Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies are thick and chewy, starting with a sweet pumpkin cookie topped with creamy pumpkin-spice frosting.
Try some other favorite pumpkin treats: Pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin cheesecake ball, or pumpkin scones.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies
My sister recently had a small, intimate wedding celebration and she wanted me to make some cookies for it. She said my Cinnamon Roll Cookies were her absolute favorite, but she wanted them to have a fall twist to go along with her theme.
Enter Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies! Packed with pumpkin and warm spices, rolled in pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon-sugar, and topped with sweet cream cheese frosting.
They’re soft, chewy, dense, and perfectly spiced. Obsessed is an understatement!
Cookie Base Ingredients
- Butter: Use unsalted to control the salt level (omit extra salt if using salted).
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar works too but won’t be as intense.
- Canned pumpkin: See more on this below.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a great background flavor.
- Flour: Spoon and level to ensure accurate measurement.
- Cornstarch: Helps make the cookies soft.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise.
- Spices: Adjust amounts for a milder or bolder flavor.
Quick Tip
Pumpkin pie spice is a delicious combination of warming spices. You can find it among other spices in the grocery store, or you can make your own!
No Eggs?
Yes, that’s right! There are no eggs in these cookies. The pumpkin actually replaces the need for eggs in this recipe.
Let’s Chat About Pumpkin
- Use solid-packed pumpkin, like Libby’s®. It’s thick, not watery, and has great pumpkin flavor, perfect for these Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies.
- Avoid pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices, making the cookies too sweet and spicy. Stick with plain canned pumpkin.
- Measure carefully. Too much pumpkin makes the cookies cakey. Level the measurement, and if the pumpkin seems watery, dab it with paper towels or cheesecloth to remove extra moisture.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookie Frosting
- Take out butter and cream cheese an hour before starting, so they get to room temperature. Cold ingredients won’t mix smoothly, leaving chunks in the frosting. For a quicker method, see tips below.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, adjusting how much you use based on how sweet or firm you want the frosting.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting; warm cookies will melt the frosting.
- Pipe the frosting in a spiral for a cinnamon roll look. Use a plastic or piping bag, cut the tip, and spiral from the center outward.
Quick Tip
More powdered sugar will make the frosting sweeter and firmer; less powdered sugar will leave the frosting a bit tangier and softer.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookie Tips
- Measure flour right: Scoop flour into the measuring cup, overfill, then flatten it to avoid cakey cookies.
- Roll tall dough balls: Make the dough taller, not round, for chewy centers and crisp edges.
- Chill dough: Keep dough cold before baking to stop over-spreading.
- Bake at 325°F (162°C): Use a liner to avoid bottoms getting too browned.
- Press edges: Right out of the oven, press edges inward for crispy edges and chewy centers. Work fast!
Storage
Leftovers?
Store cookies and frosting separately. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Store frosting in the fridge.
To freeze, freeze dough balls, bake from frozen, and make fresh frosting when serving.
Use Leftover Pumpkin In
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies with chocolate chips
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Steamer kid-friendly fall beverage
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins made without flour
- Not cake-y (crisp edges) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 7 Layer Pumpkin Bars with toffee bits
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies are thick, chewy, and packed with fall flavor. A sweet pumpkin cookie topped with creamy pumpkin-spice frosting makes them irresistible!
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper or silicon baking mat
- Cooling Rack
- Resealable plastic bag or piping bag
Ingredients
Cookie Base
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin I recommend Libby's
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cups flour see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place melted butter in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature (if not then the cookies will be greasy). Then add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth, then add pumpkin and vanilla and whisk again to combine.
- In another bowl, stir together flour (see note 1), cornstarch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined (don't overmix).
- Roll dough into tall, somewhat-cylindrical balls, each 2 tablespoons in size (45 grams). In a small bowl, mix Cinnamon-Sugar Coating ingredients and roll dough balls in the mixture to coat the balls.
- Cover cookie balls with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour. When they have almost finished chilling, preheat the oven to 325℉.
- Place dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat (I only add 6 cookie balls at a time) and bake for 10–14 minutes. Slightly underbake for soft cookies.
- Once done, immediately press cookie edges slightly inward with the back of a spoon. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Beat room-temperature butter and cream cheese until completely smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt, then add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. It may seem like you need more liquid, but just keep beating; it will come together!
- Transfer frosting to a resealable plastic bag or piping bag and cut off the tip. Frost each cooled cookie by piping the frosting in a swirl on top. Sprinkle with leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour, you will pack in way too much flour; instead, use a spoon to scoop it into a measuring cup and then level the top with the back of a table knife.
Storage: Because of the cream cheese frosting, these cookies don’t store or freeze well once they’re frosted. If you have extra cookies that won’t be enjoyed the same day, store the frosting and cookies separately and frost right before serving. Store frosting in an airtight container in the fridge and cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Allow frosting to soften/come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before frosting the cookies.
Freezing: While the cream cheese frosting doesn’t freeze and thaw as nicely, the unbaked cookie dough freezes beautifully. Drop the dough balls on a large sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer frozen dough balls into an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookies straight from the freezer, but you may need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the center is still soft.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 13.6g | Cholesterol: 36.3mg | Sodium: 22.2mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 29.5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very disappointed these just remained balls while baking. Where are the eggs 🤷♀️. I have baked cookies without eggs but not often. I was making these for a girls weekend and no time to do over
Sounds like you may have packed in too much flour for the cookies to stay as balls. This recipe doesn’t need eggs; the pumpkin essentially replaces it!
these look incredible..but can i make them without the pumpkin?
Try this recipe instead:
Ahhh man I’m going to have to up my fitness game since making these. The amount of spices used in these cookies makes it worth it. Reminds me of the perfect mix of pumpkin bread, molasses cookies, and snickerdoodles. I only used 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for the frosting as I tend to like my desserts less sweet, more savory. That butter flavor really came through with that tweak. These are so good that I had to pop out and share some with our mail lady. Thanks for a new recipe!
HAHA! I think I run an extra mile every time I make them too 😉 Thanks so much Rebecca!
These cookies take a little time to make but they are totally worth it! Thanks to the detailed instructions, they turned out perfectly. Absolutely delicious!
I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for taking the time to make this comment! 🙂