Amazing 24 Glazed Pumpkin Cookies melt

Oh my gosh, is it officially pumpkin spice season yet? Because I want to shout from the rooftops about these Glazed Pumpkin Cookies! Honestly, nothing beats that first bite of soft, wonderfully spiced cookie topped with a sweet, crackly vanilla glaze. These aren’t those thin, crispy pumpkin cookies; nope, these are cakey giants that just melt in your mouth. I’ve tried a million fall baking recipes over the years, but this one is my absolute go-to. It’s fast, uses everyday pantry staples, and the smell that fills the house while they bake is pure heaven. Trust me, you need these in your autumn rotation!

If you’re already deep into fall treats, check out my favorite pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe too, but these glazed ones are special!

Why This Glazed Pumpkin Cookies Recipe Works So Well

We need to talk about why these particular Glazed Pumpkin Cookies rise above the rest. It’s not just the glaze, though that helps! It’s all about the science of soft baking that goes into the actual cookie structure.

I’ve linked some other great cookie recipes you might want to try later from my friends over at their bake sale page, but stick with me here for the pumpkin magic.

Perfectly Soft Texture

The secret weapon here is that cup of pumpkin puree. It’s basically built-in moisture insurance! That puree keeps the cookies super tender—almost like a little cake top—so they never get dry or hard, even days later. They just stay soft!

Balanced Fall Spices

You can’t just dump cinnamon in and call it a day, right? We use cinnamon for warmth, ginger for that tiny little kick, and nutmeg to bring in that classic autumn depth. The combination is perfect; it tastes like fall without being overwhelming!

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Okay, gathering your ingredients is half the battle, and it’s important you get these right so your Glazed Pumpkin Cookies turn out just like mine. I always lay everything out first; it saves me from grabbing the wrong container halfway through mixing! Seriously, read those notes on the pumpkin—that makes a huge difference.

If you ever want to skip the spice measuring later, I have a great post on just making simple icing, but for these cookies, the spices are key!

For the Glazed Pumpkin Cookies Dough

We need the basics for that soft, cakey body. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling, please! That stuff has too much extra junk in it.

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (Make sure it’s 100% puree, not pie filling!)
• 1/2 cup of softened, unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar—the darker the better for that yummy molasses flavor
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 full teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Simple Vanilla Glaze

This glaze sets up nice and clean, making the cookies look professional! I always start with less milk than listed and only add more one tiny teaspoon at a time. You want thick, but pourable.

• 2 cups powdered sugar (sifted, if you can!)
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Use the good stuff here!)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Putting these Glazed Pumpkin Cookies together is surprisingly fast, especially since they bake up so quickly! We’re aiming for soft, plump cookies, so pay attention to how you mix. I always try to finish the whole baking process before I even think about my evening show, that’s how quick these are.

It’s important that you check out my tips on making extra-delicious chocolate chip cookies too, because the creaming process we use here is similar!

Preparing the Dough and Baking the Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

First things first: get that oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line those baking sheets. Don’t skip the parchment paper or you’ll be scraping cookies off the metal!

In your big bowl, cream that softened butter and brown sugar together until it’s smooth—no lumps allowed! Then beat in the egg and your pumpkin puree. Now, in a separate bowl, whisk your dry stuff: flour, baking soda, salt, and all those gorgeous spices. Remember this rule: you add the dry to the wet gradually, mixing until it’s *just* combined. Seriously, stop mixing when you still see a few little flour streaks. Overmixing is the enemy of soft cookies!

Drop rounded tablespoon scoops onto your lined sheets, space them about two inches apart so they have room to puff up. Bake them for just 10 to 12 minutes until the edges look set. Let them take a little breather on the hot sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to the rack to cool completely. They need to be totally cool before we glaze!

Making and Applying the Vanilla Glaze

While they cool, make the glaze. Super simple: whisk your powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until you have a smooth, shiny liquid. If it looks too stiff—like paste—add milk literally one tiny teaspoon at a time until it drizzles nicely off your whisk. If it’s too thin, add a spoonful more sugar.

This part is non-negotiable: the cookies must be 100% cooled. If they’re even slightly warm, that glaze will turn into sticky soup all over the counter. Once they are cool, you can either quickly dip the tops right into the bowl or use a fork to drizzle zig-zags over the tops. Let them sit for about 30 minutes so that glaze gets nice and firm before you stack them up!

Tips for Achieving Perfect Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

You know I love tweaking recipes, but for these Glazed Pumpkin Cookies, a few small adjustments can keep them perfect every single time. Baking is part science, right? We can follow the steps exactly, but sometimes the weather or the humidity needs a counter-move from us bakers!

It’s always fun to see what people do with cookie dough—I think my recipe for cookie dough dip is getting more popular than the cookies themselves!

Adjusting Dough Consistency

If you find your cookies are spreading out too much into thin puddles on the baking sheet, don’t panic! That usually means your butter was too warm, or the dough is just eager to bake. The number one trick is chilling the dough. Scoop your balls out onto the tray, then pop the whole tray into the fridge for maybe 30 minutes. Chilling solidifies the fat in the dough. When that cold dough hits the hot oven, it takes longer to melt, so they hold their fluffy shape instead of spreading thin!

Spice Substitution Note

Sometimes you just don’t want to pull out three separate jars for spices. If you are in a rush or low on one of the spices, you can totally substitute! If you already have a jar of pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice in your cupboard, use 2 teaspoons of that in place of the separate cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg measurements. It’s an easy swap that keeps that lovely warm flavor profile intact for your amazing Glazed Pumpkin Cookies.

Variations on Your Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Even though this recipe for Glazed Pumpkin Cookies is basically perfect out of the gate, I always love hearing how you folks like to customize things! Since these cookies are so nicely balanced, they take additions really well without collapsing under the weight of extra goodies. It’s fun to change them up for holidays or just when you get bored!

If these turn out great, you absolutely have to try my recipe for blueberry cookies next time you want a fruity break from the spice!

Glaze Flavor Twists

The vanilla glaze is a great place to start experimenting. If you want the glaze to lean even harder into that fall vibe, try whisking in a tiny pinch of extra nutmeg right into the powdered sugar mixture. Or, if you feel like getting fancy, swap just one teaspoon of the milk for pure maple extract. It gives the glaze this lovely, unexpected warmth that plays so nicely with the cookie underneath.

Adding Texture to Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

If you like a little crunch along with your soft chew, toss some mix-ins into the dough right before you stop mixing! Chopped pecans are a classic pairing with pumpkin, so fold those in gently. If you’re feeling sweet, white chocolate chips melt just enough to be gooey but still provide a nice textural contrast to the soft pumpkin base.

Storing Your Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Now that you’ve made the most amazing batch of Glazed Pumpkin Cookies ever, we have to talk about keeping them that way! If you’re anything like me, you plan on eating them over several days, and nobody wants a sticky-sweet pile of cookies that has melted together into one giant pumpkin brick.

I’ve shared some tips below on how I manage storing them, especially once that beautiful vanilla glaze dries. You might also want to check out my recipe for Boston Cream Poke Cake if you’re looking for another dessert that stores well!

Room Temperature Storage

For these soft pumpkin cookies, the counter is actually the best place for them until they start to get old. I keep them in a single layer in a large cookie tin or an airtight plastic container. If you stack them, you absolutely have to put a layer of parchment paper in between them, or that lovely glaze will stick to the cookie above it and create a sticky mess!

They should stay beautifully moist and soft for about three to four days this way. After that, they are still good, but I find the texture starts getting a tiny bit firmer, which is when I move to freezing!

Freezing Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

I’m going to tell you a secret: freezing these cookies is much easier if you freeze them *before* you glaze them. The glaze holds up alright, but if you have a lot of cookies, it gets fiddly. So, scoop your dough balls, place them on a parchment-lined sheet, and freeze them until solid.

Once frozen solid, transfer those dough balls into a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to bake, just pull out what you need and bake straight from frozen—you’ll just need to add about 3 to 4 extra minutes to the bake time. If you *must* freeze them already glazed, lay them out on the tray with parchment separating them until the glaze is rock hard, then stack them with parchment dividers. Thaw them on the counter after baking, not in the fridge!

Frequently Asked Questions About Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

I know everyone bakes things a little differently, and sometimes you still have questions even after reading everything above! That’s totally fine. These Glazed Pumpkin Cookies are straightforward, but a few little sticking points trip people up. I’ve gathered up the most common things readers ask me about right here, so hopefully, we can clear everything up!

If you love these cookies, I know you’ll enjoy making my Boston Cream Poke Cake soon, too!

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of puree for these Glazed Pumpkin Cookies?

Oh, please don’t! I know it seems easier, but canned pumpkin pie filling is already mixed with sweeteners and spices—we already measured our perfect spice blend for these cookies! Plus, the filling usually has a higher liquid content than the pure puree. If you use the filling, your Glazed Pumpkin Cookies will spread out into pancakes and might not ever fully set up right in the oven because of all that extra moisture.

Why are my Glazed Pumpkin Cookies spreading too much?

This is almost always a temperature issue, I find. If your butter was way too soft, or if the dough sat out on the counter too long before you scooped it, it’s going to melt fast when it hits the heat. Remember what I said? If you notice they are looking a little too flat even after 5 minutes in the oven, take the tray out immediately and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes before finishing the bake!

How long does the glaze take to set on the cookies?

This depends heavily on how humid it is in your kitchen that day, but generally, I say give the glaze at least 30 to 45 minutes to set up hard enough for stacking. If you’re in a rush, you can pop the tray into the fridge for about 10 minutes—just watch them closely so they don’t sweat when they come back out into the warm room.

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Now, I’m definitely not a nutritionist—I’m a cook who loves feeding people! But I always try to give you guys a snapshot of what you’re looking at nutritionally, just so you have an idea. Please keep in mind that this is a rough estimate based on my standard measurements and typical brands. If you swap butter for coconut oil, or go crazy with the glaze, these numbers will shift!

When you’re dealing with that sweet glaze, the sugar content is high, so enjoy these in moderation!

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 200
• Sugar: 25g
• Sodium: 80mg
• Fat: 9g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 25mg

See? They’re totally worth it! Just maybe save the cookie tin for special occasions, or make a small batch so you don’t accidentally eat all 24 servings in one afternoon like I’ve been known to do!

Share Your Baking Success

Whew, you made them! Now that your kitchen smells like the best parts of autumn, I really, really want to know what you think of these Glazed Pumpkin Cookies. Honestly, the best part of sharing a recipe is hearing back from folks who tried it!

Did your glaze set firm right away, or did you have to be patient? Did you add any fun little texture bits? Tell me everything in the comments below! A five-star rating really helps my little blog get noticed, too, so please leave one if you loved how soft and spiced they turned out.

And if you took a gorgeous picture of your finished cookies—especially if the glaze is looking perfect—you have to tag me on social media! Tagging me helps others see how amazing these cookies look made at home. You can reach out directly if you ever have questions or need help troubleshooting anything, too; just head over to my contact page!

Happy baking, friends. I hope these cookies bring as much joy to your table as they have to mine!

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