Category: icing

Pumpkin Cookies

Everyone goes crazy for this pumpkin cookies recipe! They come out ultra soft, chewy, and cozy-spiced, drizzled with a sweet…

Everyone goes crazy for this pumpkin cookies recipe! They come out ultra soft, chewy, and cozy-spiced, drizzled with a sweet and simple icing. In our opinion, it’s the perfect fall cookie!

Pumpkin cookies with powdered sugar icing

When it comes to favorite pumpkin recipes, here’s one at the very top for us: these chewy iced pumpkin cookies! Whenever we make these for someone, they rave (recently, our son’s teacher couldn’t say enough about them).

These sweet morsels are lusciously pillowy and chewy, scented with a burst of fall spices and a hint of molasses. The exterior has a subtle sugar crunch and a drizzle of simple sweet icing. Even better, the soft texture holds up for days. They really are the best: great for fall desserts, Halloween, Thanksgiving and everything in between.

Ingredients in this pumpkin cookies recipe

We’re not huge fans of cakey pumpkin cookies. You know, the kind that are basically like little round pumpkin cakes? To us they’re not really cookies, more like cake bites. So with this recipe, we created pumpkin cookies that are soft and chewy, with the texture of a molasses ginger cookie but with pumpkin and pumpkin spices. The key here? Don’t use too much pumpkin puree: it adds lots of moisture which leads to cakey cookies. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this pumpkin cookie recipe:

  • Pumpkin puree: Too much pumpkin makes for cakey cookies. This recipe uses just enough pumpkin.
  • Unsalted butter: Heat the butter until it starts to turn brown and smells nutty, then immediately remove from the heat. Using brown butter adds a deep nuance in flavor (and smells incredible).
  • Egg yolk and molasses: Egg yolk and a bit of molasses helps to make the perfect chewy texture.
  • All-purpose flour and granulated sugar: We don’t recommend using substitutes in this recipe because it significantly alters the texture.
  • Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt: These baking ingredients bring together the spiced pumpkin flavor.
Pumpkin Cookies on baking rack

Tips for baking pumpkin cookies

Cookies can be temperamental, and pumpkin cookies are no different. It’s challenging to get cookies that look perfectly identical. Here are a few tips for upping your baking game:

  • Use a cookie scoop. If you have a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, it’s helpful for portioning the dough perfectly.
  • Bake the trays separately. This is one of our biggest baking tips: bake only one tray of cookies at a time! This ensures the best consistency between the trays because the oven heat is the same for each. (This is even true with new ranges like ours.)
  • Refrigerate the dough in between baking the trays. It’s not required, but it also yields the most consistency. When you don’t chill in between baking, the cookies have slightly more crinkles—while it looks nice, it’s appears slightly different from the first batch. If you’d like you can chill the dough longer than it takes to bake the first tray, but let it come to roughly room temperature before making the balls.

Tip for pumpkin puree brands

There’s a fair amount of variation between pumpkin puree brands. Some are rather dry, and others are very wet.

We’ve found from experimentation that Libby brand of canned pumpkin has the best dry texture for baking. We’re not affiliated with the brand; we’ve just noticed that other brands can be very wet. If you have access to this brand, we’ve found it yields the most consistent results.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Storing leftovers

These pumpkin cookies hold up well over time. This is a must for cookies in our opinion, since you’re making them in such a big batch. Here’s what to note about storing these cookies:

  • Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 week. The texture holds up well: no need to add anything to the container.
  • Store refrigerated for 2 weeks. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
  • Store frozen for up to 3 months. If you can, freeze the cookies un-iced: it doesn’t hold up as well frozen.
Print
Pumpkin cookies

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 26 cookies
Save Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

Everyone goes crazy for this pumpkin cookies recipe! They come out ultra soft, chewy, and cozy-spiced, drizzled with a sweet and simple icing. In our opinion, it’s the perfect fall cookie!

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree (Libby brand is most consistent for baked goods*)

For the glaze (or Maple Glaze)

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Place the butter (sliced into pieces) in a skillet over medium heat. Heat for about 5 minutes until it melts, turns foamy, and then becomes golden brown in color and smells nutty. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to cool (you can also do this in advance and cool it to room temperature).
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
  4. Add the cooled browned butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and mix on High speed for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, molasses and vanilla extract, and beat on High speed for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree and mix just until incorporated, scraping once. Pour in the bowl of dry ingredients and mix on Low speed until just combined.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place ¼ cup granulated sugar on a plate. Roll the dough in 1 ½ tablespoon balls, using a cookie scoop if possible, then roll the ball into the plate of sugar. Repeat for a tray of 12 cookies. Add a single tray to the oven and bake 12 to 13 minutes, until puffed. Chill the remaining dough while baking (recommended but not required; without it the second batch comes out with slightly more crinkles**). Allow to cool on the pan 5 minutes before removing to a baking rack.
  6. Repeat for the second batch of cookies (baking the trays separately yields more even results).
  7. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, milk and melted butter in a small bowl until a thick icing forms (add slightly more sugar if it’s too runny or a hint more milk if too thick). Use a fork to drizzle the icing over the cookies. Wait for about 20 minutes for the icing to dry before serving.
  8. Store at room temperature for about 1 week, refrigerated for 2 weeks (bring to room temperature before serving), or frozen for 3 months (un-iced cookies freeze best).

Notes

*Don’t use pumpkin pie filling! Canned pumpkin can vary in moisture level, and too much moisture makes cakey pumpkin cookies. We’ve found Libby brand canned pumpkin has the best dry texture for baking, while other brands can have more moisture than others.

**You can also chill the dough longer than it takes to bake the first tray, but let it come to roughly room temperature before making the balls. (Baking the dough right from chilled yields different results.)

Variation: Try this Maple Glaze for topping the cookies. 

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Fall
  • Diet: Vegetarian

A few more pumpkin recipes

‘Tis the season! Here are a few more pumpkin recipes you’ll love:

Peach Cobbler Muffins

These peach cobbler muffins are a delicious mashup of a muffin with everyone’s favorite summer dessert! Each fluffy muffin is…

These peach cobbler muffins are a delicious mashup of a muffin with everyone’s favorite summer dessert! Each fluffy muffin is packed with juicy peaches and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze, capturing the warm, comforting flavors of peach cobbler in every bite.

Peach Cobbler Muffins

Why we love this recipe

Here’s everyone’s favorite summer dessert turned into a muffin: peach cobbler muffins! As cookbook authors and recipe developers, we’ve found that mashup recipes are always fun. Take two great things and put them together—greatness is born!

These muffins are light and fluffy, with the perfect springy crumb from buttermilk. The peaches add a juicy hit to each bite, and the top is drizzled with a simple vanilla icing to mimic the vanilla ice cream traditionally served with peach cobbler. We created these inspired by some ripe peaches on our counter, and our friends and family were head over heels!

Ingredient notes for peach cobbler muffins

These peach cobbler muffins come together simply, but you’ve got to have two star ingredients: ripe peaches and buttermilk. (They can still be good without it, but not as good.) We’ve formulated this recipe to make very tall, soft, and fluffy muffins. Here’s a rundown:

  • Peaches: Make sure your peaches are ripe, sweet and juicy. You can’t make up for it with sugar!
  • Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes the most consistent texture and rise! A buttermilk substitute can work, but it’s much better with the real thing and is worth a trip to the store (we promise).
  • Butter and oil. Butter and oil work uniquely in baked goods. We like using a combination, which makes the best
  • Vanilla extract and cinnamon: These add a cozy nuance to the flavor that is reminiscent of peach cobbler.
  • All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt: These common baking ingredients round out the recipe.
Peaches

Tips for baking peach muffins

This peach muffins recipe is a riff on our rhubarb muffins, which makes a very tall, fluffy muffin with a large muffin top (which is key with muffins, we think!). Here are a few tricks to this recipe:

  • Oil or grease the top of the muffin tins. Because the tops of these muffins are very large, they can extend over the tops of the cups. This makes sure that they don’t stick to the pan.
  • Fill the muffin cups up to the top. Here you’ll muffin cups very full up to the top, which makes for beautifully tall and fluffy muffins. You can discard extra batter once all the muffin cups are filled.
  • Baking at 375°F makes a taller muffin. A slightly hotter oven makes a taller and fluffier muffin, versus the standard 350°F.
  • Use a butter knife to help loosen the muffin tops from the pan when removing them, if necessary.

Vanilla icing and other topping ideas

This vanilla icing adds a nice hit of sweetness to these peach cobbler muffins, and is reminiscent of the peach ice cream you’d use to traditionally top a cobbler. It’s a spin on our 1 minute powdered sugar icing. Here are a few notes about the icing and some other topping ideas:

  • Use more or less liquid to get the desired consistency. Add just enough liquid until it is easy to drizzle. We used heavy cream for this recipe, but you can also use milk like in our standard powdered sugar icing.
  • Use a fork to drizzle the icing. This helps to make nice thin lines, versus using a spoon (which is harder to control).
  • For a different topping, try streusel or cream cheese glaze. Use the streusel topping in these rhubarb muffins, or this cream cheese glaze.

Storing leftovers

These peach cobbler muffins taste great the day of, and they’re best eaten the day of baking. You can store at room temperature covered with a towel about 2 days if iced or refrigerated for up to 1 week (allow to come to room temperature before serving). You can also store frozen without glaze for up to 3 months.

Peach Muffins with Vanilla Drizzle.

Dietary notes

These peach cobbler muffins are vegetarian. For vegan, use Vegan Blueberry Muffins and substitute peaches, or use a flax egg and non-dairy milk of your choice in the recipe below.

More peach recipes

Got peaches? You’ll love these peach recipes: try peaches and cream oatmeal to start the day, or simple peach burrata salad. Bake up a peach crisp, peach crumble, or fresh peach pie, or try our tasty peach salsa.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen peaches instead of fresh?

You can substitute frozen or canned peaches (no sugar added). For frozen, allow them to thaw until you can dice them, then discard any extra liquid. 

The icing is too thick/thin. What can I do?

If the icing is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until it thickens up.

Can I use a different liquid for the icing?

Yes, you can use any type of milk you prefer, such as almond milk, oat milk, or skim milk. Start with slightly less than the recipe specifies and add more as necessary.

Can I add other ingredients to the muffins, like nuts or spices?

Absolutely! Chopped pecans, walnuts, or a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg would all be delicious additions.

I don’t have muffin liners. Can I still make these?

Yes, you can grease the muffin tin well with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Print
Peach Cobbler Muffins

Peach Cobbler Muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12
Save Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

These peach cobbler muffins are a delicious mashup of a muffin with everyone’s favorite summer dessert! Each fluffy muffin is packed with juicy peaches and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze, capturing the warm, comforting flavors of peach cobbler in every bite.

Ingredients

For the peach muffins

  • 2 cups peaches, peeled and finely chopped (2 large peaches; about 1 pound; see notes)
  • 2 cups [280 g] all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  • ¾ cup buttermilk (see Notes)
  • 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil (grapeseed, canola, or vegetable oil)
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Turbinado sugar for topping (or additional granulated sugar)

For the vanilla icing

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream or milk (plus more as desired)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Peel and chop the peaches (if the peaches are very ripe you can pull of with your fingers, or go to How to Peel Peaches for our easy method). Save out 1 handful of peaches for a topping. In a small bowl, mix the remaining peaches with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. 
  3. Place muffin wrappers in 12-cup muffin tins (see Notes). Spray or rub the top of the pan with oil (so the tops don’t stick after baking).
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, neutral oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
  6. Pour the wet ingredients for the batter into the well in the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined and there are no longer streaks of flour.
  7. Add the bowl of peaches and fold them in with a spatula, taking care not to overwork the batter. Scoop the batter into the muffin papers using a dough scoop: it should fill to the top of the muffin papers. (You may have some batter left over, which you can discard or make very tall muffins.) Sprinkle the tops with the handful of peaches, then add a sprinkle of turbinado sugar (or more granulated sugar). 
  8. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few crumbs, about 20 to 26 minutes total (rotate the pans halfway through baking). Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to fully cool, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. If necessary, when removing the muffins use a butter knife to slide under any bits of the muffins tops that stick to the muffin pan.  
  9. When ready to glaze, in a medium bowl mix together the vanilla, cream or milk, and the powdered sugar until a thick icing forms. If the texture is not drizzle-able, add a few more drops liquid and continue stirring until it comes together (if you add too much liquid, even it out by adding a little more powdered sugar). Drizzle a small amount with a fork over each of the muffins. Allow to dry for 10 minutes. 
  10. The muffins taste great the day of, or store at room temperature covered with a towel about 2 days if iced or refrigerated for up to 1 week (allow to come to room temperature before serving). You can also store frozen without glaze for up to 3 months.

Notes

You can also substitute frozen or canned peaches (no sugar added). For frozen, allow them to thaw until you can dice them, then discard any extra liquid. 

For the most even baking, you can place the muffin wrappers into every other hole in 2 12-cup muffin tins.

Buttermilk is the magic ingredient which makes the most consistent texture and rise! A buttermilk substitute can work, but it’s much better with the real thing and is worth a trip to the store (we promise).

  • Category: Muffins
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Muffins
  • Diet: Vegetarian