I told y’all to get ready for pumpkin!
The inspo for these cookies come from the very popular lemon ricotta cookies I posted back in 2018. The lemon version is consistently a top 3 favorite of web visitors. It’s gotta be the texture of the dough, and the brightness of the lemon.
The ricotta cheese in these cookies makes them the perfect combination of fluffy yet cake-y, sort of like a pillow. Difficult to describe but easy to eat!
Regardless, it’s one of my all-time favorite cookies. So hence the idea to turn lemons into pumpkins!
For something that sounds kind of fancy, these cookies are really pretty easy. The only thing you have to do is allow some time for the dough to chill. But it’s worth it for these yummy pumpkin pillows!
Use a cookie scoop to make easy work of placing batter. It also ensures consistency that all your cookies are the same size. 
Watch your cookies close, they will burn in the blink of a eye. 
Eat and enjoy!
Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing
- Prep Time: 20 min + 1 hr freezer
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 30 min + 1 hr freezer
- Yield: 48 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon*
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
- A dash of allspice*
* or if you have pumpkin pie spice use 1 tablespoon instead of the last 3 spices
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 container pumpkin cream cheese at room temp* – I buy it from Trader Joe’s but I’ve also used the Philadelphia Brand.
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice – optional but I like the extra flavor
NOTE – If you can not find pre-made pumpkin cream cheese, simply make your own using 1 block of plain cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and add a few more dashes of the spices. Combine with an electric mixer and you are good to go!
Instructions
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl cream the butter and the sugar. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
To the sugar mixture, add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing between additions until well incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese and pumpkin puree. Beat to combine.
Fold in the dry ingredients, small amounts at a time.
Tightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. If I don’t have overnight to wait, I improvise by putting the dough in the freezer for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough (about 1 tablespoon for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until cooked through but still pale. (Note – they go from done to burnt really quick, test with a toothpick at 8 minutes). Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Continue with the remaining dough.
Cream cheese icing: Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Using a hand mixer beat until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.
After the cookies have cooled, top with icing and if you are feeling a little extra, sprinkle on a little cinnamon for flare.
Notes
1. Cookies: I have to use the top racks in my oven, all cookies on the bottom rack burn.
2. Icing: You could definitely make your own icing by using plain cream cheese and adding more pumpkin puree and extra spices. I was at Trader Joe’s and saw the pumpkin flavor so I went for it.
3. You can make batter/dough up to 2 days prior to using. But keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Keywords: Pumpkin, fall flavors, ricotta cheese, baking, thanksgiving
[…] I make. The original recipe came from Giada, but I have altered it several times. I’ve made a pumpkin spice version for the fall and even an egg nog version for […]