These soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies with buttercream frosting are a fall favorite! Thick and cakey and loaded with raisins and pecans, these one-of-a-kind cookies are topped with a rich buttercream frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

single pumpkin spice cookie with buttercream frosting

A quick look at this recipe

Recipe Name: Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Ready In: Total time 55 mins (10 mins prep, 45 mins bake time)
Serves: 24
Calories: 180 per serving
Main Ingredients: Flour, spices, butter, sugar, dark brown sugar, pumpkin puree, raisins, pecans, powdered sugar
Difficulty: Easy

I have loved to bake and cook for as long as I can remember. So much so that I began my personal chef business to cook for hungry families every week.

My Mom was always an inspiration in the kitchen. She made delicious dinners every evening. Unforgettable baked good like Great Aunt Rose's Margarine Pound Cake and these soft and pumpkin raisin cookies were always on the kitchen counter.

About 40 years ago, she convinced a local gourmet shop to give her the recipe for this quintessential fall cookie.

After a few tweaks, I struck upon the perfect recipe for Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Buttercream Frosting.

They're moist and loaded with pumpkin puree, raisins and pecans. A buttery frosting with a cinnamon sugar sprinkle finishes these favorite fall cookies.

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ingredients & substitutions

Start with the basic cookie ingredients of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Mix in fall inspired spices, some pumpkin puree, raisins and pecans for the best pumpkin cookies ever!

Scroll to the printable recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.

pecans, pumpkin puree, butter, flour, cinnamon

all purpose flour
baking powder
baking soda
cinnamon
nutmeg
ground ginger
allspice
ground cloves
kosher salt
salted butter ~ Unsalted butter can also be used in the recipe.
granulated sugar
dark brown sugar ~ Light brown sugar is an alternative.
large eggs
canned pumpkin puree ~ Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Check the label: it should list just one ingredient, pumpkin.
raisins
pecans ~ Also try walnuts or almonds.
powdered sugar
milk ~ whole, 2% or cream all work to make the frosting

Hint

Swap the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves for 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies

This Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookie recipe is EASY and foolproof to make! The cookies are a combo of a spiced pumpkin quick bread, muffin and cookie. This is a brief overview of the pumpkin cookie recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete instructions.

Whisk together the dry ingredients ~ all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Beat softened salted butter with granulated sugar and dark brown sugar until well combined. One at a time, add the large eggs and beat well. Add the pumpkin puree beat and until combined.
Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed.
Mix in the raisins and chopped pecans.

A mixing bowl with batter for pumpkin spice cookies with raisins and pecans.

Scoop the cookie dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake for about 15 minutes. The cookies should be set when lightly touched on top.
Cool the cookies on a rack.

Whip the butter and powdered sugar for the frosting. Add the milk and beat until the frosting is creamy.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

Storage Tips

Cookies made with pumpkin are very moist. Avoid storing the cookies in an airtight container. This will make the cookies sticky. It's best to store them in a footed cake stand or similar covered dish for up to 3 days.

After 3 days, freeze the cookies. Put them on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. Then transfer to an airtight container or sealable bags in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature before serving. Freeze a batch ahead for your Thanksgiving dessert table.

pumpkin spice cookies with frosting and cinnamon sugar

Expert Tips

Have all the ingredients at room temperature before starting the recipe. They will combine more easily when at room temperature.
Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling in the recipe.
Completely cool the pumpkin cookies before frosting them. Warm cookies will cause the buttercream frosting to melt and slide off the cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it's looser than puree. It will make the cookies too sweet, overly spiced and too wet to hold their thick, cakey shape. The cans look almost identical on the grocery shelf, so double-check that the label says 100% pumpkin.

Can the cookie batter be frozen?

Yes! Scoop the batter into cookie balls and put on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer until frozen then store in a sealable bag. To bake, place frozen cookie balls on a lined baking sheet while the oven preheats. Bake according to the recipe below. You may need to add a couple minutes to the baking time.

Can you make cookie sandwiches with pumpkin cookies?

This is a fun way to serve these pumpkin cookies. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the cookies. After baking and the cookies are completely cool, spread the flat side of one cookie with the frosting. Top the frosting with another cookie to form a sandwich cookie.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices?

Yes. Swap the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves for 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. That's the same total amount of spice the recipe calls for. Store-bought blends vary by brand, and some are heavier on cinnamon or cloves, so give the dough a little taste and add a pinch more if you'd like a bolder flavor. Keep the plain cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping.