Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

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

If you like this seasonal dessert you may also enjoy our Crescent Roll Apple Pie.

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 a delicious 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.

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.  

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!

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