Just because Thanksgiving is over, doesn’t mean that you can’t crack open a can of pumpkin to make a few Christmas cookies. And, when you use that canned pumpkin to make moist and chewy gingerbread cookies, well, I’m pretty sure that just about no one in this world is going to have anything bad to say about you combining holidays to make this flavorful, zesty, delicious, and festive sweet holiday treat.
Y’all, I’ve made these scrumptious pumpkin cookies twice in the past month. Heck, I loved these little tasty holiday cookies so much, that I even made an entirely different, yet somewhat similar cookie out of the recipe. You see, these gingerbread cookies were just too darn good to not eat over and over again. I’m pretty much convinced that you could make this cookie taste great no matter what you added to it; golden raisins, miniature chocolate chips, pecans, basically whatever your little heart desires.
The only way to mess this cookie up would be to try and make it with gluten-free flour. Folks, trust me on this one, these cookies will taste like absolute reindeer poo if you try to use gluten-free flour to make them. And yeah, I only know this from trying to attempt it myself. Let’s just say that a whole batch of cookies when straight into the trash can. It was a sad occasion, however, there was just no way that I was going to force anyone to eat those nasty little buggers. After all, Christmas is fast approaching, and I certainly don’t want to find myself on Santa’s naughty list.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- White Sanding Sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugars, butter, ginger, cinnamon, and salt together on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and egg; mix for 1 minute on medium speed.
- Add the pumpkin and molasses; mix for 1 minute on medium speed.
- Add the baking soda and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined.
- Add 1-cup of the flour and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined. Add another 1-cup of flour and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined. Add the remaining flour and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookie dough. Place 9 cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a healthy pinch of sanding sugar over the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 13 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a baking rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat steps 7 through 9 until all of the cookie dough has been used.
Suggestions:
- White sanding sugar gives these cookies just a hint of sparkle. If you don’t have white sanding sugar, you can replace it with green or red sanding sugar for the holiday season.
- These cookies will spread out during baking, so make sure to only bake 9 at a time.
- This recipe will yield approximately 3 dozen cookies.
- Don’t want to waste the rest of the can of pumpkin that you opened to make these cookies? CLICK HERE to find more great recipes you can use canned pumpkin in.
Improvements:
- CLICK HERE to see another version of this delicious cookie, which is just a little bit fancier, yet still perfect for the holiday season.
- Add miniature chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
- Sprinkle the cookies with chopped pecans before baking.
- Add a pinch of ground cloves or freshly grated nutmeg to the cookie dough.
- Dust the cookies with a little bit of cocoa powder.
- Don’t forget to check out all of Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck’s past cookie recipes. CLICK HERE to see a complete list.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- White Sanding Sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugars, butter, ginger, cinnamon, and salt together on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and egg; mix for 1 minute on medium speed.
- Add the pumpkin and molasses; mix for 1 minute on medium speed.
- Add the baking soda and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined.
- Add 1-cup of the flour and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined. Add another 1-cup of flour and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined. Add the remaining flour and stir with a silicone spatula until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookie dough. Place 9 cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a healthy pinch of sanding sugar over the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 13 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a baking rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat steps 7 through 9 until all of the cookie dough has been used.
PIN THIS RECIPE
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MORE GREAT CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES
Cappuccino Swirl Butter Cookies
Dark Rum Cherry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Old-Fashioned Jubilee Jumbles Cookies
Canned pumpkin is a quick and easy way to add flavor and moisture to your favorite baked goods and sweets. Not just for pies, pumpkin puree can be used to make all kinds of delicious treats, including fudge. From cookies and bread to whoopie pies and muffins, canned pumpkin purée is an easy way to add delicious fall flavor to your favorite recipes. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
Christmas is a time for family, friends, and delicious holiday cookies. From classic butter cookies to iced gingerbread cookies, this list of ultimate Christmas cookie recipes has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for festive colors, unique seasonal ingredients, or just a cookie that’s super easy to make, these Christmas cookie recipes will help you find the perfect cookie for the season. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
CHRISTMAS COOKIES WEEK
Welcome to #ChristmasCookies Week, where more than 25 bloggers are sharing their own original and festive cookie recipes just perfect for your holiday celebrations. We invite you to not only check out our many festive Christmas cookie recipes but to also enter our amazing giveaway below as well. Make sure to follow along on Pinterest so that you don’t miss out on one single delicious holiday cookie recipe.
Don’t forget to check out all of Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck’s past cookie recipes. CLICK HERE to see a complete list.
Thank you to Ellen from Family Around the Table, Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures, and Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks for hosting #ChristmasCookies Week.
Check out today’s cookie recipes:
- Butter Pecan Icebox Cookies by Simply Inspired Meals
- Chocolate Cake Mix Snickerdoodles by Family Around the Table
- Caramel Cashew Cookies by Making Miracles
- Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti by Sweet Beginnings
- Fruit Cake Cookies with Rum Glaze by Books n’ Cooks
- Christmas Pinwheel Cookies by Swirls of Flavor
- Kołaczki Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
- Mexican Wedding Cookies by Lemon Blossoms
- Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Raspberry White Chocolate Pecan Christmas Cookies by Our Sutton Place
