Description
These Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Icing are soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced. Made with pumpkin puree and topped with a silky maple glaze, they’re quick to bake and a cozy fall treat everyone will love.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free AP flour)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or Kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)
Wet ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar (dark brown sugar also works for a deeper flavor)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
For the Maple Glaze Icing
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- 2 cups powdered sugar
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- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
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- 1/2-1 tablespoon milk (any kind works, plant-based or dairy)
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- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but rounds out the flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer (or wooden spoon) to cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, then pumpkin puree and vanilla. Mix until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough into dough balls (about 1½ tablespoons each). Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 13–15 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. Option to flatten slightly with a spatula when they’re right out of the oven to make them flatter on top to help the glaze set. Let the baked cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- While cookies cool, whisk together icing ingredients until smooth. Spread or drizzle icing over cooled cookies and let the glaze set.
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Notes
Need Gluten-Free? Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, or try my Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies.
Chewy vs. cakey: Blot pumpkin puree before measuring to avoid excess moisture and a cakey texture.
Brown sugar: Light brown sugar for milder flavor; dark brown sugar for a richer, molasses taste.
Variation: Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temp for 2–3 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.