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These soft pumpkin cookies are finished with an easy caramel-flavored icing. The cookies are flavored with warm spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The cookies are chilled before dropping on the cookie sheets, so make sure you plan for the extra hour.
Caramel dessert sauce gives the icing its wonderful caramel flavor. Use store-bought caramel or butterscotch sauce or make our easy caramel sauce. Sprinkle the iced cookies with a little cinnamon sugar for an extra-special look.
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- Soft, cake-like texture. These pumpkin cookies bake up tender and puffy, more like little pumpkin cakes than crisp cookies. The pumpkin puree and brown sugar keep them moist, so they stay soft for days instead of drying out quickly.
- Cozy pumpkin spice flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger give the cookies that classic pumpkin spice warmth without overwhelming the pumpkin itself. You get a nice balance of sweet, spice, and pumpkin in every bite.
- Easy caramel icing. The simple caramel-topped icing starts with pantry ingredients and comes together in minutes. It adds just enough caramel richness to complement the pumpkin cookies without requiring homemade caramel from scratch.
Ingredient Notes
- Baking powder and baking soda – The combination of the two leaveners helps the cookies rise nicely and stay soft. The baking soda also works with the acidity of the pumpkin to prevent a dense texture.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger – Classic warming spices that define the flavor of pumpkin cookies. You can adjust the amounts slightly to taste or add a pinch of cloves or allspice if you like a stronger spice profile.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar – The mix of white and brown sugar gives sweetness plus moisture and a light caramel note from the molasses in the brown sugar. Packed light or dark brown sugar will both work; dark brown will give deeper flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and flavor and helps the cookies hold their shape. Make sure it’s softened so it creams easily with the sugars, creating a light base for the dough.
- Pumpkin puree – Provides moisture, color, and flavor. Use plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), and if it seems very wet, you can blot it lightly with paper towels before measuring to avoid overly loose dough.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out the warm spice and caramel notes in both the cookies and the icing.
- Confectioners’ sugar – Sweetens and thickens the caramel icing, giving it a smooth, drizzleable or spreadable consistency. Sifting it first helps prevent lumps.
- Milk – Thins the icing to your preferred consistency. Start with the smaller amount and add more a little at a time until it’s easy to drizzle or spread.
- Caramel dessert topping – Adds a buttery caramel flavor to the icing without the extra step of making caramel from scratch. A thicker sauce will make a richer, slightly firmer icing than a very thin topping.
Steps to Make Pumpkin Cookies With Caramel Icing
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a mixing bowl so the leaveners and spices are evenly distributed and there are no streaks.
- Beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars in a separate bowl until the mixture looks light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla to the creamed mixture and beat until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated, then briefly increase the speed to fully blend without overmixing.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough until it is firm enough to scoop easily and hold its shape on a spoon.
- Prepare the baking sheets with parchment or baking mats and preheat the oven so it is ready as soon as you scoop the chilled dough.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them so the cookies have room to puff and spread slightly.
- Bake until the cookies are set, lightly browned at the edges, and spring back gently when touched. Let them cool on the pan briefly, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- For the icing, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, caramel topping, vanilla, and enough milk together until the mixture is smooth and thick yet pourable or spreadable, adjusting the milk as needed.
- Drizzle or spread the caramel icing over the cooled cookies and let it set before stacking or storing.
Pumpkin Cookie Tips
- Chill the dough long enough that it feels firm and easy to scoop; this helps the cookies bake up thick and soft instead of spreading too thin.
- Scoop the dough in uniform mounds so the cookies bake evenly and finish at the same time, which is especially helpful when you’re baking multiple sheets.
- Cool the cookies completely before adding the caramel icing so it doesn’t melt or slide off the tops. If your kitchen is warm, you can chill the cookies briefly before icing.
- Adjust the icing consistency gradually by adding milk a teaspoon at a time; it should drizzle smoothly from a spoon but still hold a soft coating on the cookie.
Recipe Variations
- Make them extra spiced. Increase the cinnamon slightly and add a pinch of cloves or allspice to lean into a stronger pumpkin spice flavor. This works especially well if you like your cookies very aromatic and cozy-tasting.
- Add nuts or chips. Stir in chopped pecans, walnuts, or mini chocolate chips before chilling the dough. The mix-ins add extra texture and flavor without affecting the baking time very much.
- Try a salted caramel finish. Sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel icing while it’s still soft. The salt contrasts with the sweetness and really brings out the caramel and pumpkin flavors.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with coffee, cider, or tea for a cozy afternoon treat.
- Add to a fall dessert platter with bars, muffins, and breads.
- Pair with vanilla ice cream for a soft, spiced contrast.
- Include in cookie tins or gift boxes for holiday baking.
How to Store
- Refrigerate: Once the icing has set, store the cookies in a single layer or with parchment between layers in an airtight container. Keep them at cool room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to about 5 days if your kitchen is warm or you prefer a firmer icing.
- Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to airtight containers or freezer bags with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Pumpkin Cookies With Caramel Icing
These soft pumpkin cookies are finished with an easy caramel-flavored icing.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Icing
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 4 tbsp caramel dessert topping
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tbsp milk
Recommended Equipment
- Stand mixer or handheld
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour | 1 tsp baking powder | 1 tsp baking soda | 2 tsp ground cinnamon | 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg | 1/4 tsp ground ginger | 1/2 tsp salt
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the brown and granulated sugars with 1/2 cup of softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin purée, egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.3/4 cup brown sugar | 3/4 cup granulated sugar | 1/2 cup unsalted butter | 1 cup pumpkin puree | 1 large egg | 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until well blended.
- Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets by rounded tablespoon.
- Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Cool slightly in the pan on a rack, then remove the cookies and place them on a rack to cool completely.
- For the icing, combine the softened butter with the confectioners' sugar, caramel topping, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk in a bowl. Beat until smooth, adding more milk as needed to achieve a drizzling or spreading consistency.3 tbsp butter | 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar | 4 tbsp caramel dessert topping | 1/2 tsp vanilla extract | 1 to 2 tbsp milk
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 91kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 882IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.4mg
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
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