Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies
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These Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies are the perfect fall treat, with soft, pumpkin-spiced cookies topped with a buttery crumb topping and finished with a sweet maple glaze. They have all the cozy flavors of classic coffee cake in an easy-to-make cookie!
These cookies are perfect for fall baking, holiday gatherings, or enjoying alongside your morning coffee. And if you’re craving a more traditional coffee cake to pair with your coffee, be sure to try my Pumpkin Coffee Cake, too!
Or, if you aren’t ready to jump into all things pumpkin, don’t miss my classic Coffee Cake Cookies or Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake.
Table Talk with Tawnie
Since my coffee cake cookies are a viral recipe, I had to make a pumpkin version for Autumn! Pumpkin spice in each bite, a soft and chewy cookie base, and the most perfect streusel and glaze on top. It’s heaven in cookie form and I am beyond thrilled to bring this new cookie to the Kroll’s Korner cookie collection 🤗
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure your flour correctly (spoon and level or use a kitchen scale). Too much flour can make the cookies dry, while the right amount keeps them soft and perfectly structured.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use the 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Blot the puree by pressing paper towels on it until they’re not absorbing much liquid.
- Butter: You will use butter in both the cookie dough and streusel. Room temperature butter is key for properly creaming with the sugars, to create the cookies’ light, fluffy base and helps the cookies bake up soft and thick. Check out this helpful post on how to soften butter fast (6 ways!). For the streusel, melted butter is what gives you those perfect crumbly clusters instead of a dry, sandy topping.
- Brown sugar (light & dark): Dark brown sugar in the streusel adds a deep, almost caramel-like flavor. Using light brown sugar in the cookie dough gives that classic coffee cake taste to the cookies.
- Powdered sugar: Creates that smooth, sweet drizzle that really makes these cookies feel like coffee cake. You can easily adjust the consistency with a splash more milk or sugar as needed.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the streusel
Mix together the streusel ingredients and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients separately, then gradually mix them into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Scoop & fill
Scoop the cookie dough into balls. Then, using the back of a lightly floured tablespoon (or your thumb), press a deep indent into the center of each cookie. Fill each indent with a couple of teaspoons of streusel.
Bake
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Then let cool completely.
Glaze & enjoy!
Whisk together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle generously over completely cooled cookies and enjoy!!!
Expert Tips
- Butter temp: Make sure you’re using room temperature butter when making the cookie dough and melted butter when making the streusel. The temperature is really important to the consistency of the dough and streusel. If you’re in a rush, check out this helpful post on how to soften butter fast (6 ways!).
- Blot the pumpkin: Make sure to thoroughly blot the pumpkin. Blotting the pumpkin helps remove excess moisture so that it doesn’t add too much liquid to the cookie dough.
- Properly measure flour: As with any baking recipe, make sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need, which can result in dry cookies.
- Don’t over-mix the dough: Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Over-mixing can develop too much gluten, making the cookies tough. You want to mix the ingredients just until no more dry pockets are left.
- Don’t over-bake: These cookies look very soft and slightly underbaked when you take them out of the oven. The centers will continue to set as the cookies cool.
- Cookie-scoot: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a round glass or biscuit cutter slightly larger than the cookies to gently “scoot” them into perfect circles.
- Glaze: Ice the cookies only after they are completely cool or the glaze will melt right off.
- Added texture: For added texture to the streusel, add chopped nuts like finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
Fall Series
Back by popular demand is my Fall series for 2026! This year I’ve worked on more pumpkin goodies, slow cooker comfort meals, and drool worthy apple desserts. There’s something for everyone to enjoy & if you want more, have to check out the previous year’s Fall featured recipes too!
Storage / Freezing
- Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. They stay soft and tender thanks to the brown sugar and egg yolk.
- Refrigerator: You can refrigerate them, but it’s not necessary. If you do, let them come to room temperature before serving so they soften back up.
- To freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely (glaze set). Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm slightly for that fresh-baked feel.
- To freeze cookie dough: Scoop and fill cookies with streusel, then place on a tray. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, bake straight from frozen at 350° and add 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time.
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Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup 100% pumpkin puree (blotted well with paper towels (This is 1/4 cup measured after blotting, so about 1/2 cup blotted down to 1/4 cup))
- 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Streusel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 6 Tbsp. melted butter
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Splash vanilla extract
Maple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Splash almond extract (optional)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until crumbly and evenly combined. If it feels dry, add a little more melted butter. Set aside.2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 6 Tbsp. melted butter, Pinch of kosher salt, Splash vanilla extract
- Cream butter and sugar: Using the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Start Timer. See this helpful post on how to properly cream butter and sugar.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- Add wet ingredients: Add the egg yolk, blotted pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 large egg yolk, 1/4 cup 100% pumpkin puree, 1 Tbsp. whole milk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.2¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
- Scoop & fill: Using a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop, portion the dough into 24 equal balls and place on a parchment-lined tray. Using the back of a lightly floured tablespoon (or your thumb), press a deep indent into the center of each cookie. Fill each indent with about 2-3 teaspoons of streusel, gently pressing it in, so it adheres.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange 6-8 cookies per parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes Start Timer, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly underbaked. Immediately after removing from the oven, use a round drinking glass or biscuit cutter to gently scoot the cookies into perfect circles. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Start Timer
- Make the maple glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, salt, and vanilla until smooth. If needed, add a splash more milk for a thinner glaze or a little more powdered sugar to thicken.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, 1 Tbsp. whole milk, Pinch of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, Splash almond extract
- Glaze and enjoy: Drizzle generously over completely cooled cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
- Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. They stay soft and tender thanks to the brown sugar and egg yolk.
- To freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely (glaze set). Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm slightly for that fresh-baked feel.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
