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Simple, chewy and deliciously soft molasses cookies with a touch of pumpkin pie spice to make them out extra cozy fall flavor! These Pumpkin Molasses Cookies with Maple Cream cheese frosting are the perfect cookie to whip up all season long!
This recipe was originally published September 2016 and updated September 2020.
Nothing says fall like a chewy, spicy molasses cookies. Nothing. (Ok, maybe a pumpkin spice latte, Pumpkin French Toast Casserole or maybe some Pumpkin Pie sort of goodness), but molasses cookies like these will surely hit the fall cravings as well.
These Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies are a soft molasses cookie with a perfect hint of pumpkin spice and smothered in a maple cream cheese frosting. A perfect fall cookie indeed!
Try these ginger cream cookies if you love a good spice cookie as well!
Why You Will Love These Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies:
- They are so soft and chewy. The rich chewy flavor everyone loves from a molasses cookie, that is what makes these the very best. All about texture when it comes to cookies and these will not disappoint!
- The easiest cookie to make. When making these pumpkin spice cookies, you don’t need to use an electric mixer. A spoon and a bowl are all that you need. Sure, the icing takes a bit more effort, but the cookies alone are a breeze!
- Four Words: Maple Cream Cheese Frosting! The combo of the pumpkin spice, the molasses and maple cream cheese frosting is literally chef’s kiss and more.
- They are freezer friendly! If you like to prep and pre-bake goodies during the holiday season, these pumpkin molasses cookies are perfect. Best frozen without frosting, but can actually be frozen with the frosting as well. You can also freeze the cookie dough!
Recipe Ingredients:
- butter: I use unsalted. If you only have salted, that is fine, just half the amount of salt or omit it in the recipe.
- sugars: regular sugar and brown sugar. Light or dark should be fine, the dark will have a stronger molasses flavor and isn’t that what we are going for here?
- vanilla: vanilla extract or imitation vanilla is fine
- egg: a large egg is preferred
- molasses: the star of the show! I usually use Grandma’s brand, but have used others and love them as well.
- flour: all purpose flour is what I use. A gluten free 1: 1 all purpose baking flour should substitute well.
- spices: I prefer a combination of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. The extra cinnamon balances the spice of these molasses pumpkin cookies as I find some pumpkin spices don’t have the right level of cinnamon. You can use all pumpkin spice if preferred. Feel free to also make your own pumpkin pie spice!
- baking soda: make sure it is fresh! Expired baking soda can ruin these cookies or any baked good. Here is how to test yours.
- salt: I prefer sea salt, but table salt is fine as well
For the maple cream cheese frosting, you will need:
- unsalted butter (softened)
- cream cheese, softened
- maple syrup
- confectioners sugar
How to Make These Pumpkin Molasses Cookies:
- Combine the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and molasses. Whisk to combine. (steps 1 and 2)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, flour, pumpkin spice, sea salt and baking soda. Add the mixture into the wet ingredients and stir only until fully combined–don’t over stir here. (steps 3 and 4)
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 20 minutes. The cookie dough will not form into balls as is but will set well with chilling. You will easily roll into balls or scoop them after chilling. (step 4)
- After chilling, roll into approximately one inch balls and roll into regular white sugar or a coarse sugar. If you plan on icing the cookies, pop them in the oven from there. (step 5)
- No time to ice? Make them extra pretty by pressing a pecan half into each before baking. (step 6)
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes–until the edges just faintly begin to turn a light golden brown. You don’t want to over bake these– they may seem just barely under baked and that’s ok. 8 minutes solid is the golden number for me so I know not to go anything over it.
- Wait until the cookies are fully cooled and whip up the frosting to ice. Add a pecan on top of each frosted cookie if desired.
Recipe Notes:
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh. You want a little bit of lift and soft goodness in these molasses cookies. If your baking soda is expired, your chances of success are gonna decrease big time.
- No pumpkin spice? Make your own! Just because you don’t have any on hand, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on these!
- You can make these cookies into sandwich cookies. You can easily make these pumpkin spice cookies into more of a whoopie pie! Spread the cream cheese icing extra thick in between two of the cookies!
Love this frosting? The Maple Cream Cheese Frosting would be SUPERB on these Pumpkin Carrot Muffins–basically turning the muffins into cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I am the first person to skip this step when making cookies, but for these pumpkin spice molasses cookies, it’s a must. The dough un-chilled will not hold together or form into bowls.
You can chill for as little as 20 minutes and should be fine.
You want to make sure these cookies make it to the refrigerator once iced.
They will last in the refrigerator about 1 week in an air tight container. You can freeze them for up to 3 months–ideally unfrosted, but they will still be ok if you freeze them after frosting.
You can also store the dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to scoop them into balls before freezing.
Check out these other fall recipes:
- Pumpkin Chip Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Pie Crumble
- Carrot Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
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Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- ¾ c butter, melted
- 1 egg, large
- ¼ c brown sugar
- â…“ c sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- â…“ c molasses
- 2¼ c flour
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin spice
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
For the Maple Cream Cheese Icing:
- ½ c unsalted butter (softened)
- 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
- 2-3 T maple syrup
- 3½ – 4 c confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together flour, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and baking soda to combine. Set aside.
- Whisk together in separate bowl the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, egg and molasses until combined
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient, only until combined.
- Chill for about 20 minutes or until you can easily roll into balls.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, roll dough into one inch balls. If desired, press a pecan into the cookies if not icing. If not, leave them as is for baking. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are just barely browned–they may not seem like they are done, but grab them just before you think they are done.
For the Maple Cream Cheese Icing:
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese for about 3 minutes with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the maple and beat to mix in. Add the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time and beat to mix in. Add the powdered sugar until desired thickness. Spread on completely cooled cookie.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for about 1 week. If storing in the fridge, allow to come to room temperature before eating for best chewiness!
Notes
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh. You want a little bit of lift and soft goodness in these molasses cookies. If your baking soda is expired, your chances of success are gonna decrease big time.
- No pumpkin spice? Make your own! Just because you don’t have any on hand, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on these!
- You can make these cookies into sandwich cookies. You can easily make these pumpkin spice cookies into more of a whoopie pie! Spread the cream cheese icing extra thick in between two of the cookies!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve made these cookies so many times and everyone loves them! Have you tried freezing after scooping and rolling in sugar for future baking? I wanted to try it but I wasn’t sure if that would affect the finished product. Thanks so much for an amazing recipe!
Hi Lacy! So glad you are as in love with these as I am. They are my FAVORITE. You can totally freeze them. I roll them into balls and freeze without sugar. Then let them thaw and roll in sugar just before baking. Frozen dough can last for 2, even 3 months if kept in freezer safe containers. Thanks again for the love!
Absolutely delicious cookies that taste like fall! Thank you for a great, easy recipe!
So happy to hear it! Not needing to get out the electric mixer for the actual cookies is my kind of recipe!!
Speechless. This recipe is simply amazing. These cookies were gone before I could take a picture!! SO AMAZING. trust me, you won’t be able to stop eating them.
Melaina!! So glad I’m not the only one that can’t stop when I make these ????. Thanks so much for the kind words ????