These Ginger Cookies, which are a cross between gingerbread and snickerdoodles, have everything you love about ginger cookies: the flavorful and fragrant spicy taste, the attractive crinkles and cracks on top of each cookie, all with the wonderful combination of pumpkin.
These are the best ginger cookies you’ll ever have, made with ginger, molasses, spice & pumpkin.
These Pumpkin Ginger Cookies are a twist on my Grandma Gillan’s Ginger Cookie recipe.
I discovered ginger snaps in high school, but I only knew my grandma’s recipe–which is still the best one today, in my opinion. This particular recipe also has pumpkin added to it, which I love.
One of my favorite holiday traditions that I still carry on with my family, is taking cookies and caroling to our dear family and friends on Christmas Eve. My parents did this with us as children, and I love doing it with mine now. Although last year if you would have asked me on the night we were doing it, I would have said we were never doing it again.
We had fighting kids, one that threw up in the car, and a screaming 3-year-old. Looking back at it all now, I laugh. It was very memorable and we have continued on with this tradition to this day.
Tips for making these Pumpkin Ginger Cookies:
- Used canned pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree. Fresh pumpkin has too much water in it and makes these cookies flat.
- Make sure to beat your shortening and sugar together before adding any other ingredients.
- In a separate bowl combine all of your dry ingredients. This includes flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and always stick your cookies in a preheated oven this allows for the best results.
- Line your pan with parchment paper to allow for easy removal from the baking sheet.
How do you make Pumpkin Ginger Cookies?
Make the dough!
Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside, including flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Cream together sugar and butter using an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and together until well combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until well incorporated. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1-2 hours.
Ready to bake!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Once you are ready to bake, in a small bowl 1/2 cup of sugar and mix in the 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice, or, just leave the sugar as is.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll cookie dough-sized balls (a little less than a tablespoon) of dough in sugar & pumpkin spice mixture until well coated and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. You should be able to fit 12-15 pieces of dough on one baking sheet.
Bake for 13-14 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before you remove them. Repeat with remaining dough.
How do you store ginger cookies?
You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, they will last for 1-2 weeks.
If stored in an airtight freezer bag, the cookies will last up to 2 months.
Looking for some more pumpkin recipes, check out some of our favorites.
Simple Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Zucchini Cake (my personal favorite!)
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Frosted Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Pumpkin Caramel Cookies
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!
Pumpkin Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temp
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
Make the cookie dough!
- Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside, including flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Cream together sugar and butter using an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and together until well combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until well incorporated. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Ready to bake!
- Once you are ready to bake, in a small bowl 1/2 cup of sugar and mix in the 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice or, just leave the sugar as is.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll cookie dough-sized balls (a little less than a tablespoon) of dough in sugar & pumpkin spice mixture until well coated and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. You should be able to fit 12-15 piece of dough on one baking sheet.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before you remove them. Repeat with remaining dough.
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Mmm … these look super delicious and I bet they smell amazing, too:)
Looks yummy! Do you think butter or oil could be substituted for the shortening?
I would do butter. 🙂 San
I love ginger cookies, Sandra…and the pumpkin addition? Genius! Pinned. I MUST make these this fall! 🙂
Thanks for the pin! xo San
Hello from Greece!
I found you at the “mice in the kitchen linkup”
I am definitely going to make these cookies!
Oh, welcome! Can’t wait. And hope to visit Greece next year with my family! xo San
These looks so good! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Oh yum! They look so good! Pinned. Lou Lou Girls
Hi, question…on molasses it says 1/2 but 1/2 what? (1/2 cup?) This recipe sounds great, thanks for posting.
Yes, 1/2 cup – thanks!
You don’t mention when to add the pumpkin puree. ?? I put it in with the eggs and molasses.
These are FABULOUS cookies. I love a soft, chewy cookie and these are all that and more. Thanks.
That is right!!!
Can I use pumpkin pie puree to make these. I have a can in the pantry.
I made these yesterday for the kids’ (Canadian) thanksgiving dessert as they are not pie fans. Oh boy are they ever good! I made with fresh pumpkins I had baked for the pie and made them miniature ice cream sandwiches with them. Excellent recipe!
I think the shortening is ok in the recipe because it gives the cookie structure. BIG Q here- how much molasses is needed- the recipe don’t state how much. AND what kind do you use? Thank you!
Hi Sandra,
Your cookies look nice and thin like a ginger snap cookie. Will they bake up crispy if I bake they a minute or two longer?
Deb
Hi Deb! They may still be chewy in the middle with extra baking. We do have a delicious Gingersnap Cookie recipe though, that you can play with if you want that pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin is a good substitute for the shortening or eggs. I would use 1/4 cup in place of 1 egg and see how that goes!
These cookies are absolutely delicious. I came across this recipe a couple of days ago, and I made it last night. The flavors are amazing!
I am drooling over these cookies! They are so flavorful!
Looks absolutely fantastic! You had me on this!
Wait, the directions say to add in “the vanilla extract” with the wet ingredients, but the list of ingredients doesn’t include vanilla extract at all. What’s going on here?
Not sure where you read that, but hopefully you can check it out and read it again.
T is correct: vanilla extract is mentioned in the instructions, but the list of ingredients doesn’t include it. How much vanilla should you add? 1/2 tsp? Thanks!
Thank you for catching that! 1/2 teaspoon, but you can leave it out as well. I use it only if I have pure vanilla extract on hand, if I have imitation, I leave it out. Thanks again for catching that!