A good pumpkin cookie needs to be soft – like a little pillow – and these ones hit the mark every time. I've been baking these for longer than I care to remember, and they never fail to disappear quickly from the cookie jar.
What makes these special is how the pumpkin keeps everything moist while those warm baking spices work their magic. The texture's a bit different from your regular cookie – more like a tiny cake, really – which is exactly what you want with pumpkin.
Now, about that brown sugar frosting. It's not just any old topping. When you cook the brown sugar just right, it gets this deep, almost caramel-like flavor that makes these cookies something to remember. It hardens just enough to give a little crackle when you bite into it.
The nice thing is, you don't need any fancy equipment or special skills. Just mix everything properly, don't rush the baking, and let those cookies cool completely before you frost them. Trust me on this – I learned the hard way about patience and melting frosting.
You know they're done when they spring back just slightly when you touch the top, and they should be a warm golden color, not too dark. That's the sweet spot right there.
Recipe
Pumpkin cookies with brown sugar frosting combine the warm, comforting flavors of fall with a decadent, caramel-like topping. These soft, cake-like cookies feature the perfect balance of pumpkin, warm spices, and a rich frosting that sets them apart from traditional pumpkin desserts.
The tradition of using spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in baked goods can be traced back centuries, much like the classic gingerbread cookies that bring a festive touch to the holiday season, showcasing the history and tradition of gingerbread cookies.
The key to these cookies' success lies in using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, and allowing the cookies to cool completely before applying the brown sugar frosting. The frosting itself transforms into a smooth, buttery topping that complements the subtle pumpkin flavor without overwhelming it.
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- ⅓ cup butter
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. In a separate large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Gradually stir in dry ingredients. Drop rounded tablespoons onto greased baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
For the frosting, melt butter in a saucepan, add brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cool to lukewarm. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Frost cooled cookies.
For best results, store these cookies in an airtight container with wax paper between layers to prevent sticking. The frosting will set at room temperature but may become sticky in warm conditions. If the frosting becomes too thick while working with it, warm it slightly or add a few drops of milk to achieve the right consistency. These cookies can be frozen unfrosted for up to 3 months.
These soft pumpkin cookies topped with brown sugar frosting capture the essence of fall baking. A staple of Midwestern church gatherings and holiday cookie exchanges since the 1950s, they offer a creative twist on traditional pumpkin desserts.
The combination of warm spices and caramel notes from the brown sugar frosting transforms simple pumpkin purée into something more sophisticated than the usual pumpkin pie.
While most pumpkin cookies tend to be dense and cake-like, this version achieves a lighter, more delicate texture through careful balance of ingredients.
Conclusion
Well, let me tell you about these pumpkin cookies – they're absolutely worth your time. After baking batch after batch (someone had to taste them all), I can say they're as reliable as sunrise. At our fall get-together, folks walked right past the usual pies and made a beeline for these instead.
Now, the real magic happens in that frosting. I've found that mixing brown sugar with powdered sugar – two parts brown to one part powdered – gives you this wonderful caramel flavor that just sits right. None of that overly sweet nonsense you get in store-bought treats.
You know how some recipes promise the moon and stars? This one's just honest-to-goodness good baking. Been tweaking it here and there, as you do, but the basics are solid. If you're looking for something different from the usual pumpkin fare, these cookies won't steer you wrong. They're the kind that'll have people asking, "Say, could I get that recipe?"