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!
Servings: 20 cookies
Cost: $4.12
Equipment
- Parchment paper or silicon baking mat
- 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
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