Soft Pumpkin Cookies topped with Coffee Frosting are one of my favorite Fall desserts! If you can’t get enough of coffee combined with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, then this is the treat for you.
Who said Pumpkin Spice Latte’s are only for drinking?!
Ha!
I love adding coffee to my baked goods, like my Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread or Cappuccino Muffins. If you’re a coffee lover like me, then you totally get it.
Unfortunately, I have to be careful how much coffee I consume on a daily basis. If I drink too much, the caffeine shakes quickly take over. It’s a real bummer!
So instead of drinking coffee every day, I’ve been enjoying adding coffee flavor to more and more of my baked goods. So I don’t get quite as much caffeine, but I can still enjoy that yummy coffee flavor. It’s a win-win!
These Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Coffee Frosting are the epitome of that, in the best-Fall-dessert-ever kind of way.
Picture this: soft cookies (sort of cake like) filled with pumpkin puree and bursting with pumpkin pie spices. Then, the cookies are topped with a buttery, creamy, coffee-flavored frosting.
Oops, I’m drooling again. 😉
Plus, after you add the frosting on top of the cookies you get to add sprinkles! I love making these cookies with my kids, with 1/2 a batch of coffee frosting and 1/2 a batch of plain vanilla frosting.
That way we all get to enjoy the deliciousness of Soft Pumpkin Cookies, with 1/2 a batch of “adult” cookies and 1/2 a batch of “kid” cookies.
If there’s one fun Fall-inspired treat you make this year, make it these!
Let’s talk all things cookies and coffee.
First, here are the best parts about these cookies:
- They’re made in one bowl.
- They are quick and easy to make.
- They require NO odd ingredients.
- They’re easily made gluten-free & dairy-free too!
To make these Soft Pumpkin Cookies gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend (with xantham gum). If you don’t need them to be gluten-free, simply use regular flour.
To make these cookies dairy-free, use a dairy-free butter alternative (like Earth Balance or Country Crock) or you can use coconut oil as well. You’ll need to use a dairy-free butter alternative to make the frosting too, or simply use your favorite jar of dairy-free frosting.
For these pumpkin cookies, be sure to use pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!).
I also recommend using high quality spices, for the best pumpkin pie spice flavor.
You can use store bought pumpkin pie spices, or you can make your own. For 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, and 1/4 tsp cloves.
These Soft Pumpkin Cookies are really quick and easy to whip up too. They really are as simple as making a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you’d like to add chocolate chips to them too, go ahead! I’d recommend 1/2 cup or so. Cause pumpkin chocolate chip is a favorite around here too!
Coffee Frosting
Okay coffee lovers, this one is for you! If you love coffee like I do, have you baked with it yet? You really should.
You’ll need to use instant coffee granules to give the frosting a nice strong coffee flavor. Prior to adding the instant coffee granules to your buttercream frosting, you’ll need to add it to a little milk. This will give the instant coffee the ability to dissolve into the milk so you don’t have totally crunchy frosting.
Don’t like coffee? Want to make these cookies with your kids? Don’t have instant coffee?
I get it! Just omit the instant coffee granules. You’ll need to use 2-3 tbsp’s of milk to get your frosting to the right consistency, and that’s it.
After your cookies have cooled, spread your frosting on top and go crazy with sprinkles! Halloween sprinkles would be a really fun addition for some festive holiday cookies.
It doesn’t get any better than pillow-y Soft Pumpkin Cookies bursting with pumpkin pie spices and topped with a coffee frosting. These cake-like, rich cookies will quickly become a yearly repeat recipe!
After you make these cookies, take a pic and let me know how they turned out! I love to hear from ya’ll. Leave a comment and rating, below, and tag me in your picture on Instagram.
And if you want more Fall-inspired recipes, check out my Baked Pumpkin Apple Donuts, gluten-free Butter Pecan Cookies, and Pumpkin Banana Muffins.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (or dairy-free butter alternative)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (or regular flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (or dairy-free butter alternative)
- 2-3 tbsp milk of choice (skim, 2%, whole)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
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To begin, preheat your oven to 350 and spray two pans with non-stick spray (or line with parchment paper).
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To a large mixing bowl, add your butter and brown sugar and beat them together with a mixer till creamy. Add your pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix in until well combined. Add your egg and lightly mix it in.
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To the same bowl, add your flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir till well combined and you have a thick, smooth cookie batter.
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Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto your pans evenly spaced apart, for no more than 12 cookies per pan. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes, or till the edges are just starting to turn golden brown and the top has set.
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Let cool entirely before frosting the cookie tops.
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Heat 2 tbsp of milk till warm. Add your instant coffee and whisk till combined.
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To a large mixing bowl, add your butter, 2 tbsp of milk and coffee, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer, starting on low, and working your way up to high. Beat till you have a smooth and even frosting. If your frosting is too firm, add another 1/2-1 tbsp of milk.
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Spread onto the tops of your cooled cookies. Add sprinkles for fun!
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Devour!
I recommend storing these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge, due to the pumpkin and frosting. Stored this way, they will last about a week.
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