Thin and Crispy 30 Minute Pumpkin Spice Cookies

October 29, 2025 Erin Clarkson

These easy pumpkin spice cookies are a twist on the gingersnap, and are thin and crispy, with a chewy middle. Pumpkin Spice cookies are full of warm and cozy spices and require no chilling - you can have cookies ASAP!

cookies on parchment paper
Perfect thin and crispy pumpkin spice cookies

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these easy Pumpkin Spice cookies! These are a pumpkin spice twist on my Gingersnap recipe, which is one of the most popular recipes on my site.

These are a super easy cookie recipe, perfect for all year round. They are full of warm spices, and rolled in a crunchy sugar before baking for the most amazing, sparkly finish.

The dough for these Pumpkin Spice cookies freezes super well, so they are great to keep on hand in your freezer stash!

Can't find Pumpkin Spice near you? No worries - check out my DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice!

wet ingredients for cookies
Butter, sugar and molasses
dry ingredients for cookies
Dry ingredients for cookies

Do these cookies have Pumpkin in them?

I think that a common misconception with pumpkin spice recipes is that they have pumpkin in them. Sometimes they do, but for this recipe, it is just using the spices that go into a pumpkin pie to flavour the cookies. The spice mix itself is a delicious mix of cozy warming spices, so you can easily make some up and sub it in when cinnamon and ginger are called for in a recipe if you want to mix it up a little! I put a solid amount into the cookie recipe itself and also a little into the rolling sugar similar to how I do my snickerdoodles - you can leave this out if you like but I love the flavour that it gives.

creamed butter and sugar mixture
Creamed butter mixture
add dry ingredients
Add in dry ingredients and combine

Making ahead - a great freezer stash!

Like my Gingersnap cookie recipe, these are great to make ahead. I roll into balls, freeze on a sheet pan, and then transfer to a bag. Do not roll in sugar if you are planning on freezing them. Roll in sugar just before you bake them.

The cookies can be baked from frozen, but reduce the oven temperature to 325°f / 160°c and bake for a few more minutes.

To see a full visual on this with a side by side comparison, check out my gingersnap cookie recipe.

finished gingersnap batter
Batter ready to scoop
scooped dough
If you are freezing, leave off the sugar

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cookie with bite taken out

Thin and Crispy 30 Minute Pumpkin Spice Cookies

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  • Author: Erin Clarkson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 20 cookies 1x
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These easy pumpkin spice cookies are a twist on the gingersnap, and are thin and crispy, with a chewy middle. Pumpkin Spice cookies are full of warm and cozy spices and require no chilling - you can have cookies ASAP! 


Ingredients

  • 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 100g light or dark brown sugar
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 40g unsulphured molasses (blackstrap works too)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (50g without the shell), at room temperature
  • 290g all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp (15g) pumpkin pie spice (store bought or using my pumpkin spice recipe)
  • 1 tsp (6g) baking soda
  • 1 tsp (3g) kosher salt
  • For rolling: 100g turbinado / demerara sugar, mixed with 1 tsp pumpkin spice


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper (you may have to bake these in several batches depending on how many trays your oven can tolerate).
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla together on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Sift together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the mixer and mix on low until just combined.
  3. Using a #24 (2.5 tbsp) spring loaded cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough (approx 50g each), and place them onto a prepared baking sheet. I like to do 6 on each sheet then increase to 8 when I know how much space they will take up. Roll each ball of dough between your hands to form a ball, then roll in the sugar and pumpkin spice mixture before placing on the baking sheet. Leave any mixture that you are not baking off just yet in the bowl and scoop just before baking.
  4. Bake the cookies for 16-17 minutes or until puffy and set around the edges. Remove from the oven, and if you like, scoot the cookies into a rounder shape using a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes - the cookies will deflate slightly as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookie dough.
  5. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week

Notes

If you can't get pumpkin spice, you can use my homemade pumpkin spice mix

Did you make this recipe?

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The post Thin and Crispy 30 Minute Pumpkin Spice Cookies appeared first on Cloudy Kitchen.

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