While Starbucks may limit their pumpkin spice flavors to the autumn season, feel free to break these out at any time of the year and not feel an ounce of guilt about it. They’re that good.
Soft and sweet with a satisfying crunch from the chocolate chunks, these cookies disappear faster than you can cook them. They tanginess of the icing keeps them from being pure sugar bombs, but they definitely will satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth.
These are easy to make gluten and dairy free, but not vegan. This recipe really needs the egg for the correct texture. They are also very dependent on the temperature of your butter. It should be room temp (so it indents when you poke it, but your finger doesn’t slide or squish).
Servings: 3 dozen
Total Time: 60 minutes
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 MInutes
Ingredients
Cookies
I C unsalted butter (use real butter, not margarine)
1/4 C brown sugar, packed
3/4 C granulated white sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
8 oz pureed pumpkin (I Like Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin – don’t use pie mix)
2 C all-purpose four
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you don’t have a pre-mixed one, see below for making your own)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
12 oz white chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz cream cheese (if you want to go lactose free, Green Valley is an awesome option – careful with other brands, the texture and taste will be different, so taste test before committing!)
1/4 C unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 C powdered sugar (will vary based on preferred consistency)
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
Pumpkin Spice
1.5 Tbsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp nutmeg, ground
3/4 tsp allspice, ground
3/4 tsp cloves, ground
Preparation
Cookies
- In medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set aside
- With electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
- Scrape down sides and bottom, add pumpkin and egg, beating on high until fluffy
- Scrape down sides and bottom, gradually add flour mixture, mixing on medium-low until just well blended
- Stir in white chocolate chips on low speed (dough will be sticky)
- Cover and chill dough 30 minutes
- Preheat oven to 375*F
- Grease cookie sheets with shortening or butter-flavored spray
- Drop balls of dough (roughly 1.5 Tbsp per cookie) and place 2″ apart on prepared cookie sheets (cookies will retain much of the shape you put them on the sheet, so it’s up to you how “pretty” and rounded you want to make them… the dough is sticky enough that it’s not always worth the trouble… they taste just as yummy with some swoops and swirls and give them that “homemade” character)
- Bake 10-12 minutes (sides will be lightly browned and top will look set and slightly hardened)
- Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely
- After completely cooled, frost cookies with cream cheese icing
Cream Cheese Icing
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with electric mixer until light and fluffy
(if it creams, but doesn’t fluff, it might be too warm – put the bowl in the fridge for 15-30 minutes and try again) - Gradually add in powdered sugar until it reaches spreadable consistency
(it should be thick enough that it doesn’t run off the spoon, but thin enough that it doesn’t taste like a solid lump of sugar – taste as you go!) - Blend in brown sugar until combined
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 179
Fat (g): 9
Carbs (g): 24
Sugar (g): 19
Protein (g): 1
Cholesterol (mg): 23
Sodium (mg): 81
Potassium (mg): 19
Fiber(g): 0
Vitamin A (%): 4
Vitamin C (%): 0
Calcium (%): 2
Iron (%): 0
*Percent Daily Values based on 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.