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Best Fall Cookies Recipe – Soft & Chewy Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cookies

A stack of soft and chewy Homemade Fall Cookies coated in cinnamon sugar, showcasing Pumpkin Spice Baking Recipes and Easy Fall Sweet Treats, perfect for Super Easy Fall Desserts, Southern Fall Desserts, Fun Fall Cookies, Pumpkin Bar Cookies, Autumn Desserts Recipes, and Best Fall Cookies Recipes.
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There’s nothing like fall baking to make a house feel like home. The aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves wafting through the air instantly signals cozy vibes, and these pumpkin spice cookies are no exception. Perfectly soft, lightly sweet, and bursting with autumn flavor, they’re easy enough to whip up any day of the week.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves

Wet Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Combine the Dry Ingredients
    • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly blended. Set aside while you move on to the wet ingredients.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugars
    • In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and smooth.
    • Lower the mixer speed and mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until fully incorporated. For extra tender cookies, beat an additional 30 seconds or so to make the dough extra soft.
  3. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients & Chill
    • Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet pumpkin mixture using your mixer on low speed until a sticky dough forms.
    • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling the dough is essential to prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking.
  4. Prepare for Baking & Make Cinnamon-Sugar
    • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon to create the coating for the cookies.
  5. Shape and Coat the Cookies
    • Scoop chilled dough into balls roughly 1 ½ tablespoons each. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then gently flatten them slightly for even baking.
    • Place cookies on the prepared trays, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
  6. Bake
    • Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, or just until the tops appear set. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft and chewy.
    • Allow the cookies to rest on the trays for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. They will firm up slightly as they cool, leaving you with that perfect soft, tender bite.

Notes

  • Chill the dough: Essential for thick, chewy cookies.
  • Measure flour properly: Spoon and level for best results.
  • Use plain pumpkin puree: Avoid pumpkin pie filling—it’s too sweet and spiced already.
  • Slightly underbake: Cookies finish cooking on the tray as they cool, keeping them soft inside.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://irmacooks.com/best-fall-cookies-recipe-soft-chewy-homemade-pumpkin-spice-cookies/