Pumpkin crumb cake cookies are like your favorite pumpkin coffee cake, in hand-held cookie form! A soft and chewy pumpkin cookie cradles a buttery, spiced crumb topping, and a dash of pure maple flavor seals the deal: this will be your new favorite fall cookie!
Pumpkin cookie season is my specialty. My brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a personal and fan favorite because they’re made with ultra-flavorful brown butter. Then there are my frosted and super soft pumpkin cookies, which are always a hit! And if you love pumpkin and chocolate, you’ll adore these chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
I have a recipe for crumb cake cookies in my book, Sally’s Baking 101, and wanted to try a pumpkin variation for the fall. With all that pumpkin cookie know-how, and with what I learned while developing the crumb cake cookie recipe for the cookbook, I thought this would be a piece of [crumb] cake!
Boy was I wrong! Today’s recipe went through so many tests, my team and I actually lost count when we got into the double digits… 15 or 16, maybe? The perfect pumpkin crumb cake cookie had to be soft and chewy, packed with pumpkin spice flavor, and topped with crumbs that stayed crisp.
When we finally got it right, there were cheers (and maybe also some tears?) throughout the kitchen. I can now say this with complete confidence: this recipe for pumpkin crumb cake cookies is one you’re going to want to make on repeat all season long.
Stock Up on These Ingredients:
- Canned Pumpkin: Be sure to use the can labeled “pure pumpkin puree,” not pumpkin pie filling. (By the way, here’s a list of recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree!)
- Flour: You need all-purpose flour to create the structure of the cookie.
- Baking Soda: The leavening that will help the cookies puff up and spread just enough in the oven.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cinnamon, & Salt: The seasonings these cookies need for that delicious pumpkin spice flavor you crave. You can use store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice. (I recommend making a batch of the homemade stuff now… because you’re going to want to make these cookies again soon!)
- Melted Butter: As you know from chewy chocolate chip cookies, melted butter makes cookies ultra chewy.
- Brown Sugar: More brown sugar than white sugar makes for chewy cookies with that deep molasses-y flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: A little white sugar to help the cookies spread just right.
- Maple Syrup: This deepens the overall flavor and made for the very BEST batch (out of many, many batches). It also helps the cookies spread.
- Egg Yolk: Pumpkin acts like an egg in cookie dough, which is something I learned when testing pumpkin chocolate chip cookies over a decade ago. Testing today’s pumpkin crumb cake cookies, however, proved that an egg—or at least part of an egg—is necessary. Use just 1 large egg yolk because that little extra bit of fat makes a difference.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla rounds out the delicious flavors in these cookies.
The crumb topping is made from ingredients you’ll also use in the cookie dough, so you don’t need anything extra just to make it.
Before You Begin, Blot the Pumpkin
Blotting moisture out of pumpkin puree is remarkably useful when making cookies.
Pumpkin is approximately 90% water by mass, which isn’t really useful in a chewy cookie recipe. (Think about it—there isn’t usually liquid in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, is there?) Using a paper towel, blot out some of the pumpkin’s moisture, so all that’s left is the flavor:
Blot the pumpkin. More moisture = cakier cookies. To prevent overly cakey cookies, blot a lot of the moisture out of the pumpkin. I know it sounds odd, but gently soaking liquid out of the pumpkin puree with paper towels works.
Don’t be afraid to swap for quite a few new paper towels as they become saturated. You want the amount of pumpkin to be fully reduced by half.
After you’ve blotted your pumpkin, the rest of the steps are quick and easy. The cookie dough will be very soft, so it’s imperative that you chill the dough for at least 2 hours before you shape the cookies and bake.
Make the Crumb Topping
While the dough is chilling, whisk together some flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Then use a hand mixer or forks to cut in softened butter until crumbles form. Refrigerate or freeze the crumb topping until you’re ready to make the cookies.
Shaping Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies
Use a cookie scoop. I like to use a medium cookie scoop for this cookie dough. Why? This is a sticky dough, and a cookie scoop makes things a little more manageable. Once you scoop the dough, roll it into a ball, then slightly flatten it. Then use your finger or thumb to press a few indents in the center of each cookie, to make a shallow bowl shape.
Generously (and I do mean generously!) sprinkle the cold crumb topping over the cookies.
These cookies take around 15 minutes to bake.
Maple Icing
The maple icing is the same as on these maple brown sugar cookies and these apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies—why yes, it IS an all-purpose fall cookie icing, thank you for noticing! It’s easy to make, and adds that perfect finishing touch on these pumpkin crumb cake cookies. You could, of course, top with vanilla icing, like we do on pumpkin coffee cake, or brown butter glaze instead.
Because it’s made with butter, which is solid at room temperature, the icing eventually sets, making the cookies a little easier to stack, store, and transport.
Description
Pumpkin crumb cake cookies are like your favorite pumpkin coffee cake, in hand-held cookie form! A soft and chewy pumpkin cookie cradles a buttery, spiced crumb topping, and a dash of pure maple flavor seals the deal: this will be your new favorite fall cookie! Do not skip blotting the pumpkin, which reduces it by half. And be sure ot only use an egg yolk, not the whole egg.
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 (30ml) 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 (80ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (112g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- pinch salt, to taste
- 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.
- Make the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- 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/dried pumpkin. Add 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.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- 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. 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop and roll the chilled cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tbsp (35g) of dough each, and place 3 inches apart on the 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.
- 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.
- 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. Icing will set after about 1 hour.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and crumb topping and store both in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months, or the shaped/topped cookie dough (after adding the crumb topping). Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add the topping if you haven’t already, and bake.
- Special Tools: Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Handheld Mixer | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, for the cookie dough, use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and an extra 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Do not leave out the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon that is also called for in the dough. For the topping, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice.
- Pumpkin: Make sure to purchase the can labeled 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. I like Libby’s brand. Squeeze as much of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree as you can before adding it to the cookie dough. I simply squeeze the puree between paper towels. This will help produce a less cakey cookie. Less moisture is a good thing in these cookies!
