Description
These Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting offer a perfect blend of warm spices and moist pumpkin in a soft, chewy cookie base topped with a smooth, lightly spiced cream cheese frosting. Ideal for fall and holiday gatherings, these cookies are a delicious and festive treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup softened butter
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy to create a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the canned pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, forming a moist batter.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, and oats to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Meld Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the dough and ensuring tenderness.
- Shape Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets and flatten them slightly to help them bake evenly.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned, then let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract, beating until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
- Frost Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe the cinnamon cream cheese frosting onto each cookie for a delicious finish.
Notes
- Ensure the cookies are cooled completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- For a stronger spice flavor, you can adjust the amount of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon to your taste.
- Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- You can substitute old-fashioned oats with quick oats but the texture may be slightly different.
- These cookies freeze well; freeze unfrosted cookies and frost after thawing.
