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Soft and chewy pumpkin crinkle cookies with aromatic warm spices are perfect to welcome the Fall season.
The crisp air, the changing color of leaves, and the sight of pumpkins and gourds are sure signs of Fall is in the air now. It’s my favorite season of all! If only it stays like this forever in Minnesota 🙂 (one can always dream!) So here I am sharing this soft and chewy pumpkin crinkle cookie to welcome the Fall. This is one of my kids’ favorite crinkle cookies besides the mango crinkle cookie, ube crinkle cookies, red bean paste crinkle cookies, and pandan cream cheese crinkle cookies!
How to make soft and chewy pumpkin crinkle cookies
1. If you make your own pumpkin puree, make sure you discard the excess liquid by straining through cheese cloth or a strainer, if it seems watery after roasting or steaming. Then puree until smooth. This affects the consistency of your cookies later. I use canned pumpkin puree. Please note that it’s not pumpkin pie mix
2. It is important that the egg and butter are at room temperature. The butter should be soft but not melty
Combine all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder and set aside. Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy over high speed, about 2 minutes
3. Add egg and continue beating for another minute
4. Add pumpkin puree and beat for another 20 seconds. Don’t overbeat it. We don’t need to introduce too much air for these cookies
5. Fold in the flour mixture and use a sturdy spatula to mix until just combined. Don’t overwork it. As long as you don’t see any more pockets of flour, you are done mixing. This is very sticky cookie dough.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours or in the freezer for 2 hours. Please don’t skip this step. It’s easier for you to work with the cookie dough when it’s properly chilled
7. Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C) for a conventional oven. You may want to lower the temperature by 20 degrees if you use a convection oven. When the oven is done preheating, scoop about 1 1/2 Tbsp (about 30 grams/scoop # 40) of the cookie dough out. With your lightly oiled palms, roll the dough into a round dough ball. The cookie dough is still sticky but easier to work with because it’s cold. Place it on a lined cookie sheet, about 2 1/2-3 inches apart
Cover each one in granulated sugar first and then generously roll them in icing sugar. This step prevents the icing sugar from being absorbed by the dough and you won’t get the crinkle effect. Roll them about 2-3 times in the icing sugar to make sure each ball is well-coated or the confectioners’ sugar will not show much after baking
8. Pop them into the oven, 3rd rack from the top. Let them bake for 12 minutes for really soft cookies or 13 minutes if you want them crispier on the outside. The edge will set but the center is still soft when you pull them out from the oven. You don’t want to overbake if you want a soft and chewy texture. Overbaking these cookies will give you a cakey texture. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
How to make ahead and bake later
1. Prepare the cookie dough, chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and then shape into balls
2. Then put them on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper and put this tray in the freezer for about an hour or until semi frozen.
3. Transfer to a freezer bag and they can be kept frozen for up to one month
4. When ready to bake, thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Coat with sugar and then icing sugar. Make sure to coat several layers and bake in a preheated oven as per recipe instruction
How to store
1. Let the cookies cool down completely
2. Store them in an air-tight container for up to 1 week at room temperature
3. For longer storage, they freeze well. Simply transfer to a freezer bag, push all the air out and freeze for up to one month. Simply thaw at room temperature before serving
Did you make this soft and chewy pumpkin crinkle cookies recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 223 gr all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 150 gr sugar
- 113 gr unsalted butter softened
- 50 gr eggs (room temperature) about 1 large egg without the shell
- 113 gr pumpkin puree I used canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
Spices:
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
For coating:
- 50 gr sugar
- 100 gr icing sugar
Instructions
- If you make your own pumpkin puree, make sure you discard the excess liquid by straining through cheese cloth or a strainer, if it seems watery after roasting or steaming. Then puree until smooth. This affects the consistency of your cookies later
Prepare the cookie dough:
- It is important that the egg and butter are at room temperature. The butter should be soft but not melty
- Combine all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder and set aside
- Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy over high speed, about 2 minutes. Add egg and continue beating for another minute. Add pumpkin puree and beat for another 20 seconds. Don't overbeat it. We don't need to introduce too much air for these cookies
- Fold in the flour mixture and use a sturdy spatula to mix until just combined. Don't overwork it. As long as you don't see any more pockets of flour, you are done mixing. This is very sticky cookie dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours or in the freezer for 2 hours. Please don't skip this step. It's easier for you to work with the cookie dough when it's properly chilled
Shaping:
- Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C) for a conventional oven. You may want to lower the temperature by 20 degrees if you use a convection oven. When the oven is done preheating, scoop about 1 1/2 Tbsp (about 30 grams/scoop # 40) of the cookie dough out. With your lightly oiled palms, roll the dough into a round dough ball. The cookie dough is still sticky but easier to work with because it's cold. Place it on a lined cookie sheet, about 2 1/2-3 inches apart
- Cover each one in granulated sugar first and then generously roll them in icing sugar. This step prevents the icing sugar from being absorbed by the dough and you won't get the crinkle effect. Roll them about 2-3 times in the icing sugar to make sure each ball is well-coated or the confectioners' sugar will not show much after baking
- Pop them into the oven, 3rd rack from the top. Let them bake for 12 minutes for really soft cookies or 13 minutes if you want them crispier on the outside. The edge will set but the center is still soft when you pull them out from the oven. You don't want to overbake if you want a soft and chewy texture. Overbaking these cookies will give you a cakey texture. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
