These soft pumpkin cookies get their warmth from a homemade chai spice blend — cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and allspice — stirred right into the dough. A short chill keeps them from spreading too thin, and a drizzle of maple glaze or dollop of cream cheese frosting turns them from simple to special. They're an easy fall bake that makes a big batch for sharing.
Soft pumpkin cookies spiced with a homemade chai blend, finished with an optional maple glaze or cream cheese frosting.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fast: ready in about 50 minutes (10 min prep, 10 min cook)
- Simple: 20 everyday ingredients
- Feeds the family: 24 servings
- Light: about 120 calories per serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (Use 100% pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed: (For moisture and a touch of molasses flavor)
- ½ cup neutral oil or melted unsalted butter (Keeps the cookies soft and chewy)
- 1 large egg yolk (Helps bind the dough without making the cookies cakey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Enhances the warmth and overall flavor)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (Provides structure; use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend if needed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (Leavening agent for light texture)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (Additional lift to prevent dense cookies)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (Balances sweetness and brings out the spice notes)
- You can use a store-bought chai spice mix or create your own flavorful blend with:
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Optional: a pinch of finely ground black pepper (Adds a subtle warming kick and depth)
- This homemade chai spice mix brings bold aromatic flavor and pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
- ½ cup chocolate chips (white chocolate chunks, or toffee bits: For added sweetness and texture)
- Maple glaze or cream cheese frosting (for drizzling or sandwiching: Adds richness and a festive finish)
