Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

All the flavors of a cozy Pumpkin Spice Latte in a soft cookie! This rich pumpkin cookie is blended with warm spices and topped with an espresso-vanilla bean drizzle. It is the essential fall dessert recipe!

I've been looking forward to the fall season for a couple of weeks now and I'm so excited that it's almost here! I live in a great area where fall means pumpkin picking, fresh local cider, farm hopping and LOTS of baking. My small NJ town celebrates fall like no other, so naturally, it's my absolute favorite season.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies are a new fall tradition

And what would the season be without a Pumpkin Spice Latte?! Since I don't have a Starbucks right around the corner, I did my best to create a cookie that encompassed the flavors of the pumpkin spice latte we all know and love.

I actually created this cookie about two years ago, and I got a lot of great reviews on it but, there was always a little piece of me that felt like it wasn't the best it could be (plus, the pictures needed some updating!).

The perfect pumpkin cookie

The recipe I had posted a while back was too light on the pumpkin and not heavy enough on the coffee. So I got into the kitchen and ran through a few test batches to fix that. The base of the cookie is still the same; cakey, moist and teensy bit of crunch from the sugar coating, but now there's a good hit of pumpkin flavor and coffee in the drizzle (this cookie was BEGGING for icing).

The cookie itself is quite simple; butter, lots of brown sugar, flour, spices etc. I rolled the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking them off which gave the cookie a nice sugar-crunch coating. The cracks from the sugar also look really pretty. The inside is soft and pillowy.

There is some espresso powder in the cookie, but the real hit comes form the espresso-vanilla bean icing that I drizzle on top. This icing is UNBELIEVABLY good. Like, I want to keep a bowl of this stuff around at all times to put it on everything. Instant espresso is quickly becoming my new favorite ingredient. Pairing it with all the spices of the season makes this cookie magical.

The icing is made from powdered sugar, cream, instant espresso, vanilla bean paste and just a touch of hot water to melt it all together. It's seriously a coffee lover's dream. 

I'm not sure if I'll keep experimenting turning other famous coffee house drinks into cookies, but this one is sure to be a keeper!

Let me know what you guys think of this revamped recipe!! Happy Fall & happy baking!!!

*updated recipe on 9/1/19*

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

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All the flavors of a cozy Pumpkin Spice Latte in a soft cookie! This rich pumpkin cookie is blended with warm spices and topped with an espresso-vanilla bean drizzle. It is the essential fall dessert recipe!

• Total Time: 22 minutes
• Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookie

• 1 c unsalted butter (at room temp)
• 1 c brown sugar (packed)
• 1 egg
• ½ c pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c all purpose flour
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground clove
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground cardamom ((optional))
• 2 tsp ground, instant espresso
• ½ c *granulated sugar for rolling*

For the Icing

• 1 ⅔ c powdered sugar
• 2 tsp ground, instant espresso
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (½ tsp of regular vanilla extract can also be used )
• 1 ½ tbsp hot water

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a hand mixer.
3. Add the egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Mix on medium until combined.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices & espresso.

5. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and gently mix in until just combined. The batter will be thick but have the consistency of cake batter. This recipe will not form a 'cookie dough', so do not be alarmed. 🙂
6. Pour the ½ cup of granulated sugar into a bowl and set aside.
7. Using a tablespoon size cookie scoop, scoop the dough and release it into the bowl of sugar. Roll to coat. Place the dough ball onto the prepared tray. Place the dough balls about 2 ½ inches apart. These cookies do spread!
8. Bake for 10-13min or until the edges are slightly golden brown.  
9. While the cookies are baking, prepare the icing. Mix the powdered sugar, espresso and add the heavy cream. Then add the vanilla bean paste. Lastly, stir in the hot water until you reach a drizzling consistency.
10. Allow the icing to sit for at least 15-30 minute to allow the coffee to dissolve.
11. Once the cookies are done baking, allow to cool on the trays. Drizzle with the icing and let dry for about 1 hour.

Notes

Recipe by Owlbbaking.com

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes