Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies
Soft, thick Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies with a gooey cinnamon center, crunchy streusel topping, and finished with a vanilla glaze. Warm, cozy fall flavors in every single bite!
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Pumpkin coffee cake cookies have all the warm, cozy flavors of a classic coffee cake with cinnamon, brown sugar, and crumbly streusel topping, baked into a soft, thick pumpkin cookie. They are basically pumpkin coffee cake, in cookie form, and are sure to be your new favorite fall cookie!
I tested a lot of batches to get this one exactly right. The dough had to be soft but sturdy enough to hold the pocket of cinnamon filling inside. The streusel had to stay crunchy on top even after baking. And that vanilla glaze ties everything together perfectly. These cookies are a bit of a project, but I promise every step is worth it.
If you’re looking for a classic coffee cake, you’ll love my Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping!
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin Purée: Make sure you’re using plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened with spices added, which will throw off the flavor and texture of the dough. Also, don’t skip blotting the pumpkin purée to remove excess moisture – this will make a big difference in the consistency of the dough.
Brown Sugar: Used in the cookie dough, the cinnamon filling, and the streusel. Light or dark brown sugar both work. Dark brown sugar will give a slightly deeper, more molasses-forward flavor.
Egg Yolk: Just one egg yolk goes into this dough. Using only the yolk (no white) helps keep the cookies soft and chewy rather than cakey. Don’t substitute a whole egg here.
Butter: All the butter in this recipe is melted, which contributes to that dense, fudgy texture. Unsalted butter is the way to go so you can control the salt level.
See the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post!
How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies
- Blot the pumpkin
Press the purée between paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. You should be left with about half the original volume. - Make the dough
In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and blotted pumpkin; whisk to combine. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
- Make the cinnamon filling
Mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until combined. Let sit 5 minutes to firm up. Portion into 1-teaspoon pieces, roll into balls, and flatten into small discs. Set aside on parchment. - Make the streusel
In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Set aside. - Assemble
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Scoop chilled dough with a #20 scoop (about 3 tablespoons of dough). Roll into balls and flatten to about 3 inches wide.
- Place a cinnamon disc in the center. Fold the edges up and over the filling, then roll back into a smooth ball.
- Place the cookies on baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten the tops, then press a shallow indent in the center with the back of a tablespoon.
- Fill each indent with a heaping tablespoon of streusel and gently press it into the dough.
- Bake
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies and streusel are golden brown. Cool on the pan for 15–20 minutes. - Glaze
Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and enjoy!
Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookie FAQs
Why do I need to blot the pumpkin purée?
Pumpkin purée has a lot of water in it. If you skip blotting the pumpkin the excess moisture will make your cookie dough too wet, causing the cookies to spread flat and turn out cakey instead of thick and chewy. Pressing the purée between paper towels until you’ve removed most of the liquid – reducing it by about half – is what keeps the structure of these cookies intact.
How do I know when the cookies are done?
The edges of the cookies should look set and lightly golden, and the streusel on top should be starting to brown. The center may look slightly underdone when you pull them out, but they will firm up as they cool on the pan. Don’t overbake – these are meant to be soft and a little dense in the middle.
How should I store the cookies?
Store the glazed cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can the cookies be frozen?
Yes! Freeze the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving. I recommend adding the glaze after thawing for the freshest look.
Favorite Tools
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies
- Blot the pumpkin well. Spread the pumpkin purée on a few layers of paper towels, place more paper towels on top, and press firmly. Repeat until you’ve removed most of the moisture. The purée should look dense and dry, almost paste-like. This is the single most important step for thick, chewy cookies.
- Chill the dough. The dough is soft after mixing and needs 30 minutes in the fridge before you can assemble the cookies. Chilling firms up the butter and makes the dough much easier to work with. Don’t skip this step or the dough will be sticky and hard to shape.
- Let the cinnamon filling firm up. After mixing the cinnamon filling, give it at least 5 minutes to sit before portioning. As it sits, the butter absorbs into the dry ingredients and the mixture firms up enough to roll into balls and press into discs. If it’s still too soft to handle, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Press a deep indent for the streusel. When you press the indent into the top of each cookie, make it wide enough to hold a heaping tablespoon of streusel. Use the rounded back of a tablespoon and press firmly so there’s a clear well in the center. This keeps the streusel from sliding off during baking. If the back of the tablespoon is sticking to the dough, dip it in some flour first.
- Cool before glazing. Let the cookies cool for at least 15-20 minutes after coming out of the oven before adding the vanilla glaze. If the cookies are too warm, the glaze will absorb right in and disappear. You want the glaze to set on top for that beautiful drizzle finish.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More Fall Treats You’ll Love
- Pumpkin Donut Muffins
- Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
- Apple Cider Donut Loaf Cake
- Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Maple Pecan Blondies
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (120g) pumpkin purée*, blotted dry (should reduce volume by about half)
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Filling
- ⅓ cup (70g) brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup (98g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons (65g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Vanilla Glaze
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15mL) milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pumpkin Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin and whisk until well combined. Be sure to blot the pumpkin with paper towels to remove most of the moisture – you should be left with about half of the volume.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix with a rubber spatula just until incorporated. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, make the cinnamon filling and streusel topping.
- Cinnamon Filling: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix in the melted butter until the mixture is fully combined. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up.
- Portion the filling into one-teaspoon-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then press into a small disc. Place the discs on a piece of parchment and set aside.
- Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and mix until all the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture is crumbly.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Assembly: Once the dough has chilled, portion the dough using a #20 cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons or 2 ounces). Roll each scoop into a ball and flatten to about 3 inches in diameter. Place one disc of the cinnamon filling in the center of the flattened dough. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pinching and gathering them toward the center until the filling is fully enclosed. Gently roll the dough back into a smooth ball. Repeat with each of the cookies.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Lightly press down each dough ball to flatten the top. Then, using the rounded side of a tablespoon, press down in the center to create an indent. Add a heaping tablespoon of streusel topping into the indent and gently press it down.
- Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies and the streusel topping start to brown. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before adding the glaze.
- Vanilla Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Once the cookies have slightly cooled, use a whisk or a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of each cookie. Enjoy!
