Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting Recipe tastes like soft pumpkin bread in cookie form with a thick, creamy frosting that melts on your tongue. It works perfectly for busy bakers who want cozy fall flavor in about 45 minutes from start to finish. I baked a test batch at 10 p.m. one Tuesday and still ate three of them warm on the couch like it was a perfectly normal life choice.
Why Make This Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting Recipe at Home
These Amish pumpkin cookies stay extra soft and cake-like, with warm spices and a sweet vanilla or cream cheese frosting on top. The texture feels like a cross between a muffin top and a frosted bakery cookie, and the pumpkin flavor tastes gentle, not overpowering.
You control the sweetness, the spice level, and the frosting thickness. You also skip weird preservatives and use pantry ingredients you probably already own.
These Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting taste like little frosted pumpkin clouds and disappear from the cookie plate in minutes ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
Dry ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Use a standard unbleached flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
- Spoon and level the flour so the cookies stay soft and not dense.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Fine sea salt or table salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves or allspice
- Use cloves for a stronger spice or allspice for a milder flavor.
Wet ingredients
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Use real butter, not margarine, for best flavor.
- If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly.
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar, packed
- Large eggs, room temperature
- Pure pumpkin puree
- Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Libby’s or store brand both work well.
- Vanilla extract
Frosting ingredients
You can use a simple vanilla frosting or a cream cheese frosting. Both taste great on Amish pumpkin cookies.
Option 1: Vanilla butter frosting
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Milk or heavy cream to thin
Option 2: Cream cheese frosting
- Cream cheese, softened
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional mix ins and toppings
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Mini chocolate chips
- A sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the frosting
- A drizzle of caramel sauce for extra sweetness
Equipment list
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Wire cooling racks
- Small offset spatula or butter knife for frosting
Tips & Mistakes
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, so the cookies do not taste overly sweet or spiced.
- Blot very wet pumpkin with paper towels if it looks watery so the dough does not spread too much.
- Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling so the cookies stay soft and tender.
- Bring eggs and butter to room temperature so the batter mixes smoothly.
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy so the cookies bake up soft and cake-like.
- Do not overmix once you add the dry ingredients so the cookies do not turn tough.
- Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes if it feels very sticky so scooping becomes easier.
- Line baking sheets with parchment so cookies release cleanly and do not overbrown on the bottom.
- Bake just until the tops look set and springy so the centers stay moist.
- Cool cookies completely before frosting so the frosting does not melt and slide off.
- Sift powdered sugar for the frosting so it turns out smooth and lump free.
- Add milk or cream to the frosting slowly so it stays thick enough to spread.
- Store frosted cookies in a single layer or with parchment between layers so the frosting stays neat.
How to Make Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting Recipe
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Break up any spice clumps so the flavor spreads evenly. Set the bowl aside near your mixer.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugars
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the mixture turns light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once so everything blends evenly.
Step 3: Add eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time until each one fully blends into the butter mixture. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix again until the batter looks smooth and creamy. The mixture may look slightly curdled at first, but it smooths out as you mix.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry
Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears and the batter looks uniform. Fold in any optional mix ins like nuts or mini chocolate chips with a spatula.
Step 5: Chill and preheat
Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Chilling helps the dough hold its shape and keeps the cookies soft and thick.
Step 6: Scoop and bake
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave a little space between cookies since they puff more than they spread. Bake 11 to 14 minutes, until the tops look set and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 7: Cool the cookies
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let them cool completely before frosting. The texture finishes setting as they cool and stays very soft.
Step 8: Make the frosting
For vanilla frosting, beat softened butter until creamy, then slowly add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Thin with a splash of milk or cream until you get a thick, spreadable texture. For cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together, then add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
Step 9: Frost and finish
Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to swirl frosting on each cooled cookie. Add a light sprinkle of cinnamon or chopped nuts on top if you want extra texture. Let the frosting set for 20 to 30 minutes, then serve or store.
Variations I've Tried
I swapped half the all purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour and still got soft, tender cookies with a slightly nuttier flavor. I also stirred mini chocolate chips into half the batch, and those cookies vanished first at a family gathering. One time I browned the butter for the frosting, and that version tasted like pumpkin cookies with a hint of toasty caramel.
You can also add a little maple syrup to the frosting and reduce the powdered sugar slightly, which gives a mellow maple note that pairs well with pumpkin. If you like stronger spice, increase the cinnamon and ginger a bit and keep the cloves light so they do not overpower the cookie.
How to Serve Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting Recipe
Serve these Amish pumpkin cookies at room temperature with cold milk, hot coffee, hot chocolate, or a mug of spiced tea. They fit nicely on a fall dessert tray next to apple crisp, pumpkin bread, or simple sugar cookies. Pack them in lunch boxes, send them to neighbors, or stack a few on a plate for an afternoon snack. They also work well as a small dessert after a cozy soup or casserole dinner.
How to store
- Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Place parchment between layers so the frosting stays neat and does not stick.
- Freeze unfrosted cookies in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature and frost fresh.
- Freeze frosted cookies on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a container for up to 1 month.
- Let chilled or frozen cookies come to room temperature before serving, or warm briefly in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds to soften.
Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves or allspice until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until the batter looks smooth and creamy; it may look slightly curdled at first but will smooth out as you mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears and the batter looks uniform. If using nuts or mini chocolate chips, gently fold them in with a spatula.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. This helps the dough hold its shape and keeps the cookies soft and thick.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie. The cookies will puff more than they spread.
- Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, or until the tops look set and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool completely before frosting.
- For vanilla butter frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Add milk or heavy cream a little at a time until the frosting is thick but spreadable and smooth.
- For cream cheese frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, beating until the frosting is smooth, thick, and creamy.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, use a small offset spatula or butter knife to spread a generous layer of frosting on each cookie.
- If desired, sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon, add chopped nuts, or drizzle with caramel sauce for extra texture and sweetness.
- Let the frosting set for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature before serving or storing.
Notes
Approximate per 1 frosted cookie (about 24 cookies total, vanilla butter frosting): 190 calories; fat 8 g; saturated fat 5 g; carbohydrates 28 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 18 g; protein 2 g; sodium 140 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on frosting choice, optional mix-ins, exact ingredients, and portion size.