Pumpkin Cookies with Naturally Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting
Easy recipe for soft & chewy pumpkin cookies made with healthy ingredients, like fresh pumpkin puree! Iced with naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting. You can even add chocolate chips! I may even admit they are better than pumpkin swirl black bean brownies!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 18-24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (I use Turbinado sugar)
- 1 tsp molasses
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cup canned or homemade pumpkin puree (1 15 oz can minus 1/4 cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
Frosting
- 1–8 oz brick cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
- In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter and granulated sugar until the color is very light, about 5-7 full minutes.
- Add 2 Tbsp maple syrup, molasses, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and mix well until combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until JUST combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheet. 1 scoop of dough will yield smaller, more bite-sized cookies. 2 scoops of dough will yield slightly bigger, more “normal” sized cookies.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden to light brown underneath. Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a stand mixer, blender, OR by hand, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Add the salt and taste, adjusting the sweetener as desired.
- Smear frosting on each cookie and sprinkle with additional cinnamon for decoration, if desired.
Notes
Storing
- These are THE BEST the day they’re baked. But they hold up well for a few days if you keep them in a sealed container.
- Unless you have oodles of fridge space, I recommend making the frosting and storing it in a separate container. Then frost the pumpkin cookies right before eating or serving.
- These cookies also freeze well unfrosted! Thaw to room temperature before frosting and you have an instant dessert ready for those holiday gatherings.
Nutrition
- Calories: 615
Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/pumpkin-cookies/