Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

These Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies are the perfect little bites for fall. They’re light in texture, yet moist – and topped with a dollop of easy-to-make frosting, plus a sprinkling of toasted pecans and flaky sea salt. And yes – they DO practically melt in your mouth!

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

This time of year, nothing feels better than a little pumpkin and spice when it comes to baked treats. These Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies are pretty little bites that I just know you’re going to love!

What’s to love about these easy pumpkin cookies? Well first, I adore soft pumpkin cookies. And while these are both soft and moist, they also have a light texture. The butter does make them almost melt in your mouth! Second, these are topped with a frosting that takes things to a whole new level. And then lastly, a sprinkle of chopped, toasted pecans and a little flaky sea salt tops them off – so very pretty, plus it adds fun texture and flavor!

I’m happy to say that these sweet treats completely live up to their name. Whenever I make these pumpkin cookies, people say, “They practically melt in your mouth!”

What You’ll Need

Both the cookies and frosting are made with basic pantry ingredients – plus the pumpkin, of course!

FOR THE PUMPKIN COOKIES:

• Unsalted butter – Softened but not melted.
• Sugar
• Baking powder & baking soda – Both leavening agents help make these cookies so light and fluffy.
• Kosher salt
• Cinnamon & nutmeg – Add the warm, fall flavor to the cookies.
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract – It’s important to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation in this recipe.
• Canned pumpkin – Be sure to use plain pumpkin, not spiced pumpkin pie filling.
• All-purpose flour

FOR THE FROSTING: 

• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Milk – Any dairy milk will do.
• Pure vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Cinnamon
• Pecans – Chopped and lightly toasted pecans are optional but add a nice crunch.
• Flaky sea salt – Another optional but recommended topping!

How to Make Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

The dough to these easy fall cookies comes together in just the time it takes to preheat the oven. No chilling required!

• Make the pumpkin cookie dough. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Beat butter on high speed, then add the sugar, baking powder, powder soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, then beat in the eggs and vanilla and, finally, the pumpkin. Add in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer then use a wooden spoon to stir in any remaining flour.
• Bake. Drop heaping teaspoons on to greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just until tops are set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Make the frosting. Heat butter and brown sugar in a saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in milk and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
• Frost the cookies. Place a dollop of frosting on the cookies, leaving a small indentation in the center of the frosting. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon, then add pecans and sea salt if desired.

Tips for Success

These soft, chewy pumpkin cookies are easy to make but there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Do not overbake. The tops should be set but still soft when you remove these from the oven. Be sure to transfer to a wire rack so they don’t continue to bake on the pan.
• Don’t frost the entire tray at once. Frost two to three cookies at a time, and then add the cinnamon, pecans, and sea salt. This will let the toppings adhere to the frosting before it sets.
• Add the toppings to your preference. While I love the pumpkin, pecan, and sea salt combination, if nuts aren’t your thing or you’re not a fan of sea salt, you can easily omit them.

Serving Suggestions

Like most cookies, these are their absolute best on the day they are made. Because there’s just nothing like a freshly baked cookie!

In keeping with the fall spirit, I like to enjoy these pumpkin cookies with a glass of tea or coffee. They’re also really good with a quick dip into a glass of milk!

How to Store Leftovers

If you happen to have any leftover cookies (or want to make these in advance), here are the best ways to store them.

• At room temperature. You can store iced pumpkin cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• In the fridge. Frosted pumpkin cookies will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
• Can I freeze pumpkin cookies? These cookies freeze very well. Store them in freezer safe containers, separating layers of cookies with parchment or wax paper, for up to 3 months in the freezer. Allow to thaw in the fridge.

More Easy Pumpkin Recipes:

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Pie Cream Puffs
• Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Layer Cake with Fluffy Cinnamon Whip

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Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Yield: 60 cookies

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

These Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies are the perfect little bites for fall. They're light in texture, yet moist - and topped with a dollop of easy-to-make frosting, plus a sprinkling of toasted pecans and flaky sea salt. And yes - they DO practically melt in your mouth!

Print

Ingredients

for the pumpkin cookies:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

for the frosting: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• cinnamon
• chopped and lightly toasted pecans, optional
• flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. For the pumpkin cookies: Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
2. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Do not over bake. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
3. For the frosting: In a small saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer melted butter to a medium bowl and stir in milk and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
4. With a small spoon, place a dollop of frosting on a cookie, leaving a small indentation in the center of the frosting. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and then add some of the pecans and sea salt, pressing the pecans in ever so slightly to adhere. Frost two to three cookies at a time, so the toppings adhere to the frosting, until all cookies are finished. If desired, omit pecans and sea salt toppings.

Notes

adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 60 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g

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This post was previously published in 2013 and then updated in 2021.