Hi and good morning!
I’m popping in today with a bonus recipe for you all, because these Pumpkin Cookies were way too good to not be in your inboxes immediately.
My first job out of college was at a local bakery that was famous for their Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting. They were gloriously puffy and moist, filled with warm pumpkin spices, and topped with a melt in your mouth brown sugar frosting.
I have spent the last decade trying to match the glory of those cookies, and I’ve finally done it.
Everyone in my family has gone nuts over these. Usually by the time I finish testing a recipe, I’m sick of it, but I’m still going back for one (or two) every day. And my youngest, who was reluctant to even try them, requested them for his birthday.
Please make them and share them and enjoy them all fall long! I’m thinking they might even deserve a spot on the Thanksgiving table.
You can find step by step photos of the cookies here, and step by steps of the old fashioned penuche (pronounced “pen-OO-chee”) frosting here.
And if you’re feeling the need to double down on the pumpkin, please also check out my beloved One Bowl Pumpkin Bread, this “Is It Breakfast or Dessert?” Pumpkin Crumb Cake, and our creepy fun Pumpkin Dirt Pudding Graveyard Parfaits.
PSST! You may have noticed on the Subscribe button above that paid subscriptions are LIVE. The first exclusive recipe for paid members won’t go out until the last week of October, but if you want to be extra ready, you can go ahead and upgrade now! I’m so excited to share these extra goodies with you!
Soft Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
Please note my recipes might include affiliate links. If you purchase through a link, I may receive a percentage of the sale.
For the cookies:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin purée
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the frosting:
½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup hot milk (2% or whole)
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teespoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and pinch cloves.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 stick softened butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and 3/4 granulated sugar on medium high speed for 4-5 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffy.
Add 2 eggs, beating after each addition, then stir in a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed until well combined, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a few times.
Use a jumbo cookie scoop (about 2 Tablespoons of dough) to scoop 12 cookies onto each tray, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are set. If you pat the top with a finger, it should spring back rather than leave an indent. Allow the cookies to cool a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
While the cookies bake, prepare the frosting. Melt 1 stick of salted butter in a sauce pot over medium heat.
Add 1 cup brown sugar and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, lower the heat to medium low and maintain a gentle boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, then cool for 15 minutes. At this point, the frosting will look thick and slightly grainy.
Whisk in 1/4 cup hot milk until smooth. The mixture should turn smooth and glossy.
Whisk in 2 cups sifted powdered sugar until the mixture is thick and spreadable. Use an offset spatula to spread frosting on the cooled cookies. This frosting will harden as it cools, so it’s best to spread it immediately after it’s made, while it’s still warm. To rewarm or keep the frosting warm, nestle the sauce pot inside a wide, shallow pan of simmering water (Like a janky double boiler). You can also add a splash of hot water to the frosting to incorporate any dry crumbs.
Notes
If you don’t have salted butter for the frosting, just add a few pinches of salt at the end.
If you want to make smaller cookies, use a standard size cookie scoop and subtract 2 minutes from the baking time. This should make about 36 cookies.
The cookies keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I put parchment paper in between the layers. After 5 days, the frosting will start to get soft and soak into the parchment, so I recommend eating or sharing before then!