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Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
4.5 from 117 votes

Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Spice Cookies

These Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Spice Cookies feature a tender, cake-like crumb infused with a generous amount of pumpkin pie spice and sweetened with brown sugar and honey. Thorough creaming of butter and sugar creates a light texture, while chilling the dough helps maintain the cookies’ puffiness and shape during baking.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Chill Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 18 mins
Servings: 17 cookies
Calories: 112 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter unsalted, softened
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 egg large
  • ¼ cup honey I used clover from TJs
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice yes tablespoons, not teaspoons
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt optional and to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, egg, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes). Do not shortcut the creaming process; make sure dough is very light in color and fluffy, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the honey, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until combined and smooth, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two tablespoon mounds (I made 17). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds very slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
  5. Preheat oven to 350F, line baking sheets with Silpats, or spray with cooking spray.
  6. Place mounds on baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes for soft cookies because they firm up as they cool; bake for 9-10 minutes if you like firmer cookies (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 10 minutes while oven preheated, and were baked for 8 minutes).
  7. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

Notes

  • Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
  • Freeze cookies for up to four months to maintain freshness.
  • Unbaked dough can be refrigerated up to five days; bake portions as needed for best texture.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 112kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 1g (2%) Cholesterol 12mg (4%) Sodium 92mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 12g (24%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 17 cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 112

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 112kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 1g 2%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 92mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 12g 24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.