It just wouldn’t be Fall without these Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting. They’re melt in your mouth good and perfect for the holidays.
This recipe has been adapted over the years from numerous sources. My husband’s family was the first inspiration for making these. Every year his Grandmother would send him a box to college and I would definitely reap the benefits of this special delivery. There’s so much nostalgia that comes flooding back when I make these each fall. It’s amazing how a smell can take you right back to a moment in time. These will fill your home with the best, most comforting aroma of Fall.
A couple things make these cookies extra special; the frosting and the fact that they are so soft, almost cake like.
This maple frosting is not just your average cream cheese frosting. We say this truly makes the cookie. You can make these as pretty or as simple as you see fit. There is no wrong way to frost a cookie. I think the easiest way is to put all your frosting in a piping bag and pipe the frosting directly on the cookie. I’ve tried to incorporate some helpful tips below to get you through it.
So if you haven’t noticed already this recipe contains butter. A lot of butter. I swear these are the softest cookies because of it. So melty delicious. After all, it wouldn’t be Fall or the holidays for that matter without a little butter.
Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting
These cookies just scream Fall comfort. A recipe adapted from family and a favorite from when my husband and I were kids. Yes, there is a lot of butter in these but it just wouldn't be the same without it. This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies so share with your friends, family, coworkers and keep the gift of giving alive with these scrumptious little morsels during the holidays.
Ingredients
- 4 sticks {2 cups} Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 whole Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 {15 ounce} can Pumpkin Puree
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 stick {1/2 cup} Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 {8 ounce} package Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Maple Extract
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prep two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Step 2 In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar and eggs on medium speed until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Beat together until combined. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg. Slowly add the flour 1 cup at a time while mixing. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Step 3 On prepared baking sheets, drop cookie dough by the tablespoon evenly spaced. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until cookies are set. Transfer cookies onto wire racks to cool and repeat the baking process until cookie dough is gone
- Step 4 Beat together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and maple extract until combined and fluffy. Frost cooled cookies.
Creaming together butter, sugar and eggs with a paddle attachment is the beginning to all good cookie dough. Scrap the bowl with a spatula every now and then.
Stock up on your pumpkin puree, the holidays and pumpkin flavored everything is here.
I love using Libby’s for all my recipes.
Add the pumpkin and watch the magic happen. It’s a gorgeous fall color of orange. This cookie dough is pretty wet so I like to chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking just so it firms up slightly. Adjust your cooking time if you leave it in longer.
I use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, makes things easier, quicker and a lot less messy.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until cookies are set. I rotated two pans in the oven and worked in batches. Just make sure to let the pans cool slightly before scooping new cookies on the pans.
I love making rosette patterns on cakes, cookies and cupcakes when frosting. It looks impressive but it’s really easy to do.
Using a star tip with a piping bag, sealable plastic bag or a piping container like seen above.
Apply even pressure and pipe starting in the center work in a counterclockwise direction and spiral out to the edges. When you reach the outside stop squeezing but continue to move the tip in a counterclockwise direction to complete the rosette.
Practice makes perfect so don’t worry about the imperfect ones, I just say those are the tester ones. They all taste the same.
The end result are beautiful, delicious, and absolutely sinful pumpkin cookies.
Savor and Enjoy!
