Let Me Tell You About the Time I First Made These…

Alright, pull up a chair (or just keep scrolling—it’s your kitchen). The first time I baked these soft pumpkin cookies with cinnamon frosting, I was actually trying to avoid making pumpkin pie (again!) for Thanksgiving. My sister—who’s brutally honest—said she was “pumpkined out,” which, okay, who says that? But then I remembered this old scribbled recipe from my Aunt Margie that was stuffed in the back of a drawer, and I thought, “Why not? Let’s roll the dice.” These cookies? Way better than pumpkin pie, no crust-induced panic, and the kitchen smelled like autumn hugged me. The only issue? There’s frosting on literally everything every single time—counter, dog’s tail, my face… you get it.

Why I Keep Making These (And Maybe You Will Too)

I make these when I’m craving something that’s not pumpkin bread, not full on cake, but also not boring old cookies (sorry, regular cookies). My family actually requests these now, which is saying something since last year they “forgot” to try my apple cobbler—true story. Kids go nuts for the soft, pillowy texture, and sometimes I double the frosting just because, well, why not. The best bit? They come together in less than an hour if you don’t dilly-dally (not that I ever do, of course). And when you’re up to your ears in canned pumpkin after Halloween—trust me, these are your get-out-of-pumpkin-jail-free card.

The Stuff You’ll Need (And a Few Friendly Swaps)

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling; but I’ve used homemade roasted pumpkin now and then—just mash well!)
1 cup white sugar (but brown sugar sometimes sneaks in if I’m low)
1/2 cup melted butter (if you’re in a pinch, margarine or even coconut oil works—just tastes a bit different)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (honestly, my grandmother swore by McCormick, but the store brand is fine too)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon (sometimes I do pumpkin pie spice instead—living on the edge, I know)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or don’t, it’s not a dealbreaker)

For the cinnamon frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar—same thing, different label)
3 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp milk (whole, 2%, or honestly oat milk if that’s what you’ve got in the fridge)

How To Make ‘Em (With My Occasional Peanut Gallery)

Get your oven preheating to 350°F (or 175°C for the sensible folks). Line a baking tray with parchment. Or don’t—just butter it. I always forget the parchment honestly.
In a big bowl: mix the pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. I use a wooden spoon, though my cousin swears a whisk makes it puffier—meh.
Dump in the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. No need to be precious—just stir until just combined. Don’t overmix unless you fancy cookies with the texture of doorstops.
Scoop out blobs (I use an overflowing tablespoon, or an old ice cream scoop, or sometimes just my hands). Plop onto your sheet, leave a bit of space in between. They don’t spread much, so don’t panic.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. This is when I hover, eat a bit of dough, and pretend I’m “monitoring.” The tops should look set, but they won’t brown much. If they look weird and matte, that’s good.
Let them sit on the tray for a few—if you try to grab one too early, you’ll end up with a fistful of crumbs. Trust me.
While those cool, whisk everything for the frosting together in a bowl. It should be thick, but still spreadable—add more milk if it’s stubborn.
Slather cookies with frosting once they’re (mostly) cool. I never wait long enough; a bit of melt is actually delicious.

From My Experience (Take It With a Pinch of Salt!)

If your frosting goes runny, just add more sugar. Happens to me, like, half the time.
Too flat? Might’ve been too much butter. Still edible (maybe more so… in a chewy way).
Use whatever vanilla you like. Once I tried the “fancy” paste—honestly, no one noticed.
The cookies firm up in a container overnight, which I (probably) like even more. Unless you eat them all warm, which, fair.

Experiments That (Mostly) Paid Off

I swapped in half whole wheat flour once—it was okay, a little denser but not terrible.
Adding mini chocolate chips? Would do again! (Just cut the cinnamon in the frosting back a smidge or it competes).
I tried them once with coconut flour. That was… a mistake. Don’t do that unless you like cookies that taste like sidewalk chalk.

What If You Don’t Have That Gadget?

You don’t need a stand mixer. I use a bowl and a wooden spoon; works fine. No cookie scoop? Two regular spoons will sort you out. Or just wing it and shape the blobs with your hands. Who cares. And if you’re ever short on parchment, a good buttering and a prayer is all you really need (it’s how my gran did it).

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

Storing the Leftovers (Assuming You Have Any)

So, in theory, store them in an airtight container at room temp and they’re good for about 2-3 days—fridge extends this. But, honestly, in my house these cookies rarely see sunrise. You can even freeze them, frosting and all, but I almost never get that far. (By the way, if you want super airtight containers, these OXO ones are my favorite.)

The Only Way to Serve These (According to My Clan)

I like to plop a couple on a plate, extra frosting on the side, with a mug of strong coffee. On cold days, we’ve been known to crumble them into oatmeal—don’t knock it till you try it. My youngest dunks hers in milk, which is apparently “the only correct way.” We sometimes sprinkle an extra dust of cinnamon before serving if we’re feeling fancy. Oh! And once I sandwiched two together with frosting in the middle—ridiculous, but so good.

The “Wish I’d Known” Section (Read This Before Baking!)

Don’t skip cooling before frosting. I once went rogue and the frosting ended up everywhere. Well, almost everywhere.
Make sure you actually measure the flour. I eyeballed it once—what a mess, the dough was soupy but I baked them anyway. Still tasty, just… not really cookies.
Take your time creaming the butter and sugar, but don’t overthink it. It’ll be fine.
If you rush eating them out of the oven, your mouth will know. Hot frosting is basically lava.

FAQ (Real Questions I’ve Actually Gotten—Or Overheard)

Do these taste super pumpkin-y? Not overwhelmingly so—if you want more punch, throw in a touch more spice.
Can I use fresh pumpkin? Yep! Just roast and mash, but don’t make it too watery. Actually, canned is less fuss.
Can these be gluten-free? Probably! I’ve used a 1:1 gluten-free blend before and it worked, though on second thought I’d say expect them to be a tad softer.
How do I make them ahead? Bake the cookies, don’t frost until the day you need. Leftovers are fine for breakfast (nobody’s judging). See also: King Arthur’s freezing tips here.
What if I’m out of cinnamon? Any pumpkin pie spice, or just up the nutmeg or even a teensy bit of ginger.
They seem cakey—is that normal? Oh yes—think of them like tiny muffin-tops. That’s the goal!

And hey, if you sneak a few while still warm? I won’t tell. Actually, you probably should. Life’s short, eat the good cookies while they’re fresh. If you’re looking for another celebration snack, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are great too—Sally knows her stuff. Enjoy, friend!