If you’re someone who loves putting everyone’s favorite winter squash in everything, I hear you! These southwest chunky, chewy Spiced Pumpkin Cookies are bursting with crunchy nuts and sweet, plump raisins for a fun new riff on the pumpkin spice craze.

multi-tier silver serving tray loaded up with spiced pumpkin cookies with a festive fall tablescape.

As the holidays barrel towards us at record speed, I’m on the lookout for all the cozy, seasonal and -perhaps most importantly – easy recipes to impress my family and friends. This simple recipe for nutty pumpkin spice cookies is perfect for your evening tea, holiday cookie exchanges, or as an addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert menu.

About This Recipe

I am a fan of just about any kind of cookie: shortbreads like polvorones, loaded explosions of texture like cowboy cookies, fudgy wonders like these Mexican chocolate crinkle cookies, and classic biscochos.

I’m also a fan of putting pumpkin in literally everything this time of year. I blame it on my Mexican heritage; in case you didn’t know it, we were eating pumpkin way before it was cool.

When I set out developing this spiced pumpkin cookie recipe, I was hoping for a soft and chewy cookie similar to these persimmon cookies, but with a fall seasoned flair.

ingredients for making pumpkin spice cookies measured out on a white table.

The result was perfect – warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg paired perfectly with pumpkin, and the supporting cast of raisins and pecans gave me all the texture I crave.

This easy recipe for spiced pumpkin cookies follows the creaming method, which you’ve most likely encountered before. Simply beat room temperature butter with both kinds of sugar until it is light, fluffy, and voluminous, then add in the dry ingredients, and finally stir in the textural nuggets. It is a quick and straightforward process that even a tween can handle.

Since I’m on team Chewy Cookie, I also added an extra egg yolk to the dough. The higher fat content of the yolk lends a softer, tender and more chewy texture to baked cookies than adding a whole egg. Don’t believe me? You should; it’s science. 

This pumpkin cookie recipe calls for mostly pantry ingredients and can easily be adjusted to fit your needs. Feel free to swap in homemade pumpkin purée for canned, or substitute your own favorite mix-ins for the nuts and raisins. One note though: baking soda and baking powder are NOT interchangeable, so make sure that you use both.

How to Make

I have a feeling these chunky pumpkin cookies are about to become your new fall favorite! They’re so easy to pull off. Here’s how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and add sugar gradually. Cream until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix well.

Add in the dry ingredients and mix until *just* combined. Overmixing can result in the overproduction of gluten, which in turn can make your cookies tough.

dropped tablespoons of pumpkin spice cookie dough on a parchment lined cookie tray.

Add the raisins and nuts, folding them in by hand to prevent overmixing. Drop by tablespoons on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on the pan, then remove to a rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

nutty spiced pumpkin cookies cooling on a baking rack.

Tips & Tricks

  1. Be sure to thoroughly cream the butter and sugar. Don’t try to rush this step! It isn’t simply about mixing the ingredients together, rather is used to aerate the dough which results in a more tender cookie. As an added bonus, you can add upwards of 10 spiced pumpkin cookies to your batch just by properly creaming!
  2. Make sure your butter is soft but not melted. When it comes to baking, there’s a lot of science involved. One thing I’ve learned along the way is that you want your butter to be soft enough to indent with your thumb, but not so soft that it is melting. This will help you get more loft, which will get you more (and softer) cookies per batch.
  3. Get ahead on holiday prep by using the freezer. When it comes to meal prep, the freezer is your best friend! If you want to get a jump on things, make the dough and scoop out tablespoon sized balls on a parchment-lined sheet pan (no need to leave room for spreading). Pop the whole thing in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes, until the balls are frozen through. Next, put all the balls in a zip-top bag, label and date them, and put them back in the freezer for up to two months. There’s no need to defrost before baking; just line them up on the pan and add 2-4 minutes to the total bake time.
  4. Use up the rest of your canned pumpkin! After making these pumpkin spice cookies, you’ll have just enough left in a 15-ounce can to make my Pumpkin Rice Pudding. You can also freeze any leftover pumpkin to use for later, or feed it to your four-legged friends with their kibble (they LOVE it!).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute pumpkin spice for the spices?

Absolutely! If you have a bottle of pumpkin spice in your pantry and want to use it up before it expires, this is a great recipe. Simply swap in 3 ¼ teaspoons of pumpkin spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Can I make these without nuts?

Heck yeah, you can! Feel free to omit them entirely, or use another crunchy add in. Toasted pepitas would be a nice option, or opt for some chocolate chips instead.

What can I use instead of raisins?

If raisins aren’t your jam, don’t fret! Dried cranberries are a great pair for pumpkin, or chocolate chips, or substitute more nuts, seeds, or any other mix-ins your heart desires.

Can I make these without dairy?

Yep! Just use your favorite plant-based butter in place of the dairy butter.

More festive desserts perfect for the holidays:

If you tried my super easy recipe for chewy, chunky Spiced Pumpkin Cookies, please be sure to rate and review it below!

raisin and nut packed pumpkin spice cookies on a cooling rack on a white marble slab.
pumpkin cookies on a cooling rack.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies With Raisins and Nuts

5 (2 ratings)
If you’re someone who loves putting everyone’s favorite winter squash in everything, I hear you! These southwest chunky, chewy Spiced Pumpkin Cookies are bursting with crunchy nuts and sweet, plump raisins for a fun new riff on the pumpkin spice craze.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Cream butter and add sugar gradually.
  • Cream until light and fluffy.Add eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla extract; mix well.
  • Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Add raisins and nuts. Drop by tablespoons on parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes

  • May be frozen, if desired.
  • Feel free to swap in pepitas for a nut-free version.
  • Dried cranberries can be used in place of raisins.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 92kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 76mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1063IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

Photography by Jenna Sparks