Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Soft, chewy, and pillowy pumpkin cookies with cinnamon, spices, and pecans are topped with a buttercream icing. These Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies are a fall must bake!
If you are looking for more pumpkin cookies be sure to check out some of my other favorites, like my Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies, Eggless Brown Sugar Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter Cookies, or Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Ready In: 26 minutes
- Makes: 24 cookies
- Main Ingredients: butter, dark brown sugar, pumpkin puree, all purpose flour
- Flavor Profile: warmly spiced with crunchy pecans and a luscious buttercream
- Dietary Info: no seed oils, gluten free swap available
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: melt-in-your-mouth sweet, nutty, and fall-iconic pumpkin pecan cookies
Summarize & Save This Content On
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft & Pillowy: You will love these Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies because they are soft, pillowy, and full of cozy fall vibes! I add pecans into soft and caky pumpkin spice cookies, and I top them with a simple buttercream icing that makes them just melt in your mouth.
- Fall Vibes: These pumpkin pecan spice cookies will just transport you to fall, even if you want to make them all year round.
- Cozy Dessert: Fall is full of cozy drinks like my Creamy Dark Hot Chocolate With Homemade Whipped Cream, Chai Tea Hot Chocolate, and Bone Broth Hot Cocoa. And nothing goes better with a warm and cozy drink than pumpkin cookies!
- Crowd Pleaser: These were a popular seasonal recipe at my bakery. They are well tested (I've made hundreds if not thousands of these!) and such a crowd pleaser! These Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies are a simple fall cookie recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Because these were a cookie recipe from my bakery, I'm sharing the exact brand of ingredients incase you want to make it taste exactly the same! While some of the ingredients such as eggs, flour, or pumpkin will be the same, others can make a bigger difference such as the spices and sugar, which I'll note below!
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, so if you want to make them just like I did at my bakery, then use all the ingredients listed here as ingredients really can alter the flavor of a cookie.
- Brown Sugar: I use Homemade Dark Brown Sugar for a rich pumpkin spice flavor. We used this homemade recipe at my bake shop. If you don't want to make this, then I recommend Wholesome for the best flavor that is very similar.
- Pumpkin: I use organic pumpkin puree, which is what gives these cookies flavor as well as that soft and pillowy texture. Don't use pumpkin pie filling as that has added sugars and spices, which we don't need.
- All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills.
- Pumpkin Spice: I use my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix, but if you're going to buy it then I recommend Frontier Co-Op as it will have the most similar flavor.
- Cinnamon: I use organic Korintje cinnamon, which is my favorite variety and it has a very specific flavor as well. Using a different variety will alter the flavor of your cookies. Read more in the Best Cinnamon to Bake With.
- Vanilla Bean: I use organic ground vanilla bean, which also adds depth of flavor to these pumpkin cookies. You can use vanilla extract in its place, but the cookies will not have the same flavor.
- Baking Soda: Use baking soda, not powder. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Make sure you are using soft butter. If you need to soften butter in the microwave, only do 10 seconds per stick at a time. You may have to do multiple intervals of 10 seconds, but going longer can melt portions of the butter, which isn't good.
- My favorite canned pumpkin is Farmer's Market. If you are going to pick one ingredient to splurge on or buy for a recipe – always choose the star. For example, the star in this recipe is pumpkin as it's the most prevalent flavor. So, you want the best one to shine through.
- Gluten Free: Replace the all purpose flour with 354 grams (2 ¼ cups plus 1 teaspoon) gluten free flour blend.
- If your cookie dough seems sticky, just pop the bowl in the fridge for 5 to 15 minutes until it's easier to work with. It should be easily rollable with your hands.
- If you want to use cream cheese frosting instead, make Easy Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting them. I know this is so hard! But, if you frost cookies when they are warm the frosting will melt, and you don't want that!
- The best way to store these cookies is in an airtight container so they retain their soft and chewy texture.
- My trick for this is to frost all the cookies, leave them on the cookie sheet and pop the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours. This will allow the frosting to harden. Then, you can store them in tupperware or ziploc bags and place a piece of parchment paper in between each one to prevent sticking.
- Store in the fridge for up a week or cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- High Altitude — Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes or until set and dry.
How to Make Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and dark brown sugar.
- Mix on low until there are no butter chunks.
- Add the egg and pumpkin puree and mix just slightly, enough to break the yolks.
- In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, vanilla bean, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together.
- Add to the butter mixture and mix on low until almost combined, you’ll see bits of flour.
- Add the pecans and mix on low until fully combined.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 24 balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten them so they are disks that are about 2 ¼-inch in diameter.
- Bake for 11 minutes or until set and dry. Let cool completely on the cookie sheet. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, and milk.
- Mix on low until combined and then speed mixer up to high and mix for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Using a butter knife, frost each cookie.
- My top trick for storing these is to freeze the cookie sheet to allow the frosting to harden. This way you can easily store these in an airtight container (or zip bag) so they stay fresh. Be sure to place a piece of parchment paper in between each one to prevent them sticking and forming one giant cookie stack!
Recipe FAQ's
No, you can use any electric mixer for this, such as a hand mixer if you like. I just always prefer my stand mixer because it's hands free.
These pumpkin cookies are soft, chewy and melt in your mouth because of the frosting on top.
Nope, but you can if you want. I just use raw pecans here, but if you want to toast them you can do that for a few minutes on a baking sheet before adding to the dough.
Yes, if you have a nut allergy you can definitely omit the pecans! Or if you just want a plain pumpkin spice cookie. You could also replace the pecans with walnuts, almonds, or chocolate chips, all of which would be so good!
You can make your own Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix with my easy recipe! This is just a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. You probably have these spices in your pantry already!
Most likely incorrect measuring, too much flour. Be sure to use a digital food scale for the best results every time.
Pumpkin adds moisture to cookies, which can cause them to be more soft and cakey. If they are too soft then you could have under baked them. Be sure to look for visual signs the cookies are done, like a set middle and golden brown edges. I always use Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin Puree and I never strain or blot out moisture and don't have issues. If you're using a different brand, you can blot out moisture with a paper towels to remove some.
Yes, you need to let cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before moving them or frosting them.
No, do not do this. The frosting will melt and the cookies can become kind of soggy.
If frosting is too soft, there's not enough powdered sugar. You can just add more until you get the desired consistency. If it's melting on the cookies, then your cookies are too warm and you didn't let them cool completely. Be patient.
Not all frosted cookies need to be stored in the refrigerator. But, because these have milk in the frosting, it's best to keep them in the fridge.
It's best to place a piece of parchment paper in between each cookie, you can cut small squares. This helps so the frosting doesn't stick to the cookie on top or bottom. Then, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes, if you want to freeze some of the cookie dough to bake off later you can definitely do that. I recommend forming the dough into the right size balls first, then stack with parchment paper in between each one, so they don't freeze together, and store in an airtight container. This way, they freeze in the exact size and portion you need, and you won't have one giant dough mound. When ready to bake, just thaw them to room temperature before baking.
Yes. I recommend placing cookies on a baking sheet first and placing that in the freezer. This helps freeze the frosting. Once the frosting is frozen, you can transfer to an airtight container while placing a piece of parchment paper in between each cookie. This ensures that the icing doesn't stick to the top or bottom cookie, allowing you to remove just one if needed.
Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin
There's nothing worse than opening a can of pumpkin for a recipe, only to have the rest of it go to waste in the fridge. Make sure to use up that leftover pumpkin in other pumpkin recipes! Try some of my favorites here.
- These Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Brownies are a delicious treat to make with 9 grams of protein per brownie! Replace your protein bars with these!
- This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Stew is a 15 minute prep recipe that makes your house smell amazing and creates the best cozy dinner!
- Try more of my favorite pumpkin cookies like Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies, Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies With Caramel, Soft Baked Pumpkin Spice Cranberry Sandwich Cookies, or Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies Without Eggs.
- Make your dog homemade treats with Cranberry Pumpkin Dog Cookies or Pumpkin Donuts for Dogs.
More Pumpkin Desserts
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Frosted Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Half Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper Sheets
Ingredients
Dough
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 113 grams cane sugar
- 113 grams dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 113 grams pumpkin puree
- 340 grams all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground vanilla bean
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 127 grams pecan halves
Frosting
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 284 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and dark brown sugar. Mix on low until there are no butter chunks. Add the egg and pumpkin puree and mix just slightly, enough to break the yolks.
- In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, vanilla bean, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together.
- Add to the butter mixture and mix on low until almost combined, you’ll see bits of flour. Add the pecans and mix on low until fully combined.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 24 balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten them so they are disks that are about 2 ¼-inch in diameter.
- Bake for 11 minutes or until set and dry. Let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Mix on low until combined and then speed mixer up to high and mix for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Using a butter knife, frost each cookie.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
- Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Make sure you are using soft butter. If you need to soften butter in the microwave, only do 10 seconds per stick at a time. You may have to do multiple intervals of 10 seconds, but going longer can melt portions of the butter, which isn't good.
- My favorite canned pumpkin is Farmer's Market. If you are going to pick one ingredient to splurge on or buy for a recipe – always choose the star. For example, the star in this recipe is pumpkin as it's the most prevalent flavor. So, you want the best one to shine through.
- Gluten Free: Replace the all purpose flour with 354 grams (2 ¼ cups plus 1 teaspoon) gluten free flour blend.
- If your cookie dough seems sticky, just pop the bowl in the fridge for 5 to 15 minutes until it's easier to work with. It should be easily rollable with your hands.
- If you want to use cream cheese frosting instead, make Easy Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting them. I know this is so hard! But, if you frost cookies when they are warm the frosting will melt, and you don't want that!
- The best way to store these cookies is in an airtight container so they retain their soft and chewy texture.
- My trick for this is to frost all the cookies, leave them on the cookie sheet and pop the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours. This will allow the frosting to harden. Then, you can store them in tupperware or ziploc bags and place a piece of parchment paper in between each one to prevent sticking.
- Store in the fridge for up a week or cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- High Altitude — Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes or until set and dry.
Nutrition
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Soft, chewy and cozy, one of my favorite fall cookies!