The most amazing Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting that will melt in your mouth! If I could only choose one cookie to bake this fall, this would be it!

Pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting on a white marble board with fall leaves in the background.

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

These delicious cookies are a spin-off of my (previous) all time favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Pumpkin Chocolate Chippers have not just been my favorite “Fall” cookies, they’ve always been my favorite ALL-TIME cookies….until I made this version with the caramel frosting. WOW.

A stack of three pumpkin cookies, with more cookies in the background.

These cookies are seriously amazing. After I snuck a taste tester I couldn’t wait for Jeff to get home to try them because I knew he’d love them SOO much.

The real magic is in the caramel frosting, which may sound complicated but is SO easy to make. The frosting makes these pumpkin cookies melt in your mouth!

A bowl with caramel frosting and a spoon on it and pumpkin cookies in the background, and another photo of the pumpkin cookies being frosted.

How to store Pumpkin Cookies:
I don’t suggest storing pumpkin cookies at room temperature because the oil and canned pumpkin in them will cause them to “sweat”. They will still taste delicious, but the tops of them will get sticky.
I’ve found the best way to store them is freezing them, after frosting them. You wont believe how amazingly fresh they taste when you let them come to room temperature (or stick one in the microwave for a few seconds if you’re impatient, like me).
A plate fill of pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE PUMPKIN RECIPES INCLUDE:

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Recipe

Prep 25 minutes
Cook 12 minutes
Total 37 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients
  

Caramel Frosting

Instructions
 

  • With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil. 
  • Add egg, milk, canned pumpkin and vanilla and blend well. 
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix, just until incorporated. 
  • Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

For the frosting

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. 
  • Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar. Let the frosting cool to room temperature and then stir in enough additional powdered sugar to make a good frosting consistency (you may not use the whole extra cup.) 
  • Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 76mgSugar: 22gVitamin A: 1680IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.7mg

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RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

*I first shared this recipe August 2014. Updated October 2018.

These cookies are the BEST! Melt in your mouth soft pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting. Recipe from

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    THESE ARE AMAZING!!!!!!
    I found your recipe November 2020. It was our first Thanksgiving after Christmas. 3 family members were waiting on Covid test results so we decided to call off the big family dinner and our dinner ended up being my husband and i with our two boys ages 24 & 32. First time ever that it was just our little family and it was great. Anyhow, I found this recipe. They all fell in love with them. I’ve made them ever year since (4 times). Back to the “entire family” dinners again and all of them love these cookies. My family calls them the “you can’t eat just one” cookie. This year I tripled the recipe and still the cookies were gone before it was time to serve dessert and we only had 25 guests this year. SO DELICIOUS!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us.
    Happy Baking!!!!!

  2. 5 stars
    These were a big hit even with my non pumpkin fans & the love it icing on cupcakes too! Thank you. Soooo easy & Yum

  3. 5 stars
    These cookies are soft and delicious! The caramel frosting is a perfect flavor combination with the pumpkin/cinnamon.

  4. 5 stars
    I used pumpkin pie spice and homemade pumpkin puree i had on hand(did have to add more flour as it was more liquidy). Yum!! These are like pumpkin spice pillows of deliciousness!! I can’t believe how soft they are and they puff up so cute. I made 2x cookie recipe and 1x frosting recipe and think that’s all the extra sweetness they need.

  5. 5 stars
    Delicious! I used half the sugar in the batter and halved the frosting. It was wonderfully delicious, especially with coffee.

  6. 5 stars
    Very tasty, moist, and nice texture. The entire recipe was very easy; didn’t even get out my stand mixer. Since we like more spices in our pumpkin desserts, I reduced cinnamon to 1/2 tsp and added 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 tsp each of ginger and cloves. For the frosting I used half and half-didn’t have whipping cream.

  7. 5 stars
    Have you ever combined the previous champ – the chocolate chip pumpkin cookie – with the carmel frosting? Just wondering if that’s too much or might be a winning combo. Thanks!

  8. These were delicious, soft and moist. I added nuts to the recipe and loved it. Shared with my friends and they all wanted the recipe! Thank you!

  9. 4 stars
    These were really good. As others noted, more cake-like texture, so be sure not to overbake. I’d take them out as soon as the tops are dry. The frosting recipe was short and I was unable to frost all the cookies and I used far less than shown in the recipe photos/video. In the future I will double it. I sprinkled a bit of pink himalayan sea salt on the tops of each cookie and they were delicious.

  10. 5 stars
    I made these cookies for my Oct./ Nov. Bake sale. They are super delicious, & everybody loves them. I love making them for Thanksgiving for friends & family.

  11. These are delicious. My dough was more like a batter so I popped it in the fridge to firm up. They do have a wonderful cake like texture to them. Pumpkin lends itself to some wonderful spices, so I also added some nutmeg and a dash of cloves like I do with my pumpkin bread. The family loved them. And my house smells amazing which is an added bonus.

  12. I found this recipe 12 days ago. Since then I have made this 4 times! I love this cookie. It is so light and perfect. The first time I made them I followed the recipe. The second time I made the frosting more of a glaze by adding more butter and cream. The third time I made a salted caramel drizzle. All were wonderful, but I loved the glaze and it is now a staple in my cookie book.

  13. Can you please indicate how many cookies you get in one batch? I need to make a bunch for my work, but I need to know how many batches I need to make. Thanks!

  14. 5 stars
    These tasted so good!!! Probably some of the best cookies I’ve ever made! But what you would recommend is the best way to store them and how long do they store?

    Thanks so much for the recipe!!!

    1. Hi CJ, I’m so happy you liked them so much! I’d recommend freezing them–they don’t store super well at room temperature because they sweat…but they freeze great!

  15. These look amazing and I have all the ingredients to make them – my question is. . . does the frosting harden. I always take batches into the office and if the frosting doesn’t harden it is harder to stack them for carrying. Thanks for the recipes – I can’t wait to make them

    1. Hi Joey, The frosting is fairly soft. I might suggest freezing them, and then stacking them when they’re frozen and transporting them that way. Then you could unstack them and allow them to thaw, which would only take a few minutes!

  16. I’m getting ready to make these cookies. I need to know ASAP if I can double this recipe. They sound so good. Please let me know as soon as you can. Thanks

  17. Thanksgiving was just yesterday and I have left over canned pumpkin, about 1/4 C of heavy cream and everything else I need for these cookies. A co-worker just mentioned her favorite flavors are pumpkin and caramel…what a stroke of luck that I came upon your website and found the PERFECT recipe for cookies to give her. I always bake from scratch – there is nothing in the world better than that. I can’t even look at a box of cake mix and feel anything but ill…ha ha ha 😀 Thank you for being here – I will be looking at more of your recipes and trying them I am sure. I am with you – bring on the fall baking!

    Thanks Lauren!!

    1. Thanks Terry–that is a perfect coincidence! I have no doubt your Co-Worker will LOVE them! Happy baking, and I do hope you come back!

  18. These cookies are a hit at my office and with family!! I just can’t go wrong when I make them 🙂

    With so much going on during the holidays I was hoping to premake the dough and refrigerate it overnight. Is that ok??

    1. Hi Stephanie, I’m not sure how that would work..I’ve never tried it. I can tell you that the cookies freeze beautifully. You could bake them and freeze them and then when you’re ready to serve them bring them out a few hours ahead of time and frost them.

  19. These are to die for!!! I wasn’t sure how I’d like these cuz I’m not a frosting person….but oh my!!! Love them! Took them into my Hubby’s work and they were gone and asking for more in a matter of seconds! Making them again today!!! Yummy!!!!

  20. 5 stars
    I just want to say you are my favorite person ever! This is almost (if not exactly) like my mom’s pumpkin cookie with caramel frosting recipe. They are the best cookies ever! And now I have a house full…waiting on icing to cool 🙂

  21. Easy and delicious!! I just made these, and I’m pretty sure I already need to make another batch! The icing hasn’t even cooled all the way, and they are almost half gone!! (I suppose it was a seal of approval from my husband!) Thank you so much for sharing!!

          1. How runny was it? My batter is pretty thin–a little thicker consistency then cake batter…

    1. Hi Wendy, they’re not the same–pumpkin pie filling usually has spices added to it. Pumpkin puree is just pure pumpkin with nothing added. Hope that helps 🙂

  22. I cook fresh pumpkin and freeze it because I make pumpkin bread for Christmas Could I just use it instead of canned pumpkin? The recipe sounds great, I can’t wait to try them.
    thank you for sharing.

  23. I first came across these pumpkin cookies on my stepdaughters web sight she had a picture of them that she made and they look sooooooooo temping and wonderful,delicious. so I am going to make them! I cannot wait to try them!

    1. Hi Brenda, I haven’t ever made these with butter–If you want to try it, I might start by trying it with half butter/half oil…

  24. 5 stars
    Just have to say: I made these today and they were mouth watering delicious. I did not have powdered sugar, made without frosting and they were still delicious! Thanks so much, this recipe is a keeper !!

  25. I just made these cookies. I can’t wait to try them. The frosting was difficult to make for me. I kept adding powdered sugar, but it still wasn’t thick enough.

    1. Hi Marie, the frosting will harden as it cools…and you don’t want it too thick. Let me know how you liked them in the end!

  26. 5 stars
    I am making these for my husband’s Squadron picnic tomorrow. They are AMAZING!! Not sure they are gonna make it to the picnic. =)

  27. Can I freeze these? And how should I prepare them for the freezer? How long can I freeze them for?
    I am making these for a fall October wedding and can’t make them all the day before.
    Thanks in advance!!!!!!

    1. Hi Susan, First I have to say that I’ve never frozen them. But, using the following tips, I think it could work really great! (And maybe you could do a test batch before the wedding). Here are my suggestions:
      1. Make sure the frosted cookies are completely cool before freezing them.
      2. “Flash freeze” them before stacking them: Place individual layers of cookies on a sheet and stick them in the freezer for 15min. This will help the frosting harden before you stack them so that the cookie appearance remains in tact.
      3. Place a paper towel on the bottom of the sheet you freeze them on. Then place wax paper between each layer of cookies. Cover them really well at the end (You could use plastic wrap and then foil, or the lid to a tupperware if you put them in a tupperware.
      4. I wouldn’t freeze them longer than a week. Again, you may want to make a dozen and try these tips out before the wedding. But I do think they will turn out great.
      Good luck! What fun! Let me know if you have any other questions!

  28. Hi there, am just making these and so far so good, kids can’t wait to try them! 2 questions:
    the cookies didn’t spread out, they just stayed in the same shape as dropped,is this they way they should be, they were very hard to get uniform. any tips?

    also the icing sugar for the frosting lumped up as soon as i put it in the sugar mixture, is there a way to avoid this? thanks! i am sure they will taste better than they look!

    1. Hi Shannon, I hoped you liked the cookies! The raw cookie dough will just stay in the same shape you drop them in. You could use a cookie scoop to try and get them more uniform. As for the icing, I like to beat mine with electric mixers after I add the powdered sugar–that will get rid of any lumps!

  29. I am excited to try your recipes. They look awesome. I will try the pumpkin cookies this weekend. Do you have a favorite banana bread recipe?

  30. I just made these and they are amazing. But I couldn’t get my frosting to turn out right. I am going to try again tomorrow. And skip the cooling and extra powder suger and see if it turns out better.

    1. Hi Sami, I’m so glad you liked them. Yes I would test the frosting before you add the extra powdered sugar–you should be able to get it to whatever consistency you like that way!

    1. Hi Judie, The icing sets pretty well and you can make it a thicker consistency by adding more powdered sugar if you need to help it set more. I would also definitely put a piece of wax paper in between the cookies when you stack them. Hope your family loves them!

    1. Hi Vicki, I think that will be find. You may just need to adjust the amount of powdered sugar you add to get the right consistency

  31. Hi!
    I CANNOT WAIT to make these cookies and your Chocolate Mousse Cake(I’ll NEVER get on my diet!! LOL)!! Just a quick question, your directions say use a GREASED cookie sheet!!?? I have never used a greased cookie sheet to my recollection and I make TONS of different cookies!! Is this a typo?? It’s also on your other cookie recipe, so I really wanted your clarification. Thank you!!! HAPPY BAKING!!!

    1. Hi Maureen, I don’t use a non-stick pan, so I always spray my cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray before putting the cookie dough on. If you have a non-stick pan you can skip this step! Hope you love the cookies and the cake!

    2. Parchment paper – Best thing EVER! Once I started using this, I won’t bake cookies without it. All cookies bake evenly and never stick. I also use it on the bottom of my cake pans if I’m baking a cake that I want to turn out. Cake comes out perfectly every time.

      This recipe looks wonderful! Will definitely be making it soon.

  32. Do you have any substitutes to make it gluten free ? My wife would love these if I can find a way to make them gluten free ??? Thank you.

    1. Hi Todd, I’ve never made a gluten free version, but you could try using oat, coconut, or rice flour as a substitute. Let me know if you try something that works!

      1. I am sensitive to gluten and have found that rice flour is the best substitute for wheat flour. That goes for pasta as well…choose rice instead of white wheat flour. 🙂

  33. Laura, I love pumpkin recipes, but I am Lactose Intolerant so I always try to sub out coconut milk (all fat or low-fat) for heavy cream. I make whipped cream this way successfully. Silly that I married a Cheesehead, too. I know he would love this recipe and he does not mind me subbing dairy out so that I won’t get sick. Any ideas or have you heard someone successfully making these pumpkin cookies and the caramel frosting dairy-free? Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hi Caroline, I haven’t tried any dairy-free substitutions, but I don’t see what coconut milk wouldn’t work! Let me know if you try it and how you like it!

    2. Heavy cream does not have lactose in it: lactose is the sugar found in the non-cream part of milk (food substances ending in .”…ose” indicate sugars such as glucose, fructose, dextrose, lactose, etc) . If you check the label on high quality heavy whipping cream you will see it is all fat and has 0 sugar. Most lactose intolerant people can deal with cream….so, you might be alright with this lovely recipe as written except for that 1teaspoon of milk…

        1. I have never made a cookie with oil…usually butter? could you sub butter? why oil? does this make them more cake like…?

  34. I have everything I need for these, so I’m making them today. I have a caramel loving husband who will probably love them. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

  35. Yum!! Going to make these for my hubby’s birthday next week. Thank you for sharing!:)

    Does it matter if I use skim milk and sea salt? (I really am not a baker, I have to follow a recipe to the T!)

    1. Hi Kayann, what a perfect birthday treat! You can use skim milk, but if you use sea salt you’ll only want to add half as much as the recipe calls for. Let me know how you like them!

  36. Oh my. That caramel frosting sounds fabulous! These look like a perfect fall treat. Can’t wait to give them a try!