Looking for an alternative to pumpkin pie? These cake-like pumpkin cookies with brown sugar frosting are all kinds of delicious. Soft and cakey, sweet and spicy―they're fabulous served with coffee. Kids love making AND eating them. This is a very versatile seasonal sweet.
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry or AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 can canned pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
METHOD
Cookies
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugars until lightly and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Drop mounds of cookie dough by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving a couple of inches between cookies. The dough isn't firm like some cookies―more like a cross between cake batter and cookie dough. However, the mounds should hold their shape.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, heat butter, cream and brown sugar. Allow to come to a gentle boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Add in powdered sugar. A mixer works nicely to whip up the frosting a bit, but you can easily add the powdered sugar by hand.
- Spread frosting over cooled cookies and top with nutmeg or cinnamon.
Cookies can be stored for 5-ish days in an air-tight container.
