Description
Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies are soft, moist, and packed with warm pumpkin spice flavor. These delightful fall treats are coated in confectioners sugar, creating a beautiful crinkle effect as they bake. Perfect for cozy autumn baking, these cookies combine classic pumpkin and spices for a comforting and festive dessert.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil, packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, pumpkin puree (not pie filling), and vanilla extract just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain moistness.
- Incorporate Dry Into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to form a soft dough. Do not overmix.
- Rest the Dough: Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This resting period helps hydrate the flour and spices, improving texture and flavor.
- Prepare for Rolling: Pour the confectioners sugar into a shallow bowl for easy rolling.
- Shape and Coat Cookies: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, scoop dough balls (the dough will be soft). Roll each ball in the confectioners sugar, then roll again to ensure they are well coated for the classic crinkle effect.
- Bake: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them appropriately. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are puffy and cracked on the surface but not overbaked.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy the soft, spiced pumpkin goodness!
Notes
- Resting the dough for 10 minutes allows the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in a softer cookie texture.
- Use fresh pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices.
- Do not overbake; cookies should be soft and slightly puffy with cracked tops.
- If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use two spoons to form the balls gently.
- The double coating of confectioners sugar provides the signature crinkle effect and extra sweetness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
