Seasonal Pumpkin Soft Cookies (Printable Version)

Tender pumpkin delights with warm spices and a moist, soft texture, ideal for autumn.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
13 - 1 large egg
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped walnuts

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.
03 - Using an electric mixer or whisk, cream granulated sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract into the creamed sugar and butter mixture until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring just until incorporated without overmixing.
06 - Fold in chocolate chips or walnuts if desired, ensuring even distribution.
07 - Drop heaping tablespoons of dough roughly 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until edges turn golden and centers are set.
09 - Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture stays pillowy soft for days, never dry or crumbly.
  • You can mix everything by hand in under ten minutes if you're in a rush.
  • They taste like fall without being overly sweet or heavy.
  • Kids and adults both reach for seconds without hesitation.
02 -
  • Don't skip softening the butter, cold butter won't cream properly and the cookies will turn out dense.
  • Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added spices and sugar that throw off the balance.
  • These cookies look done before they feel done, pull them when the centers still seem slightly underbaked for the softest result.
03 -
  • If your dough feels too sticky to scoop, chill it in the fridge for fifteen minutes before baking.
  • For extra spice depth, toast your ground cinnamon and nutmeg in a dry pan for thirty seconds before adding to the flour.
  • Use a cookie scoop for perfectly even cookies that bake at the same rate every time.

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