Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies
These pumpkin spice crinkle cookies might be one of my favorite fall cookies I’ve ever made! They have a soft, pillowy center that’s somewhere between pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake, with a crackly powdered sugar coating that practically melts in your mouth.
Even better, there’s no chill time, so you can have a batch mixed, baked, and ready to eat without planning hours ahead. If you keep canned pumpkin in the pantry during fall, you probably already have most of the ingredients!
I’ve made a lot of crinkle cookies over the years, especially during my market days. Ginger molasses, chocolate, lemon, orange, vanilla cappuccino—you name it. But these pumpkin crinkle cookies were always a fan favorite. The texture is incredible, they’re beautiful on a holiday dessert table, and they make the whole house smell like fall.
These have officially earned a spot on my Thanksgiving and Christmas cookie menu!
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
No chill time: Mix the dough, roll the cookies, and bake. No waiting around for dough to chill.
Soft and pillowy: The pumpkin gives the centers an incredibly soft, almost cake like texture.
Beautiful crinkle tops: Rolling the dough in granulated sugar followed by powdered sugar creates that classic crackled finish.
Full of fall flavor: Pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg make these especially cozy.
Great for holidays: They’re gorgeous on a Thanksgiving dessert table or Christmas cookie tray.
Market tested: After making countless crinkle cookies for my markets, these pumpkin cookies were always a favorite!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps create that soft, tender cookie texture.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and is also used for the first coating before the powdered sugar.
Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the pumpkin spice flavors.
Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Eggs: Help bind the dough together and give the cookies structure.
All Purpose Flour: The base of the cookie dough. For a gluten free version, you can substitute a good 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour blend.
Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Help the cookies rise and create their soft, pillowy centers.
Cinnamon + Pumpkin Pie Spice: Give the cookies their classic warm fall flavor.
Ginger, Cloves + Nutmeg: Optional, but perfect if you like your pumpkin cookies extra spiced.
Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.
Powdered Sugar: Creates that beautiful white crinkle coating as the cookies spread in the oven.
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
Gluten Free: Swap the all purpose flour for a good 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour blend. Since different blends can bake a little differently, keep an eye on the cookies toward the end of the baking time.
Pumpkin Puree: Butternut squash puree can be used in place of pumpkin puree.
Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices to your preference. If you love a strongly spiced cookie, add the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. For a milder cookie, stick with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
WATCH VIDEO TUTORIAL BELOW
How to Make Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
Step One: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
Step Two: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Step Three: Add the Pumpkin
Reduce the mixer to low and add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Mix until combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix again.
Step Four: Finish the Dough
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until everything comes together. Avoid overmixing the dough.
Step Five: Roll the Cookies
Portion the dough into 80 gram balls.
Step Six: Double Coat in Sugar
Roll each ball in granulated sugar first, followed by a generous coating of powdered sugar. Gently press the powdered sugar onto the outside so you get a thick coating.
Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar! That thick outer coating is what gives crinkle cookies their beautiful snowy, crackled tops as they bake.
Step Seven: Bake
Place the cookies about 1½ inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then allow them to cool completely.
More Fall Recipes You’ll Love:
Pumpkin Spice Cake Bars with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Bread Recipe
Healthy Maple Apple Crisp | Gluten-Free & No Refined Sugar
The Best Zucchini Bread Recipe | Moist & Simple Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies
- 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon heaping size
- 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice
- 1/8 Tsp Cloves optional
- 1/8 Tsp Nutmeg optional
- 1/2 Tsp Ginger optional
- 1/2 Cup Butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 Cups Sugar granulated
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 2 Tsps Pure Vanilla Extract
Pumpkin Crinkle Cookie Dusting
- 1/2 Cup Sugar granulated
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies
- Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and egg yolk.
- Finish the dough. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined.
- Portion and coat. Roll the dough into 80 gram balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar first, followed by a generous coating of powdered sugar. Gently press the powdered sugar onto the dough to create a thick coating.
- Bake. Place the cookies about 1½ inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving.
Notes
How to Store Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies
One of my favorite things about these crinkle cookies is how well they keep! During my market days, these were the only cookies I felt comfortable baking the day before instead of the morning of the market. They still tasted soft and delicious the next day.
Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 1 month. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Can I Make These Without Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Absolutely! If you love pumpkin but prefer a milder spice flavor, you can make these cookies with just pumpkin and cinnamon. If you’re like me and love all those cozy fall spices, add the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg for an extra spiced version.
I made a batch of these when we had friends coming over for dinner and finished them about 45 minutes before they arrived. They walked into a house that smelled like pumpkin spice cookies, and I swear no fall candle can compete with that!
I hope you love these pumpkin spice crinkle cookies as much as we do! They’re soft, pillowy, perfectly spiced, and that thick powdered sugar coating makes them such a pretty addition to any fall or holiday dessert table. After making countless batches of crinkle cookies during my market days, this pumpkin version will always be one of my favorites. If you make them, leave a comment and rating below and let me know what you think! I love hearing when my recipes make their way into your kitchens. Happy fall baking!
My best friend is gluten free and I want to make these tomorrow for Friendsgiving. Do you think switching to gf flour will make a big difference?
Absolutely not! Use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.