint with orange food coloring if using.
  4. Spread a generous layer of icing over each cooled cookie.
  5. Decorate each cookie with cinnamon and sprinkles.

Notes

For the softest, cake-like texture, don’t overmix once the dry ingredients go in, and be sure the cookies are fully cool before icing so the layer stays thick. Store iced cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze un-iced cookies up to 2 months. If you want a dairy-light option, use a dairy-free cream cheese and butter alternative for the same thick maple-icing texture.