Description
Soft, chewy pumpkin cookies topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. Perfect for fall gatherings and holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Cookie Base:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (Libby’s is my go-to!)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Coffee Cake Crumb Topping:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of salt
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–4 teaspoons whole milk
Instructions
1. Make the Crumb Topping First Mix the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. It should look like chunky crumbs. Stick it in the fridge.
2. Fix Your Pumpkin Take 1/2 cup pumpkin and press it between paper towels. Keep doing this until you get about 1/4 cup. This is super important or your cookies will be soggy.
3. Make Cookie Dough Mix all the dry stuff in one bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, vanilla, then the squeezed pumpkin. Mix in the dry ingredients but don’t overdo it.
4. Shape Them Heat oven to 350°F. Roll dough into balls, flatten a little, and make a dent in the middle. Plop the crumb topping right in that dent and press it down.
5. Bake Bake for 11-12 minutes until the edges look set. Don’t overbake them. Let them sit on the pan for 10 minutes before moving them.
6. Make Glaze Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Drizzle it all over the cooled cookies.
Notes
Perfect texture comes from moisture control – both drying the pumpkin and avoiding overmixing. These cookies should feel soft and chewy, never cake-like. If dough seems sticky after mixing, chill for 10 minutes before shaping.
The crumb topping might seem excessive, but it’s what transforms these from ordinary cookies into something memorable. Don’t hold back when adding it.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: Approximately 185 per cookie
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg