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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

September 2, 2020 by Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life 1 Comment

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These moist and fluffy pumpkin cookies with a rich and creamy cream cheese icing tastes like fall and keeps you coming back for more.

Center of moist and fluffy homemade pumpkin cookie with cream cheese icing

Farmhouse Pumpkin Cookie Recipe

Cooler days, school starting and preparing to harvest crops on the farm always makes me crave cookies and recipes with pumpkin or apple. The sweet and creamy icing creates a perfect balance for the pumpkin flavors and autumn.

I love Pumpkin Spice Bread warmed with a little butter for breakfast and my son loves these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Applesauce for an after school snack. We all enjoy dipping graham crackers in some Pumpkin Fluff or making Pumpkin Pie Cake or a Big Batch of Pumpkin Pies closer to Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin can go in a recipe for any meal of the day. These cookies with icing make an obvious dessert, but the plain pumpkin cookies fit in for a slightly sweet treat at any meal. We enjoy how pumpkin cookies are sweet but not so sweet that you’re biting into something super sugary.

 

Cream cheese icing on homemade pumpkin cookies on fall colored plaid napkin

Shortening Versus Butter 

A college friend collected her family and friends’ best recipes and compiled a little cookbook to help celebrate her wedding.  Or maybe someone made it for her.  It was 2004, so the details aren’t with me, but I know I still have a nice little cookbook with some great recipes like Quick Pizza Dip, Overnight Salad and several more I want to make.

This original recipe calls for shortening in the cookies and icing.  Shortening creates a stiffer more shallow flavor. Butter creates a deeper and richer flavor. If you have a body that can handle dairy products you MUST use butter as there is no comparison in the flavor that real butter brings to the cookies and icing.  

Baking rack of pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting

Storage and Freezing

Since these cookies are so moist they do spoil after a few days on the counter at room temperature.  Store cookies in the refrigerator for up to a week and freeze them in a self-sealing bag or container for up to three months.  

I like to chill the cookies before placing in a single layer in a small baggie.  As long as the icing has set and is fairly protected during the freezing process you’ll never know the cookies were frozen. 

The cookies can actually be eaten frozen right out of the freezer, I’m mildly embarrassed to admit I’ve performed this test. The cookies do taste better after having an hour or so to warm up a little bit.  

We love to make a whole batch of cookies and freeze the extras with or without icing. When we freeze them without icing a can of cream cheese icing can be used to sweeten the fall treat!

Cream cheese frosting on cookies with pumpkin on a cooking rack

How to Make Pumpkin Cookies

  1. Mix sugar, pumpkin, butter and cream cheese together.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl and slowly mix into pumpkin mixture.
  3. Drop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. While cookies are cooling mix up icing. Ice once cookies are cool.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Cookies

  • Since cookies are so moist they store best in a single layer or with parchment paper separating the layers
  • This batch of icing will make a thin layer on each cookie, make 1 1/2 batches for a thicker layer of cream cheese icing
  • Chill cookies in a single layer to allow cookies and icing to set before freezing cookies in a single layer

Other Easy and Delicious Cookie Recipes

  • Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Cottage Cheese Cookies
  • Cheesecake Cookie Bars
  • Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
  • Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Also check out another great Cream Cheese Icing from my friend Carlee.

Printable Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

Bite out of moist pumpkin cookie with cream cheese icing

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

These moist and fluffy pumpkin cookies with a rich and creamy cream cheese icing taste like fall and keep you coming back for more.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 131kcal
Author: Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 teaspoons milk

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375°F. Mix all cookie ingredients.
  • Drop dough by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet, bake 8 to 10 minutes until light brown. Allow cookies to cool.
  • Mix up icing and beat ingredients well. Add milk slowly to reach desired consistency. Spread icing on cookies.

Notes

  • Since cookies are so moist they store best in a single layer or with parchment paper separating the layers
  • This batch of icing will make a thin layer on each cookie, make 1 1/2 batches for a thicker layer of cream cheese icing
  • Chill cookies in a single layer to allow cookies and icing to set before freezing cookies in a single layer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1262IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Follow me@PlowingThroughLife and mention #PlowingThroughLife!

Filed Under: Desserts, Food & Recipes Tagged With: cookie, pumpkin

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Comments

  1. Carlee

    September 3, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    These look like a little bit of fall heaven. I don’t think they will make it to the oven

    Reply

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