Here is the pumpkin cookie recipe you didn’t know you couldn’t live without! Soft and tender pumpkin cookies are flipped upside down and topped with glossy chocolate and sweet maple glaze. A classic cookie with a pumpkin twist!
It’s not that some cookies are better than others. Every cookie is a dang-good cookie by nature of it being… a cookie. There are good cookies and then there are BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES. The cookie that reigns supreme. The best cookie in all the world. The cookie that wins the universe. The cookie that we all deserve.
Can you tell Black and White Cookies are my favorite? Are they your favorite, too? Good good good I knew we were friends like that.
I’ve made our favorite classic more friendly for this autumn chill by adding pumpkin and a dash of spice – as one does to the best cookie in the world this time of year. Pumpkin keeps these cookies moist and cake-like, just as these dream cookies should be – it’s a likely combination.
How you eat these cookies is up to you. I highly recommend straight down the center and in excess.
I used this cookie inspiration to bake this Black and White Cookie Cake! Find the recipe in the Holiday 2022 issue of Joy the Baker Magazine!
Quick facts
Details
Makes
About 14 big cookies
Prep time
45 minutes
Bake
14 to 16 minutes at 325 degrees F, one sheet at a time
Total time
About 1 hour, plus cooling
Glazes
Dark chocolate on one half, maple on the other
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delightful pumpkin cookie recipe:
• standard cookie procedure: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.
• two large eggs for a fluffier, more cake-like cookie.
• pumpkin puree (I used canned pumpkin) and pumpkin pie spice. With the excess canned pumpkin you might also want to make Pumpkin Spice Rice Calas.
• vegetable oil is our fat for this cookie – it will help keep the cookies soft and tender for several days after baking.
For the glaze we’ll combine melted chocolate with butter and powdered sugar with cream and maple. Simple – with big cookie impact.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Since we’re mixing this batter by hand it’s extra important to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients so the spice and leavening are evenly dispersed throughout the cookie.
In another medium bowl whisk together the sugar and eggs.
Whisk until the eggs are thoroughly combined, even more pale in color, before adding the dash of vanilla extract.
Add the pumpkin puree to the pumpkin cookie recipe, and whisk until well combined.
The mixture will be a pleasing orange throughout. That’s how you know what’s good.
Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the pumpkin mixture.
Give it a whisk, and keep whisking until all of the ingredients are combined.
The mixture will resemble a very thick pancake batter.
You may even want to switch to a wooden spoon to stir the mixture together.
Scoop cookie batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Parchment is keep for these cookies. It makes cleanly removing the cookies from the pan after baking super simple. The bottom of the cookies is what we’ll adorn with chocolate and maple glaze – so setting ourselves up for success starts with parchment paper.
I scooped the cookies using a large cookie scoop into about 1/4 cup portions. A scoop makes the work easier.
This pumpkin cookie recipe bakes to cakey-soft.
Allow to cool completely (seriously… they need to not be warm or the glaze will slip and slide right off) before flipping and frosting.
While the cookies cool, whip up the glazes.
For the ‘white’ of our black and white we’ll whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and heavy cream. A pinch of salt is nice too.
We want the glaze thick but still easily spreadable. Heavy cream is helpful in that it adds body and aeration to this glaze – add a bit more as necessary until your glaze is perfectly spreadable but will still hold its shape on the cookie.
For the chocolate glaze we’ll melt chocolate chunks, butter, and corn syrup. The corn syrup keeps the glaze glossy and spreadable, so don’t skip it.
Look at sweet little babies!
These are as much fun to make as they are to eat. It’s ok to call dibs on at least two.
Wrap individually and store at room temperature for a few days.
They’re great for gifting to very lucky neighbors.
Black and white cookies, half moon cookies, same delicious idea
If you grew up calling these half moon cookies, you’re not wrong. Black and whites and half moons are both the big, soft, cakey cookie frosted half dark and half light, and which name you use mostly depends on where you got your first one.
This version keeps the soft cookie and the two-tone top, then goes full fall: pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice in the cookie, maple in the white glaze. A classic, in a cozy sweater.
Are these pumpkin cookies cakey or chewy?
Cakey, on purpose. These are soft, tender, little-cake pumpkin cookies, not chewy ones. Two eggs make them fluffy, the pumpkin keeps them moist, and oil (not butter) keeps them soft for days after baking.
If you’re after a pumpkin cake cookie with a glossy frosting, this is your cookie. The batter looks like a very thick pancake batter, and that’s exactly right.
How to get neat chocolate and maple halves
Glaze the flat bottoms, not the domed tops. Flip the cooled cookies over and you get a smooth, even surface that makes those clean halves easy.
Cool them completely. Seriously. Warm cookies make the glaze slip and slide right off.
Use two butter knives: one for the chocolate glaze, one for the maple. Spread the chocolate on one half first, then the maple on the other.
Keep the maple glaze thick but spreadable. Add heavy cream a little splash at a time until it holds its shape on the cookie.
If the chocolate glaze thickens while you work, warm it a few seconds in the microwave on low.
Then wrap them individually and keep them at room temperature for a few days. Very lucky neighbors, take note.
An unexpected festive autumn cookie based on tthe classic Black and White.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Glaze:
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
For the Maple Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Splash of vanilla extract
Splash of heavy cream
Instructions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk in the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Stir in the flour mixture to incorporate.
Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the chocolate glaze, melt together the butter and chocolate on the low setting of a microwave or in a double boiler on the stovetop. Stir in the corn syrup and a pinch of salt. The glaze should be smooth and glossy. If the frosting thickens too much, loosen it by putting it in the low microwave for a few seconds.
For the maple glaze, in a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, maple, salt, vanilla extract and a splash of milk. Add another splash of milk until the mixture is thick but pourable.
To glaze the cookies, use a butter knife to gently spread the chocolate glaze over one half of the cake. Use a second butter knife to spread the vanilla glaze over the other half of the cookies. Allow the icing to set for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Serve or wrap individually and store at room temp for up to 3 days.
Notes
These cookies can be made gluten-free with a 1-to-1 flour blend.
FAQs
Pumpkin-spiced cookies topped half with vanilla glaze, half with chocolate—a fall twist on the New York classic.
Can I make these without pumpkin?
You can swap in applesauce, but pumpkin is what makes them perfectly autumnal.
How do I get the glaze to set?
Let the cookies rest uncovered until the glaze firms up.
Can I store them stacked?
Yes—just layer parchment between cookies to keep the glaze intact. Or, better yet, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap to protect them.
Can I freeze them?
Freeze unglazed cookies and frost after thawing for best texture.
I made the pumpkin b&w cookies from the cookbook and made my husband a very happy man! They got a little sticky & soft on storage. I hadn’t wrapped them individually, is that a must do?
Joy these look delicious! I think you forgot to add the instructions for making the glaze though. I think I can figure it out from the body of your post but wanted to flag!
Great cookies, Joy! I think I’m going to make these for a Holiday Cookie Swap next week here in New Orleans . . . just one thing, there are no instructions for either of the glazes. So, is there anythings special to know about making those? Or just put all the ingredients together and prepare as one might guess for each glaze?
Joy – LONG time reader, first time commenter (I think, I can’t remember for sure…). I am one of those awful people who doesn’t like black and white cookies – I’ve always found them bland and boring. But I was intrigued by this recipe and had to try it out. They’re AMAZING! I have repented of my evil ways and will always gladly take a B/W cookie (as long as they have pumpkin spice and maple!)!
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I like the idea of using a pumpkin cake on a black and white cookie. I will definitely want to try this recipe. The pumpkin will add a new flavor to the traditional cookie. Thank you for the recipe.
These are a dream combo! I love a black & white cookie – so a fall version with pumpkin and maple!? Oh absolutely!! I made these today and can confirm, they are so beautiful & so incredibly tasty! Thank you for this recipe, Joy!
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It’s not that some cookies are better than others. Every cookie is a dang-good cookie by nature of it being… a cookie. There are good cookies and then there are BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES. The cookie that reigns supreme. The best cookie in all the world. The cookie that wins the universe. The cookie that we all deserve.
Can you tell Black and White Cookies are my favorite? Are they your favorite, too? Good good good I knew we were friends like that.
I’ve made our favorite classic more friendly for this autumn chill by adding pumpkin and a dash of spice – as one does to the best cookie in the world this time of year. Pumpkin keeps these cookies moist and cake-like, just as these dream cookies should be – it’s a likely combination.
How you eat these cookies is up to you. I highly recommend straight down the center and in excess.
I used this cookie inspiration to bake this Black and White Cookie Cake! Find the recipe in the Holiday 2022 issue of Joy the Baker Magazine!
Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the pumpkin mixture.
It’s not that some cookies are better than others. Every cookie is a dang-good cookie by nature of it being… a cookie. There are good cookies and then there are BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES. The cookie that reigns supreme. The best cookie in all the world. The cookie that wins the universe. The cookie that we all deserve.
Can you tell Black and White Cookies are my favorite? Are they your favorite, too? Good good good I knew we were friends like that.
I’ve made our favorite classic more friendly for this autumn chill by adding pumpkin and a dash of spice – as one does to the best cookie in the world this time of year. Pumpkin keeps these cookies moist and cake-like, just as these dream cookies should be – it’s a likely combination.
How you eat these cookies is up to you. I highly recommend straight down the center and in excess.
I used this cookie inspiration to bake this Black and White Cookie Cake! Find the recipe in the Holiday 2022 issue of Joy the Baker Magazine!
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Since we’re mixing this batter by hand it’s extra important to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients so the spice and leavening are evenly dispersed throughout the cookie.
Add the pumpkin puree to the pumpkin cookie recipe, and whisk until well combined.
The mixture will be a pleasing orange throughout. That’s how you know what’s good.
Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the pumpkin mixture.
Give it a whisk, and keep whisking until all of the ingredients are combined.
The mixture will resemble a very thick pancake batter.
You may even want to switch to a wooden spoon to stir the mixture together.
Scoop cookie batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Parchment is keep for these cookies. It makes cleanly removing the cookies from the pan after baking super simple. The bottom of the cookies is what we’ll adorn with chocolate and maple glaze – so setting ourselves up for success starts with parchment paper.
I scooped the cookies using a large cookie scoop into about 1/4 cup portions. A scoop makes the work easier.
This pumpkin cookie recipe bakes to cakey-soft.
Allow to cool completely (seriously… they need to not be warm or the glaze will slip and slide right off) before flipping and frosting.
While the cookies cool, whip up the glazes.
For the ‘white’ of our black and white we’ll whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and heavy cream. A pinch of salt is nice too.
We want the glaze thick but still easily spreadable. Heavy cream is helpful in that it adds body and aeration to this glaze – add a bit more as necessary until your glaze is perfectly spreadable but will still hold its shape on the cookie.
For the chocolate glaze we’ll melt chocolate chunks, butter, and corn syrup. The corn syrup keeps the glaze glossy and spreadable, so don’t skip it.
Wrap individually and store at room temperature for a few days.
They’re great for gifting to very lucky neighbors.
9 Responses
I made the pumpkin b&w cookies from the cookbook and made my husband a very happy man! They got a little sticky & soft on storage. I hadn’t wrapped them individually, is that a must do?
I do think they’re most successful when wrapped individually.
Joy these look delicious! I think you forgot to add the instructions for making the glaze though. I think I can figure it out from the body of your post but wanted to flag!
Bye, I’m going down in the kitchen to make ’em!
These are so tasty! A big hit with kids and adults alike. I even like the cookies without glaze with my afternoon cup of coffee.
Great cookies, Joy! I think I’m going to make these for a Holiday Cookie Swap next week here in New Orleans . . . just one thing, there are no instructions for either of the glazes. So, is there anythings special to know about making those? Or just put all the ingredients together and prepare as one might guess for each glaze?
Thanks again!
Joy – LONG time reader, first time commenter (I think, I can’t remember for sure…). I am one of those awful people who doesn’t like black and white cookies – I’ve always found them bland and boring. But I was intrigued by this recipe and had to try it out. They’re AMAZING! I have repented of my evil ways and will always gladly take a B/W cookie (as long as they have pumpkin spice and maple!)!
Can you make the cookies beforehand, freeze, and then reheat later and glaze?
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I like the idea of using a pumpkin cake on a black and white cookie. I will definitely want to try this recipe. The pumpkin will add a new flavor to the traditional cookie. Thank you for the recipe.
These are a dream combo! I love a black & white cookie – so a fall version with pumpkin and maple!? Oh absolutely!! I made these today and can confirm, they are so beautiful & so incredibly tasty! Thank you for this recipe, Joy!