These Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Glaze have a delicious cake-like texture and they’re perfectly moist! The cookies are full of festive pumpkin flavors and the orange glaze is sweet and tangy. These pumpkin cookies are a perfect, kid friendly, treat for Halloween, Fall or Thanksgiving.
I know it’s a big statement, but these Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Glaze are the best cookies I’ve ever eaten! They have the perfect texture, the pumpkin flavor is warm and festive and the orange glaze adds a fresh bite and keep she cookies soft for days. These are the perfect cookies for celebrating fall with. I don’t make them nearly enough though, because I will have trouble not eating them all 🙂
Why You’ll Love These Soft Pumpkin Cookies!
- The texture is perfect – These delicious pumpkin cookies have a cake-like texture that is perfectly moist. The glaze hardens nicely and keeps them soft for days!
- You can make them small or large – One batch of this pumpkin cookie dough can make about 18 large cookies or 25+ smaller cookies.
- The pumpkin and orange together is such a great flavor combination – The soft pumpkin cookie topped with the citrusy orange glaze has such delicious flavor in each bite!
Pumpkin Orange Cookie Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – I used all purpose flour for these cookies. You could also use whole wheat flour, or half regular and half whole wheat. I haven’t tried this cookie recipe using gluten free flour yet, but I think it would probably work great if you use a high quality GF AP flour blend, that contains xantham gum.
- Pumpkin Puree – I just used one can of pure pumpkin puree for these cookies. You can use homemade pumpkin puree as well.
- Sugar – These soft pumpkin cookies are sweetened with granulated sugar, brown sugar. Coconut sugar could also be used in place though. Vanilla extract is also added.
- Spices– I like to add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger to these cookies. You can also use a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you like.
- Butter – You want to use softened, room temperature butter for these cookies, that will easily mix together with the other ingredients. Regular butter or vegan butter substitute can be used.
- Egg – This recipe only calls for one large egg. I haven’t made the recipe with a vegan egg substitute yet, but I’m guessing it would work pretty well.
- Baking Soda, Salt
How To Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Gaze
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Add the softened butter to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until just combined. Next, add in the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix together until fully combined, 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add in the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract. Beat again until you have a creamy mixture. I may look a little curdled, but it will look different once you add in the flour mixture.
- Add half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use your electric mixture to mix together. Add the remaining flour and mix until you have a slightly thick, smooth batter.
- You can make these pumpkin cookies whatever size you like. I’ve used a tablespoon cookie scoop to make smaller cookies and I’ve also used a 1/4 cup scoop to make large cookies, which is what I have pictured in this post. Scoop the batter onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- The amount of time your cookies need to bake will depend on what size they are. If making large cookies, they will need about 20-25 minutes in the oven. Smaller cookies will require closer to 10-15 minutes. You know cookies are done once the top is slightly firm and the bottom is just beginning to brown.
- Make the glaze while cookies are cooling. Drizzle a small spoonful of glaze over the top of each cookie and allow to dry completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Health Benefits
I thoroughly recognize that this pumpkin cookie recipe is not healthy. So, I won’t try to persuade you that they’re healthy, but they do contain a whole can of pure pumpkin puree and pumpkin does have some health benefits!
- Pumpkin – Pumpkin is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making it a great addition to your diet! Antioxidants help to reduce inflammation inside the body, which, in excess, can lead to lots of different kinds of diseases, including cancer. Pumpkin is naturally low in calories so it’s great for weight loss, which can also help promote cardiovascular health. Pumpkin is high in vitamin A, just like carrots, which is important for protecting your eye health.
Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe gluten free? No, I did use regular, all purpose white flour for these cookies, but I think they could easily be made gluten free by using a high quality GF all purpose flour blend that contains anthem gum.
- Are these cookies vegan? No, I did use one regular egg for this recipe. I haven’t tried these cookies with using a vegan egg substitute at this time, but I think that it would probably work pretty well. The texture might be a little different.
- Can these cookies be frozen? Yes, I would suggest freezing the cookies without any icing. Add icing to them after you have thawed them. Store cookies in an air-tight, freezer friendly, container for up to 3 months.
- What is the best way to store these pumpkin cookies? To ensure that they last for about 5 days, I would recommend storing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They can also be stored at room temperature, they just might not last quite as many days, depending on the temperature of the room.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Delicious Fall Pumpkin Recipes?
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Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Glaze
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20-30 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Glaze have a delicious cake-like texture and they’re perfectly moist! The cookies are full of festive pumpkin flavors and the orange glaze is sweet and tangy. These pumpkin cookies are a perfect, kid friendly treat for Halloween, Fall or Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (measured by scooping the measuring cup into the flour and then leveling off)
- 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree, or about 1 1/2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons orange juice
- zest of 1 medium sized orange
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Add the softened butter to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until just combined. Next, add in the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix together until fully combined, 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add in the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract. Beat again until you have a creamy mixture. I may look a little curdled, but it will look different once you add in the flour mixture.
- Add half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use your electric mixture to mix together. Add the remaining flour and mix until you have a slightly thick, smooth batter.
- You can make these pumpkin cookies whatever size you like. I’ve used a tablespoon cookie scoop to make smaller cookies and I’ve also used a 1/4 cup scoop to make large cookies, which is what I have pictured in this post. Scoop the batter onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make sure there is a little bit of room between each one because they will spread a little bit. You can use your fingers to pat the top of the cookie dough down, or you can leave them in mounds.
- The amount of time your cookies need to bake will depend on what size they are. If making large cookies, they will need about 20-25 minutes in the oven. Smaller cookies will require closer to 10-15 minutes. You know cookies are done once the top is slightly firm and the bottom is just beginning to brown. Remove cookies from the oven, let sit on the pan for a minute or two before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze while cookies are cooling. Add the sifted powder sugar to a medium sized bowl and then pour in one tablespoon of orange juice. Start mixing together and mix until you have a smooth glaze that is still a little opaque looking. You can add in the remaining tablespoon of orange juice if you need too. Add in the orange zest and mix until combined.
- Drizzle a small spoonful of glaze over the top of each cookie and allow to dry completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Unsalted butter is usually recommended for baking recipes. I have made these cookies with both salted and unsalted butter and both batches were great.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dessert, Cookie
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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