Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies are thick and chewy, starting with a sweet pumpkin cookie topped with creamy pumpkin-spice frosting.
Try some other favorite pumpkin treats: Pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin cheesecake ball, or pumpkin scones.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies
My sister recently had a small, intimate wedding celebration and she wanted me to make some cookies for it. She said my Cinnamon Roll Cookies were her absolute favorite, but she wanted them to have a fall twist to go along with her theme.
Enter Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies! Packed with pumpkin and warm spices, rolled in pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon-sugar, and topped with sweet cream cheese frosting.
They’re soft, chewy, dense, and evenly spiced. Obsessed is an understatement!
Cookie Base Ingredients
- Butter: Use unsalted to control the salt level (omit extra salt if using salted).
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar works too but won’t be as intense.
- Canned pumpkin: See more on this below.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a great background flavor.
- Flour: Spoon and level to ensure accurate measurement.
- Cornstarch: Helps make the cookies soft.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise.
- Spices: Adjust amounts for a milder or bolder flavor.
Quick Tip
Pumpkin pie spice is a satisfying combination of warming spices. You can find it among other spices in the grocery store, or you can make your own!
No Eggs?
Yes, that’s right! There are no eggs in these cookies. The pumpkin actually replaces the need for eggs in this recipe.
Let’s Chat About Pumpkin
- Use solid-packed pumpkin, like Libby’s®. It’s thick, not watery, and has great pumpkin flavor, reliable for these Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies.
- Avoid pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices, making the cookies too sweet and spicy. Stick with plain canned pumpkin.
- Measure carefully. Too much pumpkin makes the cookies cakey. Level the measurement, and if the pumpkin seems watery, dab it with paper towels or cheesecloth to remove extra moisture.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookie Frosting
- Take out butter and cream cheese an hour before starting, so they get to room temperature. Cold ingredients won’t mix smoothly, leaving chunks in the frosting. For a quicker method, see tips below.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, adjusting how much you use based on how sweet or firm you want the frosting.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting; warm cookies will melt the frosting.
- Pipe the frosting in a spiral for a cinnamon roll look. Use a plastic or piping bag, cut the tip, and spiral from the center outward.
Quick Tip
More powdered sugar will make the frosting sweeter and firmer; less powdered sugar will leave the frosting a bit tangier and softer.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookie Tips
- Measure flour right: Scoop flour into the measuring cup, overfill, then flatten it to avoid cakey cookies.
- Roll tall dough balls: Make the dough taller, not round, for chewy centers and crisp edges.
- Chill dough: Keep dough cold before baking to stop over-spreading.
- Bake at 325°F (162°C): Use a liner to avoid bottoms getting too browned.
- Press edges: Right out of the oven, press edges inward for crispy edges and chewy centers. Work fast!
Storage
Leftovers?
Store cookies and frosting separately. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Store frosting in the fridge.
To freeze, freeze dough balls, bake from frozen, and make fresh frosting when serving.
Use Leftover Pumpkin In
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies with chocolate chips
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Steamer kid-friendly fall beverage
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins made without flour
- Not cake-y (crisp edges) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 7 Layer Pumpkin Bars with toffee bits
