Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies

Name: Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese (softened); 1 cup butter (softened); 8 ounces pumpkin; 2 cups white granulated sugar; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2 eggs; 4½ cups all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons & 1 tsp baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 teaspoon allspice; 1 cup powdered sugar to roll

4.75

19 minutes

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By: Julie Blanner18 Comments
Updated: 9/21/21

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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!

Pumpkin gooey butter cookies in a glass jar

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!

Table of Contents

To Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies, You Will Need:

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.
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 and salt
Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are full of the flavors of fall! Check that your spices aren’t stale before using them.

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.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies on a cooling rack ready to eat

Pumpkin Cookies That Are Perfect For Fall

This cookie recipe is so perfect for fall, I love that the aromas of those spices fill your kitchen when you are baking them. They taste like my childhood and bring back so many fond memories of baking when I was little. They make for a great treat if you are entertaining friends and family over Thanksgiving.

I just adore the texture of these cookies! They are so wonderfully moist and gooey and I promise you, you won’t be able to stop at one! Based on everyone’s favorite St Louis dessert, they are wonderfully sweet and the spice mix just amps them up even more. This recipe will make 36 cookies and it is easily doubled.

A cookie broken in half on a white plate

How Long Do Gooey Butter Cookies Keep?

Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container. They will keep well for up to three days at room temperature before they start to harden. These cookies don’t need to be refrigerated.

Tips To Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies

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!

Close up of a Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Cookie on a white plate

Given that my mom always made gooey butter cookies, it was especially fun to make these pumpkin gooey butter cookies with my sister while sharing memories of our mom. Did I mention baking is good for the soul? I think we’ll make fall baking an annual sister activity and maybe even let three little sisters join us next year.

More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

In case you missed it, yesterday I shared Oatmeal Brickle Cookies and Michael shared Carrot Cake Cookies. The week is only going to get better because we have 8 more recipes to share after today for a total of 12 new fall infused recipes!

Want more? Receive the best ideas directly to your inbox and connect on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

If you try this yummy cookie, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too!