Pumpkin is a synonym for the holiday season; there’s no doubt we all have fond memories of pumpkin-flavored goodies surrounded by family, especially in fall and early winter.
And although pumpkin pies are the most typical way of making good use of canned pumpkin purée, they’re just the beginning. With seasonal ingredients, the sky’s the limit!
Today, I’m telling you all about my secret pumpkin cookies. These crumbly but tender cookies have all the flavors you know and love of the season; they’re pretty, too, notably when dipped in a brown sugar glaze. Here’s what you need to know about my soft pumpkin cookies recipe.
What you Need
To make this soft pumpkin cookies recipe, you’ll need a few everyday ingredients, including lots of butter, brown and white sugar, an egg, flour, baking powder and salt. Don’t worry; you’ll find the ingredient list below. Still, pumpkin puree and brown spices are the most important ingredients to give the cookies their seasonal feel.
Canned pumpkin puree is the star of the show, and ensure you get a can of solid-pack pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling — the cans are misleadingly similar! You’ll also need cinnamon and your favorite pumpkin pie spice. How about the glaze?
The Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe
I won’t lie. These soft pumpkin cookies are delicious on their own. Thanks to the moisture in the pumpkin purée, they’re not too crumbly or dry. However, dipping them in brown sugar glaze will make them a decadent treat that looks as good as it tastes.
To make the brown sugar glaze, you’ll need both brown sugar and powdered sugar. You’ll also need whipping cream and a few tablespoons of butter to give the glaze its gloss.
Making these cookies takes just under half an hour, plus chilling the cookie dough and baking. And if you have a stand mixer, you’ll find this recipe easy.
When to Make Pumpkin Cookies?
The holiday season is all about getting together with friends and family, and that usually starts and ends with food. After all, time spent around the table makes long-lasting memories. Well, pumpkin cookies are a lovely, light dessert to end dinner on a sweet note.
These cookies are also compatible with coffee and tea, chiefly seasonal specialties like the pumpkin spice latte. The best part? A pumpkin cookie recipe can become a source of delicious gifts. Yes, these cookies keep well, so they’re beautiful gifts, especially for their glossy brown sugar glaze, which you can then top with crushed nuts or any other final touch.
What You Need
For this recipe, you’ll need two large mixing bowls for the cookies and a medium bowl for the glaze, (ideally) a stand mixer or a hand mixer, and a baking tray. You might also need a helping hand to hand-roll the dough into two-bite-sized cookie dough balls, and that’s when you can get your loved ones to take part. Even the small ones can help! Here’s my recipe for soft pumpkin cookies.
PrintPumpkin Cookies with Glaze
Ingredients
1 can (15oz) pumpkin pure
6oz (180g) butter
1/2 cup (90g) brown sugar
1/2 (100g) cup white sugar
1 large egg
2–1/4 cup (300g) bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (120g) chopped pecans
Brown sugar glaze:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup of powder sugar
Instructions
- Mix the butter with brown and white sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add an egg and vanilla extract.
- Add pumpkin puree and mix on low speed until all are well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients except for the pecans.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture into your wet mixture, while mixing on low speed.
- Finally, add in the pecans, and refrigerate your dough for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, form your dough into balls about 1.5 inch in size. Place on the baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack.
- For the brown sugar glaze, combine butter, whipping cream and brown sugar into a saucepan.
- Place on stovetop and bring to boil. Then, lower the heat and cook for a few more minutes mixing.
- Once the glaze thickened remove from stovetop, add 1 cup of powder sugar and mix until there are no lumps. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Dip each cookie into the warm glaze.
Pumpkin cookies go great with Pumpkin Cupcakes! Be sure to use any extra puree for these goodies.
