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!
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
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Beat cream cheese, butter, pumpkin, sugars and vanilla until fluffy. Add egg until just combined.
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In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
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Gradually incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined.
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Freeze dough for 1+ hours and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Roll dough into 1″ balls and roll in powdered sugar.
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Bake 8-9 minutes, until just set, careful not to overbake.
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.
Gooey Cookie Recipe
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.
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!
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
- Pumpkin Pound Cake
- 5 Minute No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
- Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Crazy Moist Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
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!
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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!
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup butter softened
- 8 ounces pumpkin
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 4½ cups 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- 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!
I hope you didn’t mean 3 tablespoons of baking powder! I used teaspoons instead, fingers crossed!
How did they turn out, Katie?
How do you prepare your raw pumpkin? Can you use canned pumpkin puree instead?
Yes, pumpkin purée. Enjoy!
I’m so glad you have this recipe from scratch! I’m originally from St Louis but I moved to the UK almost three years ago and I find it hard to make some recipes that include a box cake mix as they’re completely different over here (and I prefer making things from scratch). I’m going to give these a try soon to introduce my friends to the wonders of gooey butter cookies.
Love it! Hope you enjoy it, too!
I made these and topped them with a simple spiced maple frosting instead of the powdered sugar. So Delish!!
Oh yum! So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping back by to share. Have a beautiful weekend!
The pumpkin do you make it raw or cook it? Thanks
Great question, Mary, raw!
These look amazing. How long would they stay fresh?
For several days stored in an airtight container.
I’m from St. Louis too although I live in Maine now.
I love gooey butter cake and have gotten all of my New England coworkers hooked on it now too. I’ve never made gooey butter cookies but your pumpkin version may inspire me to try them.
Pinned!
It’s always good to have a taste of home, isn’t it? Enjoy!
Stellar ! Just the right amounts for the tastes and textures of Fall ! Eases and teases us into Fall ……Yum !! thanks !
Okay, so I’ve heard of gooey butter bars, but never in cookie form. I think I’m going to LOVE these. Must make!
xo Michael
I am from St. Louis, although I haven’t lived there in years now, but I remember the gooey butter cakes – Yum. Never heard of the cookies however and would love to make some of them. In your pumpkin gooey butter recipe – can I just leave out the pumpkin? Would love to have the recipe for the cookies. Judy [email protected]
I actually have a regular pumpkin gooey butter cookie recipe as well…just use the search box. Enjoy!