Easy Cinnamon Sugar Coated Pumpkin Cookies
These cinnamon sugar coated pumpkin cookies are a perfect treat for these cold seasonal days (or any day for that matter)! Soft, spiced, and full of warm pumpkin flavor, they’re made even more irresistible with a sweet cinnamon sugar coating that adds a delightful crunch. Whether you’re looking to cozy up with a cup of tea or share something special with family and friends, these cookies will bring comfort and sweetness to any occasion. Get ready to bake up a batch of these cozy, cinnamon-kissed cookies that are sure to become a seasonal favorite!
Reasons Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Deliciously soft texture: These cookies are tender on the inside with just the right amount of chewiness.
- Cinnamon sugar coating: Adds a sweet, slightly crispy finish that balances the softness of the cookie.
- Great for sharing: Whether for a party, a potluck, or family get-togethers, they’re sure to be a hit. I’ve made these multiple times for bake sales and events at my husbands work!
- Pumpkin-packed goodness: A tasty way to enjoy the seasonal favorite ingredient, pumpkin, in a sweet treat.
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and steps make it easy to whip up a batch.
- Comfort food vibes: Every bite brings a sense of warmth and nostalgia, perfect for chilly weather.
Ingredients You’ll Need for These Cinnamon Sugar Coated Pumpkin Cookies
- White Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with the texture of the cookies, giving them a soft and chewy consistency. Also, needed for the sugar coating on the outside.
- Brown Sugar: Deepens the flavor of the cookies with its rich, molasses-like taste, balancing the white sugar for a more complex sweetness.
- Butter: The fat that brings richness and moisture to the cookies, helping to create a soft and tender texture.
- Salt: A key ingredient that enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, ensuring the sweetness isn’t overwhelming.
- Cinnamon: This warm, earthy spice is a star of the recipe, infusing the cookies with that signature fall flavor. Also, needed for the sugar coating on the outside.
- Nutmeg: Adds a slightly sweet and aromatic note that complements the cinnamon and makes the cookies taste even more festive.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm spices that adds depth and enhances the pumpkin flavor in the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla gives the cookies a sweet, comforting base note, rounding out the flavors.
- Egg plus Egg Yolk: The egg helps bind the ingredients together, while the extra yolk ensures the cookies are extra soft and moist.
- Flour: The main dry ingredient that gives the cookies structure and helps hold everything together.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise and gives them a lighter, fluffier texture, preventing them from being too dense.
- Pumpkin Pie Puree: The star ingredient that gives the cookies their rich, moist texture and pumpkin flavor, adding the perfect seasonal touch.
How to Make These Cookies
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining the baking pan with parchment paper—this will help keep your cookies from sticking as they bake.
Begin by melting the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, but be sure to let it cool slightly before using it in the recipe. This ensures that the butter doesn’t cook the eggs when mixed in later.
Next, take your pumpkin puree and pat it dry with at least six half-sheets of paper towel (that’s what I ended up using) to absorb any excess moisture; this is an essential step to prevent your dough from becoming too wet and ensuring that your cookies bake up perfectly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Then, add the slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and egg plus egg yolk, mixing until smooth.
In a separate bowl, carefully spoon and level your flour to ensure accurate measurement, then add it to the wet ingredients along with the baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined—be careful not to overwork the dough.
Once your dough is ready, scoop out 2-tablespoon portions using a cookie scoop and roll them into balls. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar for the coating. Roll each dough ball into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, ensuring they’re evenly coated, and place them on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them a few inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden. Keep in mind that the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheets, so don’t worry if they look a little soft when you first take them out of the oven.
Once done, let them cool slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cinnamon sugar-coated pumpkin cookies are a perfect combination of warm spices and soft, tender dough, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion!
Enjoy your batch of about 24 cookies, which will be sure to disappear in no time!
Storage Tips For This Recipe
- Room Temperature: If you plan to eat the cookies within a few days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. This will keep them soft and fresh for up to 3–4 days. You can layer the cookies with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Refrigeration: If you want them to last a bit longer (up to a week), you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, this may slightly affect the texture, making them less soft, but still tasty!
- Freezing: These cookies freeze really well if you want to save them for later. Place the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1–2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours, or microwave them for a few seconds to bring back that fresh-baked warmth.
- Reheating: For a fresh-out-of-the-oven experience, you can reheat the cookies in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes.
Common FAQ’s for this Recipe
- Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? It’s best to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, as the filling already contains spices and sugar that could throw off the balance of your recipe.
- Can I use margarine instead of butter? You can use margarine, but the flavor and texture may differ slightly. Butter gives a richer, more tender texture to the cookies.
- Do I need to chill the dough before baking? No, chilling the dough is not necessary. The dough is soft but manageable enough to scoop and bake right away.
- Can I freeze the cookie dough before baking? Yes, you can scoop the dough into balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar, and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or container and bake them from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Can I substitute other spices in place of pumpkin pie spice? If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to mimic the flavor.
- Can I use a different sugar for the cinnamon sugar coating? You can use either white or brown sugar for the coating, but brown sugar will give a richer, slightly more molasses-like flavor.
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Cinnamon Sugar Coated Pumpkin Cookies
Equipment
- 2 tbsp. Cookie Scoop
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 stick Butter
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 large Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
- 3/4 cup Pumpkin Pure
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining the baking pan with parchment paper
- Begin by melting the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, but be sure to let it cool slightly before using it in the recipe.1 stick Butter
- Next, take your pumpkin puree and pat it dry with at least six half-sheets of paper towel to absorb any excess moisture3/4 cup Pumpkin Pure
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.3/4 cup White Sugar, 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg, 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Then, add the slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and egg plus egg yolk, mixing until smooth.1 stick Butter, 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract, 1 large Egg, 1 Egg Yolk
- In a separate bowl, carefully spoon and level your flour to ensure accurate measurement, then add it to the wet ingredients along with the baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined2 cups All Purpose Flour, 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp. Salt
- Once your dough is ready, scoop out 2-tablespoon portions using a cookie scoop and roll them into balls.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar for the coating. Roll each dough ball into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, ensuring they’re evenly coated, and place them on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them a few inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden. Once done, let them cool slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy your batch of about 24 cookies, which will be sure to disappear in no time!
Notes
Storage Tips For This Recipe
- Room Temperature: If you plan to eat the cookies within a few days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. This will keep them soft and fresh for up to 3–4 days. You can layer the cookies with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Refrigeration: If you want them to last a bit longer (up to a week), you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, this may slightly affect the texture, making them less soft, but still tasty!
- Freezing: These cookies freeze really well if you want to save them for later. Place the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1–2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours, or microwave them for a few seconds to bring back that fresh-baked warmth.
- Reheating: For a fresh-out-of-the-oven experience, you can reheat the cookies in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes.
Common FAQ’s for this Recipe
- Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? It’s best to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, as the filling already contains spices and sugar that could throw off the balance of your recipe.
- Can I use margarine instead of butter? You can use margarine, but the flavor and texture may differ slightly. Butter gives a richer, more tender texture to the cookies.
- Do I need to chill the dough before baking? No, chilling the dough is not necessary. The dough is soft but manageable enough to scoop and bake right away.
- Can I freeze the cookie dough before baking? Yes, you can scoop the dough into balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar, and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or container and bake them from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Can I substitute other spices in place of pumpkin pie spice? If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to mimic the flavor.
- Can I use a different sugar for the cinnamon sugar coating? You can use either white or brown sugar for the coating, but brown sugar will give a richer, slightly more molasses-like flavor.
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