Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting are unbelievably delicious! They are filled with pumpkin and cinnamon flavors, and the sweet caramel frosting finishes them off to perfection!

I truly adore the fall season. The colors, the recipes, and the fall flavors are always welcome here in the Lofthouse. When it starts to get cooler outside you can guarantee that my oven is on at some point during a crisp fall day. And it is quite possible that it’s these Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting baking away. They are the perfect balance of sweet, spice, and rich flavors. The homemade caramel frosting is simple to make, and it’s so good you’ll be finding other cookies to frost it with. Not only are these satisfactory, but they can be ready to enjoy in just one hour!

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

The batter for the cookies themselves is a very simple mixture that is elevated with the addition of cinnamon, spice, and of course pumpkin itself! Baked until perfectly soft and chewy you could serve these cookies without the frosting. But why not make something good into something great! That’s where the simple to make caramel frosting comes into play. Once all the cookies are cooled give each one a generous layer of this frosting for a rich, warm, and pumpkin spiced treat.

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Caramel Frosting

• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Pumpkin Cookies

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease two large cookie sheets with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars together until fluffy and combined. Stir in the vanilla and egg. 

Mix in pumpkin, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix until combined.

Scoop dough with a small cookie scoop (about 2 Tablespoons worth of dough) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Frosting

Heat butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 

Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Frost each cookie with 1 Tablespoon of frosting. Serve and enjoy!

SERVINGS

30 perfectly sized cookies come out of each batch. If you are hosting a large fall party this year, this is a great one to make. It can be easily doubled up for everyone to enjoy plenty of cookies.

STORING INSTRUCTIONS

Store any leftover cookies covered in the fridge. Keep chilled for up to 5 days.

PUMPKIN PUREE VS PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

Make sure when shopping for the ingredients that you purchase pumpkin puree and not pie filling. The cookies won’t bake properly with the pie filling because it contains other ingredients. 

A SWEETER OPTION

You can always add chocolate chips to the cookie batter before baking. This will make for one indulgent cookie. Milk or white chocolate chips, butterscotch flavored chips, or even caramel baking chips are all wonderful additions. The options are limitless, but just know that each cookie is going to be ten times sweeter!

ENJOY THIS RECIPE? HERE ARE A FEW MORE FALL TIME COOKIES!

Pumpkin S’mores Cookies – This flavor mash up is one you’ll look forward to all year! Pumpkin cookies with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles – These cookies are an explosion of sweetness and flavor. White chocolate chips infused and cinnamon sugar dusted.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – Everyone’s favorite fall time store bought cookie just got so much better with this homemade recipe.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies – This homemade cookie sandwich has two soft pumpkin cookies on the outside with a cream cheese frosting center.

Print Pin

5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

Incredible pumpkin spiced cookies with caramel frosting!

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 30

Author Life in the Lofthouse

Ingredients

PUMPKIN COOKIES

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

CARAMEL FROSTING

• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Pumpkin Cookies

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease two large cookie sheets with non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars together until fluffy and combined. Stir in the vanilla and egg.
• Mix in pumpkin, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Scoop dough with a small cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons worth of dough) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Frosting

• Heat butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Frost each cookie with 1 Tablespoon of frosting. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition Info: 1 cookie = 158 calories / 12 fat / 18 carbs / 1 protein

Recipe makes 30 cookies total. 

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER?

PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!