Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe tastes like a soft pumpkin spice latte collided with a buttery crumb-topped bakery muffin in the best way possible. It works perfectly for fall gatherings, bake sales, or a cozy weeknight treat, and you can finish the whole batch in about 45 minutes. I tested these while my kids circled the kitchen like cookie-loving sharks, so you know they passed the real-life taste test.

Why Choose This Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe

These pumpkin coffee cake cookies bake up thick, soft, and cakey with a generous cinnamon streusel on top and a simple vanilla glaze. You get all the flavor of pumpkin coffee cake in a handheld cookie that packs easily into lunchboxes or dessert platters.

You mix the dough in one bowl, skip chilling, and bake in under 15 minutes per tray. The recipe uses canned pumpkin, pantry spices, and melted butter, so you avoid fussy steps and still get bakery-level flavor.

“Soft, spiced, and loaded with crumb topping, these Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies taste like a bakery treat in cookie form ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the pumpkin cookie base

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • I like Kerrygold or any good quality butter for richer flavor.
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s works great.
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cloves (optional but tasty)

For the coffee cake crumb topping

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

You can swap in pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if you want a shortcut. Use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and skip the individual spices.

For the vanilla glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1–2 tablespoons milk (dairy or unsweetened non-dairy)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness

Equipment list

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons size) or two spoons
• Cooling rack

Tips & Tricks

• Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture so the cookies bake thick, not soggy.
• Use room temperature egg yolk so it blends smoothly with the melted butter and sugar.
• Mix the dry ingredients just until combined to keep the cookies tender.
• Pack the crumb topping onto the cookie dough gently so it sticks during baking.
• Keep the crumb mixture slightly clumpy; do not overmix it into a paste.
• Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for the most even results.
• Pull the cookies when the edges look set and the tops look dry; they finish setting as they cool.
• Let the cookies cool almost completely before you drizzle the glaze so it does not slide off.
• If the glaze looks too thick, add milk a few drops at a time; if it looks too thin, whisk in a spoonful of powdered sugar.
• Use a light-colored baking sheet to avoid over-browning the bottoms.

How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe

Mix the crumb topping

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Add the flour and stir until large, clumpy crumbs form; squeeze some with your fingers to form bigger chunks.
4. Set the bowl aside while you mix the cookie dough so the crumbs firm up a bit.

Make the pumpkin cookie dough

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Scoop the pumpkin puree onto a few layers of paper towel, fold the towel over, and gently press to remove extra moisture, then measure 1/2 cup.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
4. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla until fully combined.
5. Add the blotted pumpkin puree and whisk until the mixture looks smooth and uniform.

Add dry ingredients

1. In the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
2. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no dry streaks remain.
3. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears so the cookies stay soft and tender.
4. The dough should feel thick and scoopable, not runny.

Scoop and top with crumb

1. Use a cookie scoop to portion about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
2. Slightly flatten the tops with your fingers or the back of a spoon to create a little surface for the crumbs.
3. Sprinkle a generous amount of crumb topping over each mound of dough, pressing it lightly so it sticks.
4. Use all the crumb mixture; these cookies love a heavy crumb coat.

Bake the cookies

1. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11–14 minutes, depending on your oven.
2. Check that the edges look set and the crumbs look dry and lightly golden.
3. If the centers still look glossy, give them another 1–2 minutes, but avoid overbaking so they stay soft.
4. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 5 minutes.

Cool and glaze

1. Transfer the cookies carefully to a cooling rack and let them cool until just slightly warm.
2. In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
3. Add more milk a few drops at a time until the glaze reaches a thick but drizzleable consistency.
4. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies in zigzags or thin lines, then let it set for about 15 minutes before serving.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe

Serve these pumpkin coffee cake cookies with hot coffee, chai, or a simple mug of cocoa for a cozy afternoon snack. Kids love them with cold milk or a vanilla yogurt cup on the side. They also pair nicely with a fruit salad, sliced apples, or a simple bowl of berries to balance the sweetness. Add them to a fall dessert board with sliced banana bread, apple slices, and caramel dip for a fun party spread.

Storage Options

• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.
• Keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm, and let them come to room temp before serving.
• Freeze unglazed cookies in a single layer, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
• Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature, then refresh in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes and glaze after they cool.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies taste like a soft pumpkin spice latte collided with a buttery crumb-topped bakery muffin in the best way possible.

Pin This Recipe Share on Facebook

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 24

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, blotted to remove excess moisture
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch ground cloves

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1–2 tablespoons milk (dairy or unsweetened non-dairy)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Add the flour and stir until large, clumpy crumbs form, squeezing some with your fingers to create bigger chunks. Set aside to firm up slightly while you make the cookie dough.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Scoop the canned pumpkin puree onto a few layers of paper towel, fold the towel over, and gently press to remove excess moisture. Measure out 1/2 cup of the blotted puree.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
4. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. Add the blotted pumpkin puree and whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform.

1. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to the same bowl.
2. Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix; the dough should be thick and scoopable.

1. Use a cookie scoop to portion about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
2. Lightly flatten the tops of the dough mounds with your fingers or the back of a spoon to create a surface for the crumbs.
3. Sprinkle a generous amount of crumb topping over each mound of dough, pressing it gently so it adheres. Use all of the crumb mixture.

1. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11–14 minutes, or until the edges look set and the crumb topping is dry and lightly golden.
2. If the centers still look glossy, bake for 1–2 minutes more, being careful not to overbake so the cookies stay soft.
3. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the cookies carefully to a cooling rack and let them cool until just slightly warm or at room temperature before glazing.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
2. Add additional milk a few drops at a time until the glaze is thick but drizzleable.
3. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies in thin lines or zigzags and let it set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 cookie (about 24 cookies total): 165 calories; fat 7 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 25 g; fiber 0.5 g; sugars 15 g; protein 2 g; sodium 95 mg. Values will vary based on exact ingredients, brands, and portion size.