Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies

The weather dropping below 70 degrees at 9 AM on a Tuesday and my brain immediately demanding heavy knit sweaters and aggressive amounts of cinnamon is exactly what led to these pumpkin crumb cake cookies. I had a can of pumpkin puree sitting in the back of my pantry since last Thanksgiving, and I was tired of it judging me every time I opened the door.

I once skipped blotting the pumpkin and produced weird, flat sponges that tasted vaguely of regret. The paper towel step feels strange, but it keeps the cookies soft without turning them into damp bread. Here is exactly how I do it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Texture heaven. You get a chewy cookie base holding up a mountain of buttery streusel, which is arguably the best part of any baked good.
• Forgiving crumbles. If your crumb topping looks uneven or messy, congratulations, that is exactly how pumpkin cookies with streusel should look.
• Crowd control. Bringing these to a gathering gives people a reason to silently calculate how many they can eat.
• No fancy mixer required. You can mix the dough by hand, which counts as your arm workout for the week.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• Paper towels You need these to squeeze the life (water) out of your pumpkin puree. Do not skip this unless you want cakey, sad cookies.
• medium cookie scoop This dough is sticky, and scooping it with two spoons is a fast track to losing your patience.
• Glass mixing bowls For holding the dough and making you feel like you are hosting a cooking show in your own kitchen.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree – Make sure it is pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, or your sugar ratio will be totally wrecked.
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour – Spoon and level this so you do not accidentally pack in too much and end up with hockey pucks.
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda – Check the expiration date. I once used three-year-old baking soda and the results were tragic.
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – The MVP of any easy pumpkin cookie recipe with crumb topping.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – Because there is no such thing as too much cinnamon in October.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt – To balance all the sugar we are about to dump in.
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter – Melted and cooled for 5 minutes. If it is too hot, it will cook your egg yolk.
• 2/3 cup brown sugar – Light or dark works, just pack it in there.
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar – Helps the cookies spread just enough.
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup – Use the real stuff, not pancake syrup.
• 1 egg yolk – Save the white for an omelet you will inevitably forget to make.
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – Measure with your heart, but a teaspoon is a good start.

For the Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour – The base of our streusel.
• 1/3 cup brown sugar – For that deep caramel flavor.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – More spice makes everything nice.
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter – Softened to room temperature so it cuts into the dry ingredients easily.

For the Maple Icing

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – Adds a rich flavor to the icing.
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup – Again, real maple syrup is non-negotiable here.
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar – Sift it if you have the energy, or just whisk aggressively if you do not.
• pinch salt – Cuts the intense sweetness just enough.

How To Make Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies

Put on your favorite playlist and accept that your hands are going to get a little messy today.

1. Blot the pumpkin: Line a medium bowl with several paper towels. Place the pumpkin puree in the bowl. Using another paper towel, press down to blot excess moisture out of the pumpkin. Repeat with new paper towels until the pumpkin feels much drier and has been reduced by half, to 1/2 cup (113g). If you skip this, your cookies will taste like damp bread, and nobody wants that.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Do not skip the whisking, unless you enjoy biting into a solid clump of baking soda.
3. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup until combined. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until incorporated, then whisk in the 1/2 cup of blotted pumpkin. The egg yolk is crucial here—do not use the whole egg or things get too wet.
4. Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined. The cookie dough will be very soft. Do not panic, it is supposed to look like a sticky mess right now.
5. Chill the dough: Cover tightly and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Patience is hard, but baking warm dough will result in a sad pumpkin puddle.
6. Make the crumb topping: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Using a fork or a handheld mixer on low speed, mix in the butter until sandy and crumbly. Using your hands is fully acceptable here, just pretend you are playing with kinetic sand. Place the topping in the refrigerator or freezer until needed.
7. Prep for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone mats are great, but parchment means zero cleanup, which is my personal love language.
8. Shape the cookies: Scoop and roll the chilled cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tbsp (35g) of dough each, and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb to press a few indents into the middle of each cookie, to make a shallow bowl shape. Sprinkle a generous amount of the cold crumb topping on top of each cookie. If crumbs fall everywhere on the pan, just sweep them up later—they are chef snacks.
9. Bake: Bake for 14–15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. They will look slightly underdone in the center, but trust the process, they will firm up on the rack.
10. Make the icing: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Taste. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. Drizzle over cookies. If you burn your tongue testing the warm icing, that is a valid sacrifice for quality control. Icing will set after about 1 hour.

Make It Yours

• You add chopped pecans to the streusel for extra crunch.
• You replace maple icing with cream cheese icing for a tangier finish.
• You fold mini chocolate chips into the dough for a sweeter fall cookie recipe.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with an aggressive amount of caffeine and a cozy blanket.

• A huge mug of black coffee balances out the sweet maple icing.
• Cold milk gives a soft pumpkin crumb cookies recipe the perfect dunking partner.
• A lazy Sunday afternoon lets the kitchen smell better than an expensive candle.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies

These pumpkin crumb cake cookies prove that a soft, impressive fall cookie can combine a tender pumpkin base, buttery streusel, and maple icing without complicated equipment. This easy pumpkin cookie recipe with crumb topping relies on blotted pumpkin and chilled dough to avoid the damp, cakey texture that ruins so many pumpkin cookie batches. Whether you serve these pumpkin cookies with streusel at a potluck or keep them for a quiet afternoon, this soft pumpkin crumb cookies recipe deserves a permanent place in your autumn baking rotation.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 24 servings

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Cookies

• 1 cup (226g) canned pumpkin puree
• 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter melted and cooled for 5 minutes
• 2/3 cup (133g) light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 egg yolk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1/3 cup (67g) light or dark brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
• 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Maple Icing

• 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (80g/ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 cup (112g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
• pinch salt to taste

Equipment

• Paper towels
• Medium cookie scoop
• Glass mixing bowls

Method

 

1. Blot the pumpkin: Line a medium bowl with several paper towels. Place the pumpkin puree in the bowl. Using another paper towel, press down to blot excess moisture out of the pumpkin.

   Repeat with new paper towels until the pumpkin feels much drier and has been reduced by half, to 1/2 cup (113g). Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup until combined. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until incorporated, then whisk in the 1/2 cup of blotted pumpkin.

   Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined. The cookie dough will be very soft.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Using a fork or a handheld mixer on low speed, mix in the butter until sandy and crumbly. Feel free to work the mixture together with your hands if it’s not coming together. Place the topping in the refrigerator or freezer until needed in step 7.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Scoop and roll the chilled cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tbsp (35g) of dough each, and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb to press a few indents into the middle of each cookie, to make a shallow bowl shape. Sprinkle a generous amount of the cold crumb topping on top of each cookie.
8. Bake for 14–15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
9. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Taste. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. Drizzle over cookies. Icing will set after about 1 hour.
10. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing:
Refrigerate the cookie dough and crumb topping for up to 3 days. Freeze baked cookies, dough, or dough balls for up to 3 months. Thaw dough overnight, add the topping, and bake as directed. You can also freeze shaped and topped cookies and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

Pumpkin Pie Spice:
Use store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice. For the cookie dough, use 1/2 teaspoon each ginger, allspice, and nutmeg, plus 1/4 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teaspoon extra cinnamon. Keep the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon already called for. For the topping, use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

Pumpkin:
Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s works well. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible with paper towels before adding it to the dough for less cakey cookies.