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Soft pumpkin cookies

Name: Soft pumpkin cookies
Yield: About 36 cookies
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 375 g All-purpose flour Plain; 7.5 mL Baking powder; 5 mL Baking soda; 5 mL Fine salt; 15 mL Ground cinnamon; 2.5 mL Ground ginger; 2.5 mL Ground nutmeg; 170 g Unsalted butter Softened; 200 g Brown sugar; 150 g Caster sugar; 340 g Pumpkin purée Plain; blot excess surface moisture; 1 Large egg; 10 mL Milk

Makes: About 36 cookies
Heat: 175°C conventional
Baking time: 14–15 min

Cooling and chilling are additional.

United States · Cookies

Soft pumpkin cookies

Soft, cake-like spiced pumpkin cookies.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Dry	All-purpose flour	375 g	Plain
Dry	Baking powder	7.5 mL
Dry	Baking soda	5 mL
Dry	Fine salt	5 mL
Dry	Ground cinnamon	15 mL
Dry	Ground ginger	2.5 mL
Dry	Ground nutmeg	2.5 mL
Cream	Unsalted butter	170 g	Softened
Cream	Brown sugar	200 g
Cream	Caster sugar	150 g
Wet	Pumpkin purée	340 g	Plain; blot excess surface moisture
Wet	Large egg	1
Wet	Milk	10 mL

Tools & alternatives

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Mixer with paddle or beaters	Use a sturdy spoon and bowl for softened butter mixtures, or a hand mixer. Cream until lighter; do not replace beating with a quick stir.
Baking trays	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.
Parchment	Use a reusable baking liner rated for this heat, or grease the tray only if the method allows it. For sticky dough or meringue, keep a proper nonstick liner.
Cooling rack	Set a clean, cool wire trivet over a tray. Let air reach underneath; a flat plate can trap steam.

Timing & recipe details

Time & temperature

Baking temperature: 175°C conventional
Baking time: 14–15 min

Cooling and chilling are additional.

Makes: About 36 cookies
Heat: 175°C conventional
Plan for: Allow mixing, baking and complete cooling; chilling times are shown below.

Method

01 · Mix dry
1 min
Use: Dry
Whisk dry ingredients.
Ready when: Even mixture.
01 Mix dryWhisk the dry ingredients until evenly mixed.
02 · Cream
3 min
Use: Cream
Beat butter and sugars until lighter.
Ready when: Fluffy.
02 CreamBeat the butter and sugars until lighter and fluffy.
03 · Add wet
2 min
Use: Cream, Wet
Beat in the wet group.
Ready when: Smooth.
03 Add wetBeat in the pumpkin, egg and milk until smooth.
04 · Combine
1 min
Use: Mix dry, Add wet
Mix just until no flour remains.
Ready when: Even dough.
04 CombineMix just until the flour disappears and the dough is even.
05 · Shape
10 min
Use: Combine
Heat oven to 175°C. Scoop 35 g portions onto lined trays, leaving space to spread.
Ready when: Even portions.
05 ShapeScoop 35 g portions onto lined trays, leaving room to spread.
06 · Bake
14–15 min
Use: Shape
Bake one tray at a time.
Ready when: Edges set; centres still soft.
06 BakeBake one tray at a time until edges set while centres stay soft.
07 · Cool
Until cool
Use: Bake
Rest on tray for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Ready when: Firm enough to lift.
07 CoolRest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

What to look for

Stage	Look / feel for	Needs attention
Bake	Edges set; centres still soft.	Follow the cue as well as the time.
Cool	Firm enough to lift.	Follow the cue as well as the time.

Troubleshooting

If you see this	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Excessive spreading	Warm dough or tray.	Chill the remaining dough and use a cool tray.	Use the stated ingredient weights.
Dry or hard cookies	Overbaking.	Store airtight once cool.	Check the first tray early.

Blot watery pumpkin before measuring. These are deliberately soft rather than chewy. Refrigerate airtight up to 3 days.; For chocolate-chip pumpkin cookies, fold 150 g chocolate chips into the finished dough. This version stays soft and cake-like.

Ingredient choices & substitutions

No brand is specified.

Ingredient	Alternative / ratio	Adjust handling	Likely outcome
All-purpose flour	Plain wheat flourEqual weight	Do not use self-raising flour.	Similar crumb.

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

Cook / recipe	Use	What differs

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

Recipe

Soft pumpkin cookies

Soft, cake-like spiced pumpkin cookies.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Dry	All-purpose flour	375 g	Plain
Dry	Baking powder	7.5 mL
Dry	Baking soda	5 mL
Dry	Fine salt	5 mL
Dry	Ground cinnamon	15 mL
Dry	Ground ginger	2.5 mL
Dry	Ground nutmeg	2.5 mL
Cream	Unsalted butter	170 g	Softened
Cream	Brown sugar	200 g
Cream	Caster sugar	150 g
Wet	Pumpkin purée	340 g	Plain; blot excess surface moisture
Wet	Large egg	1
Wet	Milk	10 mL

Tools & alternatives

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Mixer with paddle or beaters	Use a sturdy spoon and bowl for softened butter mixtures, or a hand mixer. Cream until lighter; do not replace beating with a quick stir.
Baking trays	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.
Parchment	Use a reusable baking liner rated for this heat, or grease the tray only if the method allows it. For sticky dough or meringue, keep a proper nonstick liner.
Cooling rack	Set a clean, cool wire trivet over a tray. Let air reach underneath; a flat plate can trap steam.

Timing & recipe details

Makes: About 36 cookies
Heat: 175°C conventional
Allow: Allow mixing, baking and complete cooling; chilling times are shown below.

How do I make it?

Mix dry
1 min
Whisk dry ingredients.
Whisk the dry ingredients until evenly mixed.
Ready when: Even mixture.
Cream
3 min
Beat butter and sugars until lighter.
Beat the butter and sugars until lighter and fluffy.
Ready when: Fluffy.
Add wet
2 min
Beat in the wet group.
Beat in the pumpkin, egg and milk until smooth.
Ready when: Smooth.
Combine
1 min
Mix just until no flour remains.
Mix just until the flour disappears and the dough is even.
Ready when: Even dough.
Shape
10 min
Heat oven to 175°C. Scoop 35 g portions onto lined trays, leaving space to spread.
Scoop 35 g portions onto lined trays, leaving room to spread.
Ready when: Even portions.
Bake
14–15 min
Bake one tray at a time.
Bake one tray at a time until edges set while centres stay soft.
Ready when: Edges set; centres still soft.
Cool
Until cool
Rest on tray for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Ready when: Firm enough to lift.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you notice	Likely cause	What to do
Excessive spreading	Warm dough or tray.	Chill the remaining dough and use a cool tray. Use the stated ingredient weights.
Dry or hard cookies	Overbaking.	Store airtight once cool. Check the first tray early.

Useful recipe notes

Blot watery pumpkin before measuring. These are deliberately soft rather than chewy. Refrigerate airtight up to 3 days.

For chocolate-chip pumpkin cookies, fold 150 g chocolate chips into the finished dough. This version stays soft and cake-like.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Soft pumpkin cookies at a glance

Makes: About 36 cookies
Heat: 175°C conventional
Baking time: 14–15 min

How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Percentages compare each listed weight with the combined flour weight (100%). These are ingredient ratios, not dough hydration; milk, eggs and fillings contain other ingredients as well as water.

Formula component	Grams	Flour = 100%
All-purpose flour	375 g	100%
Unsalted butter	170 g	45.3%
Brown sugar	200 g	53.3%
Caster sugar	150 g	40%
Pumpkin purée	340 g	90.7%

Method

01 · Mix dry

02 · Cream

03 · Add wet

04 · Combine

05 · Shape

06 · Bake

07 · Cool

What to look for

Troubleshooting

How do I make it?

Mix dry

Cream

Add wet

Combine

Shape

Bake

Cool

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

Soft pumpkin cookies at a glance