Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cookies
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Pumpkin Spice Cookies with a cinnamon roll spin. If Fall could be wrapped up in cookie form, this cookie would be it!
Even though the weather still screams summer, I’m craving (literally) Fall and all things pumpkin.
I’m having these Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats on repeat for breakfast, this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for afternoon snacks, this BEST EVER pumpkin bread for dessert, oh and these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies for dessert too!
I thought if I could have the fragrant smells of Fall wafting through my house it might help lower the temperatures. ? Well, that hasn’t worked out yet, but with just one bite of these cookies you will certainly be in the mood for Fall even if it doesn’t feel like it outside!
So I took my viral Cinnamon Roll Cookie recipe that is filled with gooey cinnamon and added canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and the result is a flavorful, moist, chewy, cinnamon-sweet pumpkin cookie finished with a cream cheese pumpkin pie spice swirl. It’s insane and I’m in love.
Not only am I in love but my 23 month old and 3 ½ year old nephews were my taste testers they gave big thumbs up to this recipe! ?? (Of course they did, right?! haha)
- Loaded with brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice!
- Topped with the best cream cheese frosting
- Incredibly soft and have chewy centers
- Easy to make, and no chill time!
- Comforting
- Great year-round, an excellent way to bring fall in-doors , and great for holiday season!
Ingredient Notes
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
- Pumpkin: be sure to use 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix which contains additional sugar and additional spices. 100% pumpkin allows you to control the flavors of your cookie.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This spice is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
- Cake Flour: adding in just the right amount of cake flour helps deliver a softer cookie, that is moist and chewy.
- Corn starch: Don’t forget the corn starch. It helps make these yummy cookies, thicker and chewier.
- Baking Soda: When you want a chewy, dense cookie make sure you always include baking soda.
- Baking Powder: Adding Baking Powder helps the cookie spread up and out.
- Salt: Salt is a wonderful flavor enhancer. Without it the secondary flavors will fall flat and will allow the sweetness to take over.
- Cold, unsalted butter, cubed: I’ve found for my cookie recipes using cold butter, instead of softened, works to make the best, thick cookies.
- Large eggs: For a fluffier cookie always use large eggs
- Large egg yolks – Because they contain lecithin and fat, additional egg yolks enrich the cookie flavor and texture creating a softer more tender Pumpkin Spice Cookie.
Step by Step Directions
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.
- Make the cinnamon sugar filling and set aside.
- Blot out some of the excess moisture in the pumpkin using paper towels.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Cream the cold butter and white granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add in the pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks.
- Add dry ingredients: in a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, etc.
- Spread cookie dough out into a large rectangle. Do this one a lightly floured surface, using your hands will work fine or you can use a rolling pin.
- Place cinnamon sugar filling on top and spread evenly.
- Roll the cookie dough up, starting on the long end, jelly roll style.
- Cut dough into ~16-18 cookies. Roll dough into balls.
- Place on prepared baking sheet and bake! Once cooled, frost cookies and enjoy.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can make it at home: 3 Tbsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1 ½ allspice and 1 ½ cloves. Simply mix together and use as needed.
- Blotting the pumpkin with a paper towel absorbs additional moisture leaving you with dense, flavorful pumpkin. I know it’s another step, but don’t skip out on this one!
- The cookie dough will be a little bit sticky, so just dust your hands and the work surface with flour to prevent sticking.
- Be sure to use light-colored baking sheets and not dark colored cookie sheets. Dark = absorb more heat = possible burnt cookies.
- Frost the cookies only after they are completely cool.
Can’t Get Enough Pumpkin?
Then you’re going to want to check out my Pumpkin Series! It’s a collection of my favorite pumpkin recipes featured on Kroll’s Korner. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from sweet treats to savory dishes. Perfect for Fall baking & cooking!
FAQ
This could be for many reasons. Be sure the cinnamon sugar filling inside doesn’t escape and don’t use baking spray on your cookie sheets. Place cookies straight onto your pan, use a sheet of parchment paper, or a baking mat.
Sometimes the filling oozes out but it’s ok! To get cookies perfectly circular: Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven, place a circular cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. Swirling the cookie should help to smooth out any uneven edges.
I recommend using a silicone baking mat (I love Silpat mats) or a sheet of parchment paper does the trick!
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed (16 Tbsp.)
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup 100% pumpkin, blotted*
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar filling
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of salt
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
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
- Blot out some of the excess moisture in the pumpkin using paper towels. You don't have to get all of the moisture since we still want the pumpkin flavor in the cookies. Measure out 1/4 cup pumpkin AFTER moisture is removed. (see video or photos for reference).1/4 cup 100% pumpkin, blotted*
- Make the cinnamon sugar filling. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, softened butter, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon together until smooth. Set aside.1 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark), 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups cake flour, 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- Place the butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixture and secure the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on and cream on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed (16 Tbsp.), 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Add in the blotted pumpkin, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract and blend until mixed.2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients, about 1/4 cup at a time until all dry ingredients are added and cookie dough comes together.
- On a clean, lightly floured surface, press the cookie dough into a long rectangle. Be sure to use enough flour, and flour on your hands too, so the dough is easier to work with. (For sizing, you can use a 9×13 inch dish for reference.) Flatten out using your hands or a rolling pin.
- Spoon the cinnamon sugar filling onto the dough and into an even layer, leaving about an inch around the boarder.
- Roll the dough up, starting on the long edge, being careful not to tear the dough. (If you floured your surface enough this shouldn't be an issue!) ?
- Cut the cookie dough into ~16-18 cookies. Roll cookies into balls, being sure to seal the filling inside so it doesn't ooze out. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for ~10-15 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth. Add more powdered sugar as desired for a thicker frosting.8 oz. cream cheese, softened, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, pinch of salt
- Spread frosting on top of cooled cookies (I like to use a piping bag) and sprinkle the frosting with more pumpkin pie spice, as desired. Store cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days.1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Video
Notes
- When rolling the dough in a dough ball, be sure the cinnamon sugar filling inside doesn’t escape by pinching the edges of the dough around the filling. If it oozes out, it can cause the cookies to loose shape/look a little wonky but it’s ok! To get cookies perfectly circular: Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven, place a circular cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. Swirling the cookie should help to smooth out any uneven edges.
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.
I made these for my husbands birthday and he loved them!
I am not the greatest cook- I didn’t learn until my early 30s (seriously- when I was in college, you had to eat my cooking if you lost a bet haha). I say all that because while yes, there are a lot of steps to this recipe, it was fairly easy to follow. Some of them came out a little strange looking, but that was me not the recipe. I should have listened better to the parts about making sure the filling was actually inside the cookie. But oh well- these are amazing!!
It can be tricky rolling them and making them look perfect, you did great! thank you!! 🙂
OMG! My husband and house full of teens LOVED these! A new family fav! Thank you!
I’m going to be completely honest. This recipe was a mess. There needs to be weighed measurements on your ingredients. I’m an avid cookie maker and made these with usual measurements per cup of certain ingredients (like the flours) and I’m sad they came out awful. Your pumpkin measurement and notes need to be specific ( for example…start out with 120g and dry out till you’re at 80g). I think the concept is awesome but it will be hard for people to achieve success with the room for interpretation on these instructions.
Hey Jen! I am so sorry you had struggles with this recipe. I’ll revisit it this Fall and update it to make it more streamlined with specific measurements. Once again, so sorry. Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you find something else you love. – Tawnie
You never let me down
This made my day! lol love!!! They look incredible. thank you! xo, Tawnie
Making this now and it doesn’t say how much vanilla to put in!
Oh no! So sorry! It should have been in the recipe card I apologize, 1 tsp. but honestly I just always measure with my heart, haha!! xo, Tawnie