Frosted Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies
Frosted Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies are soft, cake-like pumpkin cookies made from a yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, warm spices, and topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cookies:
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25 ounces
- ½ cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz ream cheese softened
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1–2 tsp milk or heavy cream if needed
Instructions
- Prep the pans and oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Mix the pumpkin cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, add the yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, egg, vegetable oil, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir everything together until completely combined. The dough will be thick and sticky; that is exactly what you want for soft pumpkin cookies.
- Chill the dough (optional but helpful). For thicker cookies that spread less, refrigerate the dough for 20–30 minutes. If you are in a rush, you can skip this step; your cookies will still be delicious.
- Scoop and shape the cookies. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion out about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place each scoop about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.Since pumpkin cookie dough does not spread very much, gently flatten and shape each scoop into a thick round with slightly smoothed edges. This helps them bake up evenly and gives a pretty, uniform look.
- Bake the pumpkin cookies. Bake at 350°F for 9–13 minutes. The tops should look set and spring back lightly when touched. Pumpkin cookies typically do not brown much, so go by texture more than color. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.
- Cool completely. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack. If they stick to the cookie sheet, you can carefully lift them up with a rubber spatula. Let them cool completely before adding any frosting.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and well combined.If the frosting is too thick, add milk or heavy cream ½ teaspoon at a time. Mix after each addition until you reach a soft, spreadable consistency that holds its shape.
- Frost and decorate. Once the pumpkin cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of each one. I like to put the frosting in a piping bag with just the tip cut off and do a simple swirl
- Serve and store. Serve the cookies right away, or chill them briefly if you prefer the frosting a bit firmer.Store leftover frosted pumpkin cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving for the best soft texture.