Pumpkin gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy, and full of spices! The addition of pumpkin makes these gingersnap cookies so seriously soft!
My love for molasses or soft gingerbread cookies goes back to middle school. For 50 cents I could buy a pack of Grandma's Cookies in the lunch room (does anyone else remember those cookies??). The iced molasses flavor was my favorite! And don't tell my mom, but most days sometimes that was my lunch.🙄
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why put pumpkin in gingerbread?
The addition of pumpkin puree makes these gingerbread cookies extra soft and chewy! Pumpkin tends to be very mild in flavor, but adds a layer of richness to baked goods.
For the last several years, pumpkin has dominated the baking world; well the food world in general, during the fall months. The spices that accompany gingerbread recipes pair so well with the cooler months. They are warm and cozy and perfect for a chilly and rainy day! Also excellent for the holidays and Christmas! If you love warm spices in your baked goods too, you may have tried my gingerbread muffins or Biscoff glazed gingerbread scones.
Pumpkin It Up!
This cookie recipe comes from my friend, Eliza Cross. She's an award-winning writer and author and also has a blog at elizacross.com. I was gifted a copy of her cookbook, Pumpkin It Up, and the recipe for Pumpkin Gingersnaps immediately caught my eye!
I've slightly tinkered with the technique in making these cookies and I struggle with calling them gingersnaps. They are so incredibly soft and chewy!!
Ingredients for pumpkin gingerbread cookies
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Molasses
- Pumpkin puree
- Pure vanilla extract
- Egg
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
Let's make cookies!
Start by whisking together your dry ingredients. I know this can feel like an extra step, but it ensures that your spices and leavening agent are well dispersed throughout the flour, making more even and consistent cookies.
Next, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Then add the pumpkin, molasses, egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour in two additions, mixing until just combined. The cookie batter will be soft.
Next, cover and chill the dough for at least one hour and up to two days. If chilling for longer than several hours, allow the dough to sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to warm slightly before scooping. You can prepare your cookie sheets at this time by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
how do you roll the gingerbread cookies?
This pumpkin gingerbread cookie dough is sticky! I use a size 30 cookie scoop, which yields about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
Take a scoop of dough and roll it between your hands until it forms a ball. The dough is really sticky and will stick to your hands! Then roll the cookie dough ball into a bowl of granulated sugar until it's fully coated. The dough is soft and the ball gets a little mis-shapened at this point. So, roll the ball between your hands again and then in the sugar a second time. This should give you a nice round, sugar coated cookie dough ball.
Bake the cookies until the edges are set and the centers are cracked, but still soft. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Then take a bite of these super soft and super chewy pumpkin gingerbread cookies and get ready to bake another batch because these won't last long! The cookies are perfect for a Christmas cookie tray or for any holiday or celebration.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more fall inspired and gingerbread recipes to enjoy ~
- Apple Cider Banana Bread
- Biscoff Glazed Gingerbread Scones
- Gingerbread Muffins with a Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Pumpkin Caramel Spice Bars
- White Chocolate Chai Brownies
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies
Soft, chewy, and full of spices! The addition of pumpkin makes these gingersnap cookies so seriously soft!
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (293g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (113g), room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup canned or cooked pumpkin puree (122g)
- ¼ cup molasses (60mL)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Rolling Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using hand-held mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg and vanilla and mix until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just combined. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 1 hour and for up to 2 days. (if chilling for longer, allow the dough to sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes to warm slightly before scooping)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Place the ½ cup of sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 2-inch balls and roll them in the sugar. The dough is very sticky! After you have coated in the sugar, re-roll the ball between your hands and roll a second time in the sugar. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are set at the edges and slightly cracked, but still soft, about 12-15 minutes. If your cookies don't have the crackly edges, you can bang the cookie sheet on the counter a couple times, which will help the cracks to appear. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Store cookies coverered at room temperature for 5-7 days. The cookies also freeze well for up to three months.
Recipe barely adapted from Pumpkin It Up! by Eliza Cross, technique was tinkered with.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 185mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.
Kathleen
Oh my goodness, autumn in cookie form! Love all the warmth, chewy and crunch that goes into these cookies Tasia!
Tasia
Thank you Kathleen! They are sooooo soft and chewy!!
Cooki
Can I use fresh grated ginger in this recipe besides dry or a combination of both.. If so how many tsps for combination or just fresh ginger.
Tasia
Hi Cooki, I have not tested this recipe with fresh ginger, but I think it should work fine. I would start by doing a direct substitution of fresh grated ginger for ground and then adjust as necessary. Please let me know how it goes!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
These sound incredible! I will definitely be making these very soon!
Tasia
Thank you Cat! I haven't been able to stop eating them. I hope you love the recipe!
Rahul
Such a great fall treat!! I love pumpkin cookies!! Looking forward to enjoying these all season long!
Tasia
Thank you Rahul! They really are perfect for fall, but I will eat them year round!😉
Leanne
I love baking with molasses and the smells of gingerbread and pumpkin during the fall are simply the best. One of the reasons I enjoy fall so much. Love the thin and chewy texture of these cookies Tasia. I really need to add them to the baking list!
Tasia
I love the taste and smell of gingerbread as well! Thank you Leanne, I hope you get a chance to try this recipe!
Christie
Those pumpkin gingerbread cookies sound so good Tasia! You know what's funny I've never baked with either but I think I need to try one day!
Tasia
Thank you Christie! You definitely need to try baking with both molasses and pumpkin. The molasses an pumpkin both add so much richness and the molasses adds an extra flavor layer!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Genius idea to combine pumpkin with ginger!!! These look so soft and delicious! I could eat a whole batch myself!!
Tasia
Thanks Katherine! I have done quite a bit of damage on these cookies all by myself!🙄
Never Ending Journeys
Pumpkin and gingerbread, that is one delicious combination of flavors! These cookies are such a great Fall treat!
Tasia
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to try them!
Aarthi | Prepbowls
Interesting flavors! love the idea of coating the cookie dough in sugar. I can imagine the smell of the warm baked cookies , perfect for the season. I am going to bookmark these right away, thanks for sharing it, Tasia
Tasia
Thank you Aarthi! The cookies smell so amazing when they are baking! I hope you get a chance to try the recipe!
Ilene
These are fabulous cookies and so perfect for the fall baking season. They have just the right amount of pumpkin and spice and I love the sugary coating and crinkled tops. So soft and chewy. I will definitely make these over and over. Oh and I sooo appreciate that you included weights. I tend to skip over a recipe if weights aren’t listed...I’ve been spoiled by my food scale! Thanks for the delicious recipe, Tasia!
Tasia
Aww, thank you for such a kind review Ilene! I've been making it a goal to add weight measurements and I am so glad that you find them helpful!
Josiah - DIY Thrill
The combination of pumpkin and gingerbread sounds amazing, thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Tasia
Thank you Josiah! The combination is definitely amazing, I hope you get a chance to try the recipe!
Christine
hello. these sound delicious! What type of molasses are used... cooking or fancy? Thanks.
Tasia
I use an organic unsulphured molasses by Wholesome. I find it in the baking aisle and it's on the darker brown side than some other brands.
Christine
Hi Tasia
I just made these cookies. I weighed all the ingredients according to the instructions. While the cookies cracked on the top when baked, they remained puffed even after tapping the tray many times. The result was more like a cake vs cookie . Not at all thin like in the photo. I chilled the dough for 1 hour. Any idea what happened? Thanks
Tasia
Hi Christine, thank you for making them. I suspect that I slightly underbaked my cookies {I personally like them really soft and chewy}. Multiple readers have tagged me in photos on social media and their cookies all have more of a poofed appearance. I hope you enjoyed how they taste!