If you are a pumpkin fan, you are going to fall in love with these giant, soft pumpkin cookies. Loaded with rich butterscotch chips and seasonal spices; these cakey, but not dry spiced pumpkin cookies are bursting with the flavors of fall and the holidays in every bite. Plus they take less than 15 minutes to get in the oven.
I love giant cookies, and these soft pumpkin cookies check all of my boxes; easy, simple pantry ingredients and they taste out of this world! Not too cake-y, just the right amount of chewy, they bake into smooth, almost muffin top like cookies! Perfect for all of your October and November baking!
You might also love these other giant cookies; my crazy popular Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies, Giant Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies, New England Whoopie Pies, Pan Banging Sugar Cookies and these drool worthy Fluffernutter Whoopie Pies.
Soft Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients
Other than the butterscotch chips, you probably already have everything in your pantry to make these essential fall cookies! Be sure to print the recipe with quantities and full instructions at the end of this post.
- Unbleached All-purpose Flour | I always use organic unbleached AP flour, unbleached flour has a more dense texture, and provides more structure in baked goods.
- Leavening | We will use both baking powder and baking soda in these Spiced Pumpkin cookies, because we want a bit more lift than normal, this gives these cookies their classic domed tops.
- Spices | Well, these wouldn’t be spiced pumpkin cookies without some spice! I used Pumpkin Pie Spice in mine, but you can easily swap out for just cinnamon.
- Eggs & Oil | You will beat these two ingredients together, until they are thick, light and creamy! This gives body to the soft pumpkin cookies!
- Canned Pumpkin | Be sure it’s canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling!
- Vanilla Extract | I used Rodelle’s Reserve Oak Aged Vanilla for these cookies, the flavors just shine through! I am so proud to be an ambassador for Rodelle!
- Butterscotch Chips | Feel free to replace with other chips, but butterscotch and pumpkin were a match made in heaven!
How to Make Spiced Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Place your rack in the middle of the oven, preheating oven to 325 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, beat the sugar and eggs until smooth and lightened in color, about a minute. The mixture should be silky and thick.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly mix in the oil, then add the pumpkin, vanilla until blended.
Add the flour mixture a little at a time until incorporated. Stir or mix in butterscotch chips on low.
Using a ¼ cup ice cream or cookie scoop (see variations for smaller cookies), scoop the pumpkin cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. Spacing the cookies about 2 ½ inches apart, I was able to get 6 giant pumpkin cookies per pan. If you want your cookies a little flatter, then using an offset spatula smooth the mounds a bit.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, until the tops feel firm (spring back when lightly touched) and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 14-16 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula and transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
If desired, dust the fully cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar.
Recommended Equipment
A few pieces of kitchen equipment will make this recipe even easier to make!
- Half Sheet Pans | The USA brand is my favorite brand of baking pans and sheets. They are heavyweight, won’t warp and are non-stick.
- Parchment Paper | If you haven’t started baking with parchment paper, now is the time. These all natural sheets of parchment paper allows everything to slip right off!
- Cookie Scoops | I use cookie scoops for all of my cookies, my Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies come out uniform every time! I would recommend getting a set for variously sized cookies. But for these pumpkin butterscotch cookies you will need the large cookie scoop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Occasionally, when I want smaller pumpkin cookies or jsut more of them to spread the love, I will use a medium cookie scoop, yielding about 24 cookies, give or take! Bake for 10-14 minutes, when touched lightly the tops should spring back.
Absolutely! I would recommend using a good GF AP 1-1 Flour like this one, or use half gluten-free flour and half almond or oat flour. Watch the bake time. You don’t want to over bake them!
Stored on the counter in an airtight container, these cookies will be delicious up to 4 days. If longer storage is needed, before dusting with powdered sugar, place cookies in airtight baggie or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on counter and then dust with powdered sugar.
High Altitude Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
- This recipe works great at sea level and high altitude, I bake at 5280 feet above sea level (mile high) and have made adjustments for you.
- Add ¼ cup additional unbleached flour
- Reduce baking powder to 1 teaspoon
- My cookies baked fine at the original 325 degree temperature, but you might explore baking this spiced pumpkin cookies recipe at 350 degrees for a little less time.
TFC PRO TIP | All ovens heat at different temperatures, typically mine is off by 25 degrees so I adjust my baking temperature accordingly. You might find one of these handy oven thermometers useful.
Variations
Now, these are not the typical soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting you see all over the place, instead these pumpkin spice cookies made with canned pumpkin and granulated sugar are delicious naked! BUT here are some ideas to spice them up a bit!
- Drizzle with this nutty, browned butter glaze.
- Add a little swirl of brown sugar cream cheese frosting — find the recipe in my Carrot Cupcake recipe.
- Or go all out and make these into Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and sandwich them between this creamy maple brown sugar buttercream (found in my Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies)
Substitutions
I am always about how to Make it Yours! Easily adapt to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and more!
- Instead of butterscotch chips, try adding mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or regular chocolate chips or a combination of the above making them a delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
- The last batch I made I sent to our college son, I added some caramel bits to the batter!
- I would also recommend trying white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and even English Toffee bits!
I hope you love these cookies, these would be spectacular for a bake sale, harvest festival, school parties or just because you are craving some pumpkin spice during October and November!
More Pumpkin Recipes you will love!
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe {with Streusel topping}
- Pumpkin Yogurt | Copycat Noosa
- Copycat Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe {+ High Altitude Adjustments}
- Chocolate Pumpkin Graham Crisp
- Easy Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- Maple Pumpkin Scones {Starbucks Copycat}
- Healthy Moist Pumpkin Bread
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour High Altitude H.A. add ¼ cup
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder H.A. reduce to 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup granulated sugar | I use all-natural cane sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil | I used Avocado oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup butterscotch chips* | see notes for variations
Instructions
- Place your rack in the middle of the oven, preheating oven to 325 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, beat the sugar and eggs until smooth and lightened in color, about a minute. The mixture should be silky and thick.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly mix in the oil, then add the pumpkin, vanilla until blended.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time until incorporated. Stir or mix in butterscotch chips on low.
- Using a ¼ cup ice cream or cookie scoop (see variations for smaller cookies), scoop the pumpkin cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. Spacing the cookies about 2 ½ inches apart, I was able to get 6 giant pumpkin cookies per pan. If you want your cookies a little flatter, then using an offset spatula smooth the mounds a bit.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, until the tops feel firm (spring back when lightly touched) and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 14-16 minutes.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula and transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- If desired, dust the fully cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar.
Notes
Instead of butterscotch chips, try adding an equal amount of mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or regular chocolate chips or a combination of the above making them a delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
Nutrition
Wren
Hi, Kathleen. Is the nutrition guide info for 16 or 24 cookies…or 30?
Or, do you have to figure it by 1 ounce measurements?
Also, why do you choose avocado oil for the cookies?
Thanks, so much.
Wren
Hi Wren so sorry about that fixing it now, give me a minute. It was a change in my recipe card and it defaulted to ounces mistakenly!
I love using avocado oil in my baking, it’s unflavored and so heart healthy!
Michaela Kenkel
pumpkin anything has my heart! I had to try these – and they are so yummy!! I am using this for my cookie exchange cookie this year!
Wahoo! Hope everyone loves them!
Nikki Lee
Pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, butterscotch … it doesn’t get much better than that in terms of fall cookie recipes! Looks and sounds delicious!
All the best flavors of fall! Thank you!
Erin
These cookies make me SO happy! Pumpkin and butterscotch together are simply divine, and I cannot wait to have another one of these. SO good.
The best combination of flavors isn’t it!
Sandra Shaffer
You have the best cookie recipes, so I couldn’t wait to grab some butterscotch chips to make these, and use regular choc chips. So good! Love how fluffy they came out. Will make again as written, but don’t wait! haha
Julie Menghini
These cookies were absolutely amazing. So soft, tender, and delicious! I’m making them again for overnight guests on Thanksgiving.
They will be perfect for your company coming for Thanksgiving!
Michelle
These pumpkin cookies are out of this world delicious! They are also nice and soft. But be careful not to overbake them – I accidentally left my first batch in the oven for too long and I regretted it!
Thank you so much! Haha, yes, you don’t want to overbake them!
Debi
I loved the addition of the butterscotch chips to these cookies. So yummy. Next time I might try chocolate chips and walnuts. Such a yummy fall cookie!
Yes, chocolate chips and walnuts would be awesome!