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Pumpkin Spice Cookie with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (Twisted Sugar Copycat)

This Pumpkin Spice Cookie, a Twisted Sugar copycat is the perfect blend of pumpkin and spice and hint of maple in the cream cheese frosting!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword copycat, pumpkin, pumpkin cookie, spice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
cool and frosting 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling, Libby's is best
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Frosting:

  • 4 oz cream cheese not low fat
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • milk or cream to thin if needed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.

Cookie:

  1. In a large bowl, beat eggs, canola oil, and softened butter together. Add sugars and mix just until smooth and sugars are dissolved. On low speed, mix in canned pumpkin, and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl.

  2. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and mix all at once on low. Mix just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix. The mixture should be soft, but not wet looking (see photos of dough). If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons flour.

  3. Spoon or scoop the batter out onto a parchment lined or lightly greased cookie sheet, about 9 cookies per sheet.

  4. Bake until the tops feel firm about 12-15 minutes. See recipe notes about baking time. Cool completely.

Maple frosting:

  1. Using paddle attachment or beaters on hand held mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.

  2. Add vanilla and maple syrup, mix again.

  3. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, salt and mix on low until blended and mixed well, about one minute on medium speed.

  4. Add milk or cream if needed to thin frosting to spreading consistency.

  5. Frost cookies when completely cooled. Refrigerate any cookies not eaten within a day.
  6. Cookies are best when eaten within 2 days.

Recipe Notes

  • I only use Libby's brand pumpkin. Do not use an organic canned pumpkin. The color will not be the same and texture will vary. Be careful to purchase pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling!
  • The cookies should be firm  and not wet looking on top when done. Unlike most cookies, this cookie is not good when the inside is under baked! If a pumpkin cookie is under baked, it will be similar to eating a cake with the center unbaked. Instead of being chewy like an under baked cookie, it will seem like wet batter. 
  • I use a 2 1/4 inch scoop for this cookie.