Soft Ginger-Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Prep 1 hr 15 min
Total 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients 13
Servings 48

These deliciously soft and chewy pumpkin cookies have a hint of ginger and are topped with sweet and slightly nutty homemade butter frosting. Each bite of these light and fluffy pumpkin cookies is packed with holiday spices, similar to the flavors in gingerbread cookies, another classic holiday cookie. Homemade, but still simple to make, these are perfect cookies to bake over the holidays for gatherings with friends and family. And because this recipe makes 48 cookies, there will be plenty to share or plenty to keep and save to enjoy later. MORE+ LESS-

By Pillsbury Kitchens

Updated September 14, 2020

Ingredients

Cookies

cup packed brown sugar

1/4

cup chopped crystallized ginger

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

egg

2 1/2

cups all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon ground ginger

1/4

teaspoon salt

Frosting

1/3

cup butter (do not use margarine)

cups powdered sugar

teaspoon vanilla

to 4 tablespoons milk

Steps

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1

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, crystallized ginger, 3/4 cup softened butter, the pumpkin and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients to form soft dough. (If dough is too soft, refrigerate about 15 minutes.)
2

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Slightly flatten balls.
3

Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4

In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Immediately spread frosting on cooled cookies.

Expert Tips

Crystallized ginger, also known as candied ginger, is fresh gingerroot that has been cooked in sugar syrup and coated with coarse sugar. If you are looking for it in the grocery store, you might find it in glass jars in the spice aisle, in the aisle with packaged dried fruits and nuts, or in the bulk-food bins.
Use a cookie scoop to keep your cookies the same size when baking. If you don’t have a cookie scoop available grab an ice cream scoop instead.
To keep cookies soft and chewy, bake cookies one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack. This allows for an even distribution of heat to your cookies.
Keep your cookies fresh. To keep at room temperature for about a week, store frosted cookies in a single layer in a cookie tin or airtight plastic container.
Keep these cookies fresh even longer by freezing these pumpkin cookies. If you have already frosted them, first freeze them on the baking sheet for a few hours and then package the frosted cookies between layers of wax paper for up to two months. If you haven’t frosted, you could also freeze the cookies and make the brown butter frosting on the day you serve them. To thaw soft cookies, keep them in the container while you allow them to sit at room temperature.
Add more spiced desserts to your holiday tray! Try these recipes for Soft Molasses Cookies and Spiced Cookie Butter Bars for more sweet and spicy holiday treats.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie

Calories: 100
Calories from Fat: 40

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 4 1/2g; 7%
Saturated Fat 2 1/2g 13% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 15mg; 5%
Sodium: 70mg; 3%
Potassium: 25mg; 1%
Total Carbohydrate: 15g; 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 9g
Protein: 1g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 10%; 10%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 0%; 0%
Iron: 2%; 2%

Exchanges:

0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Pumpkin cookies are good. Pumpkin ginger cookies are better. These two flavors are among our favorites for the holiday season, but pair them together and you’ve got a real holiday hit on your hands. These cookies are soft baked and topped with frosting which can make them a bit trickier to store and keep fresh. But no worries, it’s still simple! To keep at room temperature for about a week, store frosted cookies in a single layer in a cookie tin or airtight plastic container. To freeze frosted cookies, first freeze them on the baking sheet for a few hours and then package the frosted cookies between layers of wax paper for up to two months. You could also freeze the cookies and make the brown butter frosting on the day you serve them. To thaw soft cookies, keep them in the container while you allow them to sit at room temperature. Easy enough, right? Let’s make things easier with this handy tutorial on everything you’ve ever needed to know about making the perfect cookie. And once you’ve got that done, let’s continue the baking with more gingerbread-inspired cookies!