Amish pumpkin cookies are the perfect way to welcome the cozy flavors of fall. With simple, wholesome ingredients, they bake up soft and cake-like, full of delicate pumpkin flavor and warm spices. A rich brown sugar frosting on top adds the perfect buttery sweetness.
Cakier than chewy cookies, they remind me a lot of my buttermilk cookies - light, fluffy, and full of rustic charm. These iced pumpkin spice cookies are the kind you'll want to bake again and again, bringing a little taste of autumn into your kitchen.
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Why You'll Love These Autumn Cookies
These old-fashioned pumpkin cookies transport me to the joys of fall: crisp air, golden leaves, and the cozy spices of the season. From their soft texture to their rich frosting, they're everything you want in an autumn treat.
- Perfectly spiced - The gentle pumpkin flavor paired with warm autumn spices makes them taste like fall in every bite.
- Soft and fluffy - More cake-like than chewy, with a delicate crumb that practically melts in your mouth. These soft pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting create a dessert that's both visually appealing and delicious.
- Rich frosting - Topped with a creamy brown sugar (caramel) frosting that adds just the right touch of sweetness.
- A fall favorite - Perfect for gatherings, holidays, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
- Old-fashioned charm - Simple ingredients and a nostalgic flavor that feels like home-baked comfort.
What Kind of Pumpkin Should I Use?
I keep a few cans of store-bought pumpkin purée in my pantry, just because it's quick and easy to use. And it works well to make pumpkin cookies, pies, etc. (Make sure you buy pumpkin pureé and not pumpkin pie mix.)
However, fresh pumpkin purée is also great to use for these cookies. So if you like to use farm-fresh pumpkins, it's not hard to make purée. And it can be made with various kinds of pumpkins. Pie pumpkins and crook-necked pumpkins are always great choices.
I kept a few seeds from a butternut squash last year and stuck them in my garden this spring. So I have a big crop of butternut squash, and I plan to roast them, make purée, and use them for all my pumpkin goodies this fall.
One thing to keep in mind though, when using fresh purée, is if it's thin and kinda watery, you may want to squeeze out some of the extra moisture. You can place the pumpkin into paper towels and give it a squeeze.
Frosting for Pumpkin Cookies
These pumpkin-spiced cookies are delicious on their own without icing. But we all know that frosting takes them up another notch, right?
I've included a yummy caramel frosting recipe in the card. But if pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting aren't your thing, feel free to use cream cheese frosting (I have a delicious cream cheese frosting recipe with my carrot cake.) Or you could use my pumpkin spice buttercream recipe that I use with pumpkin whoopie pies.
I've also made these cookies with brown butter frosting before. So feel free to top them with your favorite frosting. They'll be amazing either way.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Icing?
Yes, you sure can. Most baked goods taste the best in the first two days. And I like fresh cookies, but I certainly don't want this whole batch of cookies eaten in two days.
You can refrigerate these pumpkin cookies with icing to give them a longer shelf life. But I highly recommend putting some of them into the freezer.
Placing cookies, bread, etc. into airtight containers as soon as they are cool, and freezing them, keeps them fresh for a couple of months. They will come out of the freezer tasting the same as the day you made them. Just thaw them and enjoy. You may even want to try a cookie while it's still frozen, they're actually really good when partially frozen.
Get ready to experience the warm embrace of autumn in every bite of these soft and fluffy Amish pumpkin cookies, topped with a velvety brown sugar frosting.
Seriously, these cookies are so good, that you may as well be prepared to see them disappear quickly because it's impossible to eat just one. They're just so moreish! 🙂
Let's not even talk about how many of these amazing spice cookies I devoured while I was baking them a few days ago. Yikes! I couldn't stop. They're so fluffy, moist, and full of warm spices that they just melted in my mouth and kept sliding down. 😉
I hope you enjoy these delightful Amish pumpkin cookies with caramel icing as much as I do. If you try them, I would love it if you left a comment and star rating below.
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📖 Recipe Card
Amish Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 c. sugar
- ½ c. butter, softened (1 stick)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée (approx. 1 ½ c.)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
Caramel Frosting:
- ½ c. butter (1 stick)
- 1 c. brown sugar
- ¼ c. milk
- pinch of salt
- 2 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a large mixing bowl, with the paddle attachment, beat the sugars and butter until well-creamed. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla and mix well.1 c. brown sugar, 1 c. sugar, ½ c. butter, softened (1 stick), 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée (approx. 1 ½ c.)
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.2 ½ c. all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, ¾ tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- Scoop onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 11 - 13 minutes or until the edges are firm. (Baking time will depend on the size of your cookies. The recipe was tested with small cookies.) Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- Spread the cookie tops with frosting and store them in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers.
- Keep at room temperature for up to two days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Frosting:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and boil over medium/low heat for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally.½ c. butter (1 stick), 1 c. brown sugar
- Add the milk and salt. Whisk until it comes back to a full boil.¼ c. milk, pinch of salt
- Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Spread on the cooled cookies.2 c. powdered sugar
csp
Delicious recipe, the brown sugar frosting adds so much more to the flavor than other more common toppings. Great recipe
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave positive feedback!
Sara McCausland
This was so good!! The portions were perfect to the frosting. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Anna
Thanks for taking the time to leave a positive review!
Danielle
I rarely leave comments but this was a must. These are the most fluffy and moist cookies I’ve ever had. The texture just melts in your mouth. Thank you so much for the unique recipe.
Danielle
I rarely leave comments but this was a must. These are the most fluffy and moist cookies I’ve ever had. The texture just melts in your mouth. Thank you so much for the unique recipe
Anna
Thank you for leaving a lovely comment!
Tina Flowers
Can you use pumpkin pie spice?
Anna
sure
Andrea Valentine
Uh~Mazing!! They didn't last long, (and I'm an empty nester...😅).
Anna
Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Annamarie olivarez
Will the frosting harden for packaging?
Anna
I would put parchment between any layers.
Anna
So good!!
Linda
Linda,
Utterly moist, delicious, and I will definitely be making them again. The frosting was the definite completion to this recipe. Thanks you.
Anna
I'm so glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
Rosa Garcia
Where is the recipe? I don’t see it
Anna
You had to scroll past the recipe card to get to the comment section. It's just a bit above the comment section, close to the bottom of the post.
Ruth Cardoso
I’m about to make these and need 48- the recipe says 48 small cookies- about how much dough for each cookie so I can get to the number needed? Thanks Anna!
Anna
I think I used my 1 Tablespoon (small) cookie scoop.
Ruth Cardoso
Thanks I ended up using a big piping bag since I don’t have scoops and it was too difficult to use with a spoon. That worked out very well although not as uniform in size but that’s ok! Very delicious, soft and light. The caramel frost started to firm up so 19 sec in the microwave and beat it again worked. Glad the icing firms up on the cookies for transport. Nice recipe 🎄
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment. Glad it worked for you.
Tina Marie
This is almost exactly my grandmother's recipe. We called the frosting "penuche" (pen-oo-chee)
Anna
🙂
Pam
Fantastic cookie! Love the flavor and texture of the cookie. The frosting really 'makes' the flavor combination pop! I find these are easier to store (and prep for frosting) if they're refrigerated for a bit --- the cookies are a bit sticky.
Delicious!
Anna
Thank you for leaving a nice comment!
Crystal
Hi Anna, is it possible to turn these cookies into a cake? If you can what temperature and how long do they need to bake? Thank you!
Anna
I have never tried that. Personally, I would probably look for a cake recipe.
Rebecca H.
I usually don't comment but I had to on this one. These cookies are very good! My husband loved them. I love to bake and give Christmas cookies for presents. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing!
Anna
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback!
Michelle Devore
Can you add chocolate bits to this recipe and not frost them?
Anna
Sure, they're great without frosting. And added chocolate chips would be perfect to replace the frosting.
Jenny B.
These cookies are amazing! They are even better a day old after sitting on the counter. I made them with Bob’s 1:1 GF flour and they turned out perfect! The texture is like those pink sugar cookies from the grocery store that melt in your mouth, but these taste like fall!! I sent most of the cookies with my husband into work and he said they got devoured. One co-worker told him that it was the best cookie they’ve ever eaten! I’m planning on making more today for a MOPS meeting. Thanks so much for the recipe! If you have any modifications to change the flavors for different seasons, I’d love to know about them!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind comment. So glad you enjoyed them. I have a buttermilk cookies recipe that is similar in texture.
Caroline Moore
Made these tonight and they are good even without the icing! Adding the icing made all of the flavorful notes and textures combine into a perfect fall treat. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe because it has immediately become my family's favorite thing!!
Anna
Thank you! So glad you're enjoying them!
Lisa Child
These cookies are amazing!! So good that I had to come post a comment. Seriously delicious!!!
(I made mine gluten free using Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour. They turned out perfectly!)
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate that!
Nancy J Beyers
Omg. My high school English teacher gave me this recipe 30 yrs ago. I live in New Mexico. They are the best I love them. I give them out for Christmas
Sammeh
You weren't kidding about these cookies being moreish! Chefs kiss to you! Thank you for this recipe! I really appreciate the photo of all the ingredients and the layout saying what to do and with how much!! I can't begin tell you how helpful that was for me! I made these fluffy melt in your mouth frosted delights and they are fantastic! Their wonderful texture brought me back to my Grandma's sour cream cookies! Hello fall! Thank you again!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind comment. Glad you enjoyed them!