I finally perfected my Spiced Pumpkin Cookies and I’m sharing the surprising trick behind their chewy centers and crackly spiced sugar topping.

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I wasn’t going to mess with pumpkin cookies this year but then I tried a batch that changed everything. I wanted chewy centers that actually melt, and the balance of ground cinnamon with pumpkin puree does exactly that, like a tiny autumn surprise in each bite.

They look simple but taste like you put effort in, and honestly they fit right into my Easy Pumpkin Baked Goods rotation. Also these are the kind of Spiced Pumpkin Cookies you bring when someone needs cheering up, or when you want to impress without doing too much work.

Try one warm and see.

Ingredients

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Pumpkin puree: Adds moisture, some fiber and vitamin A, not sweet like pie filling.
All-purpose flour: Gives structure and chew, mostly carbohydrates, little protein without eggs.
Brown sugar: Sweetness plus molasses flavor, helps cookies stay soft and chewy.
Butter: Fat that adds richness and flavor, helps create crisp edges.
Egg plus yolk: Bring protein, glue like binding and lift, makes dough tender and cohesive.
Spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves): Tiny amounts, big aroma, mostly antioxidants, give warm, spiced pumpkin flavor.
Cornstarch: Helps with chew and softness by tenderizing gluten, small trick bakers use.
Granulated sugar: Adds crunch especially in topping, increases spread, pure sweet simple carbohydrate.
Vanilla extract: Tiny boost of flavor, rounds sweetness and brightens spices, almost always needed.

Ingredient Quantities

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (about 220 g)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170 g)

1 cup packed light brown sugar (about 200 g)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (about 100 g)

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup pumpkin puree, not pie filling (about 240 g)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the spiced sugar topping 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to Make this

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1. Preheat your oven to 350 F 175 C and line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat, place the racks in the middle of the oven.

2. In a bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until evenly mixed, set aside.

3. In a mixer or with a strong spoon cream the softened butter with the light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scrape the bowl down once or twice.

4. Beat in the large egg and then the extra egg yolk until combined, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until smooth, the dough will be soft and a little sticky and that is ok.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, mixing on low and stopping as soon as you see no streaks of flour, do not overmix or the cookies will get cakey.

6. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the spiced sugar topping.

7. Use a medium cookie scoop or about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball in the spiced sugar to coat and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If your dough feels too loose or you want thicker cookies chill the scooped balls for 30 to 60 minutes before baking.

8. Bake on the middle rack for about 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops have slight crackle and are no longer glossy; the centers should still be soft because they firm up while cooling.

9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350 F / 175 C) and baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats
2. Mixing bowls, at least two (one for dry, one for wet)
3. Whisk for the dry ingredients
4. Electric mixer or a strong spoon to cream butter and sugar
5. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you want precise weights)
6. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl
7. Medium cookie scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure to portion dough
8. Small bowl and teaspoon to mix the spiced sugar topping
9. Wire cooling rack and a flat spatula to transfer cookies

FAQ

Q: Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No, dont use pie filling. Pie filling has extra sugar and spices which will mess with the cookie texture and sweetness. If thats all you have, cut the recipe sugar by about half and skip the added spices, but results will still be different.

Q: Why is there cornstarch and an extra egg yolk in the dough?

Cornstarch helps make the cookies soft and chewy instead of cakey. The extra yolk adds fat so the center stays tender and rich. Skip them and the cookies will be drier and more cake like.

Q: Can I swap the butter for oil or margarine?

Butter gives the best flavor and helps with chewiness so its recommended. Margarine will work but cookies may spread more and taste different. Oil will change texture and flavor a lot, so avoid if you want classic results.

Q: How do I stop the cookies from spreading too much?

Chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes before baking, measure flour properly, and dont over soften the butter. Bake until edges are set but centers still look a bit soft, they firm up while cooling.

Q: How should I store or freeze these cookies?

Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days, or in the fridge up to a week. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months. You can also freeze shaped dough balls on a tray, then bag them; bake from frozen adding a minute or two to the time.

Q: How do I get the spiced sugar topping to stick and look nice?

Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar just before baking and press down slightly. That helps it adhere and gives a crackly, sugary top. If sugar falls off before baking, press it on again right before they go in the oven.

Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour — swap for whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 or a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend (with xanthan). Whole wheat pastry keeps it tender but a bit nuttier, gluten free works fine if the blend is meant for cookies. If dough feels dry add 1 tablespoon milk at a time.
Unsalted butter — use solid coconut oil or vegetable shortening 1:1. Coconut oil gives a slight coconut note and may need longer chilling so cookies dont spread too much; shortening makes them a bit more tender and neutral tasting.
1 cup packed light brown sugar — replace with 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses (stir well) for a close brown sugar flavor, or use 1:1 coconut sugar for a less molasses-y, slightly drier result. Using the granulated+molasses keeps chewiness best.
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk — for an egg free option use aquafaba (chickpea liquid): about 3 tablespoons per egg, so ~4 1/2 tablespoons for this recipe. Aquafaba keeps cookies chewy and gives good structure, but dough may be a touch stickier so chill before baking.

Pro Tips

– Chill the dough longer if you want thicker, more flavorful cookies. Quick trick: freeze scooped balls for 10 to 20 minutes if you dont have time, or refrigerate overnight to let the spices mellow and brown sugar hydrate the dough.

– Measure flour the right way. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it or better yet use a kitchen scale, too much flour makes them dry and cakey and too little makes them spread.

– Watch pumpkin moisture. If your pumpkin seems watery, drain it or cook it down a little, or pat it with paper towels before adding. Extra moisture is the main reason cookies go flat, so add a tablespoon of flour or chill longer if needed.

– Pull cookies out when the tops are matte and slightly cracked and the centers still look a bit soft, they firm up as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a rack so they dont fall apart.

Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Nicky Smith

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected my Spiced Pumpkin Cookies and I'm sharing the surprising trick behind their chewy centers and crackly spiced sugar topping.

Servings

servings

Calories

148

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350 F / 175 C) and baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats
2. Mixing bowls, at least two (one for dry, one for wet)
3. Whisk for the dry ingredients
4. Electric mixer or a strong spoon to cream butter and sugar
5. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you want precise weights)
6. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl
7. Medium cookie scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure to portion dough
8. Small bowl and teaspoon to mix the spiced sugar topping
9. Wire cooling rack and a flat spatula to transfer cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (about 220 g)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170 g)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (about 200 g)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (about 100 g)
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup pumpkin puree, not pie filling (about 240 g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the spiced sugar topping 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 F 175 C and line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat, place the racks in the middle of the oven.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until evenly mixed, set aside.
In a mixer or with a strong spoon cream the softened butter with the light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scrape the bowl down once or twice.
Beat in the large egg and then the extra egg yolk until combined, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until smooth, the dough will be soft and a little sticky and that is ok.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, mixing on low and stopping as soon as you see no streaks of flour, do not overmix or the cookies will get cakey.
In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the spiced sugar topping.
Use a medium cookie scoop or about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball in the spiced sugar to coat and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If your dough feels too loose or you want thicker cookies chill the scooped balls for 30 to 60 minutes before baking.
Bake on the middle rack for about 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops have slight crackle and are no longer glossy; the centers should still be soft because they firm up while cooling.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for longer.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.