These pumpkin gooey butter cookies are a delicious fall-inspired spin on a St. Louis classic! Moist, gooey and decadent, don’t skip these gooey butter cookies!
Easy to make with all of the flavors of fall – it’s wise to make a double batch!
St. Louisans love all things gooey butter. There are bakeries that sell 40+ varieties of gooey butter cake. One of my mom and sister’s favorite cookies to make during the holidays was gooey butter cookies.
I decided it was time to make them from scratch and add a little pumpkin and spice to create Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies for Fall Cookie Week.
These pumpkin gooey butter cookies are really easy to make. They’re thick, soft and have just the right touch of pumpkin. I’m actually not a huge pumpkin lover, but I couldn’t get enough of these, even the girls enjoyed them. If you like fall, you’ll love them, too!
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Cookies
- Easy to Make
- Comes together in just minutes.
- So moist, dense, rich and decadent.
- Goes perfectly with your pumpkin spice latte!
★★★★★
5 STAR REVIEW
“I made these and topped them with a simple spiced maple frosting instead of the powdered sugar. So Delish!!”
— SUE—
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cream cheese – I recommend that you use full fat cream cheese for these cookies for the richest flavor. Soften the cream cheese before mixing it so that it incorporates well.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter for this recipe, if you use salted then yo may want to omit half of the added salt.
- Pumpkin – For ease I like to use canned pumpkin. Be sure you buy pure pumpkin puree not the one with added spices.
- Granulated sugar and powdered sugar
- Vanilla – If you can use pure vanilla rather than imitation. It’s also really easy to make your own vanilla extract.
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking powder – This recipe requests a specific amount of baking powder and it sounds like a lot – but it’s tried, true and tested, so don’t worry!
- Salt
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are full of the flavors of fall! Check that your spices aren’t stale before using them.
Tools to Use
- Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Silpat or Parchment Paper
How To Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies
- Beat cream cheese, butter, pumpkin, sugars and vanilla until fluffy. Add egg until just combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
- Gradually incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined.
- Freeze dough for 1+ hours and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll dough into 1″ balls and roll in powdered sugar.
- Bake 8-9 minutes, until just set, careful not to overbake.
Tips
- Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are softened before you make the dough. If you use cold butter and cheese they will be harder to incorporate and can cause your cookies to spread.
- Don’t over bake these cookies, in fact I like to slightly under bake them so they remain wonderful soft and gooey.
- Take these pumpkin gooey butter cookies up a notch with the addition of this fragrant allspice recipe. These additional seasonings will create a fragrant, flavorful cookie that you’ll crave!
- If you want really gooey cookies, add ¼ cup powdered sugar to the batter and increase bake time by one minute.
- This cookie dough is best when cold. It makes it easier to work with and produces a fuller cookie.
- Use a cookie scoop if you have one to avoid sticky fingers and make consistent size cookies.
- To make clean up a breeze, I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Shortcuts
- Soften the butter in the microwave. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Learn how to soften the cream cheese quickly, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
These delicious cookies come in at around 199 calories each, and they are worth every single one!
Yes! Much like all the variations of gooey butter cake recipes, you can make it from scratch or with a cake box mix. For a traditional cake mix gooey butter cookie, try this recipe instead.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – these can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Refrigerate – Generally, cookies don’t require refrigeration, but if you choose to refrigerate store in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freeze – Yes, you can freeze these cookies! Simply wrap in an airtight container and freeze for up to six months.
Dietary Considerations
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
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More Gooey Inspiration
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces pumpkin
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs size large
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons & 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup powdered sugar to roll
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, pumpkin, sugars and vanilla until fluffy. Add egg until just combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
- Gradually incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined.
- Freeze dough for 1+ hours and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll dough into 1" balls and roll in powdered sugar. Evenly space on cookie sheets.
- Bake 8-9 minutes, until just set, careful not to overbake.
Julie’s Tips
- Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are softened before you make the dough. If you use cold butter and cheese they will be harder to incorporate and can cause your cookies to spread.
- Don’t over bake these cookies, in fact I like to slightly under bake them so they remain wonderful soft and gooey.
- Take these pumpkin gooey butter cookies up a notch with the addition of this fragrant allspice recipe. These additional seasonings will create a fragrant, flavorful cookie that you’ll crave!
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
If I make these ahead of time and freeze the dough, can I freeze it with the powdered sugar already rolled on it? Or should I pull them out of the freezer and roll them just before I plan on baking them?
Hi Sarah,
I would roll them just before baking, though I haven’t tested that. I think the moisture from the freezing process would melt the powdered sugar!
Good luck, and let us know how they turn out!
Have a wonderful week,
Julie
I was planning to bring these cookies to two events this weekend, so when I saw the recipe suggested making a double batch, I did so without thinking about how much batter it would really make with 9 cups of flour, 2 cups of butter, and so on. I made the cookies much bigger than an inch and I’ve already got 75+ cookies and probably won’t finish all of the batter.
The cookies are great and no one will complain about extra cookies, but it was so much batter that I wasn’t able to use my kitchenaid to combine the wet and dry ingredients. This is totally on me for not thinking it through, but figured I’d share my mistake in case anyone else is thinking about doubling this recipe. If you’re using a regular sized kitchenaid mixer, it would be best to make the dough in two batches!