Wonderful tasting pumpkin cookie recipe and no butter needed! Baking these cookies will fill your home with a wonderful aroma and the flavor is amazing. Perfect for serving at holiday get togethers or for a great tasting family dessert.
It’s not a secret around my house, I am a pumpkin fanatic! I don’t wait for the holidays to come around, I bake tasty pumpkin desserts all year-round.
And these soft and delicious pumpkin cookies are just the thing to satisfy any pumpkin lovers cravings. So if you are looking for a cookie that packs a lot of pumpkin flavor, this is the recipe for you.
Make sure to bookmark or pin this recipe, because you will want to make it again and again!
How to Bake Homemade Butter Free Pumpkin Cookies from Scratch
These pumpkin and spice cookies taste so good and they never last very long. They are the perfect sweet pumpkin treat for serving at holiday parties or for a fall inspired family dessert.
Prep time is just a few minutes and bake time is right about fifteen. Once you taste them, you’ll be amazed that such a quick and easy recipe can produce so much flavor!
And as far as equipment is concerned, you just need a large mixing bowl and a cookie sheet (parchment paper too if you have it).
Another favorite recipe: Pumpkin spice cookies
Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients
The way we can get around using butter while still producing a great cookie texture, is by using shortening.
This classic baking ingredient allows us to skip the butter without resorting to a subpar cookie experience. It aids in binding and producing a winning texture.
And other than that, all you’re going to need are a handful of common baking ingredients!
Ingredients List
- Pumpkin Puree
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Egg
- Shortening
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon
Pumpkin: Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling comes with spices, and we don’t need that. We will be adding just the right amount of spice ourself.
Shortening: Crisco or any other brand of shortening will work fine. You can use regular shortening or butter flavor, I’ve not noticed enough of a flavor difference between the two for it to matter.
All-Purpose Flour: For this recipe, I do not recommend using a gluten free flour substitute. Thus far, I’ve been unable to create a suitable texture doing so. Though, you can opt for self-rising flour. Just omit the baking soda and baking powder if you do.
Topping your Cookies
These cookies already taste absolutely amazing as is, but they are also great with some homemade frosting!
The pumpkin goes particularly well with cream cheese frosting, but buttercream works great if you want an extra boost of sweetness.
Here are some of my favorite frosting recipes you can use to top your pumpkin cookies. Just make sure to cool your cookies before frosting them.
- Classic cream cheese frosting without butter
- Coconut cream cheese frosting
- Cool whip cream cheese frosting
- Buttercream frosting using shortening
- Whipped cream cheese frosting
- Creamy peanut butter icing
Easy Recipe Instructions
I like to mix my cookie dough by hand, but if you want to use a hand mixer on low speed, that’ll be fine.
You can either grease your cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper, the choice is yours!
Other than that, once you have all your ingredients gathered, it’s time to bake some pumpkin cookies!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees
Step 2: Grease your cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper
Step 3: Add all of your ingredients to your mixing bowl
Step 4: Stir until well combined
Step 5: Drop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough on your cookie sheet. Leave two inches between dough mounds
Step 6: Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes
Step 7: Remove cookies from oven and allow to rest on cookie sheet for a couple minutes
Step 8: Finish cooling cookies on a cooling rack
Step 9: Serve and enjoy!
Simple Pumpkin Cookies Without Butter
Equipment
- 1 Cookie Sheet
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Large Egg
- ½ Cup Shortening
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees
- Grease your cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper
- Add all of your ingredients to your mixing bowl
- Stir until well combined
- Drop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough on your cookie sheet. Leave two inches between dough mounds
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to rest on cookie sheet for a couple minutes
- Finish cooling cookies on a cooling rack
- Note: If frosting your cookies, wait until they have completely cooled before starting
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
- Only use pumpkin puree for your cookies. Pumpkin pie filling has added spices that we don’t want in our cookies.
- For your shortening, any brand will work. Go with either regular or butter flavored.
- If frosting your cookies, make sure they have finished cooling before topping them.
- When frosting my cookies, I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
- Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.