Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies: Soft and Chewy
A chilled cream cheese filling gives these pumpkin cookies a layered dessert feel, distinct from single texture pumpkin doughs.
cream cheese filling
27 Fall Cookie Recipes for Autumn Baking
Curated by Nina PatelUpdated September 24, 2026
☰ Contents
Cooler afternoons call for cookies that smell like cinnamon, toasted sugar, and pumpkin spice. Whether you're planning a school treat, filling a holiday tin, or looking for an easy healthy cookies recipe for kids, these fall cookie recipes cover soft, crisp, fruity, chocolate, and gluten-free options.
Some doughs bake in under 30 minutes. Others need chilling so the edges hold their shape. Watch for the visual cues: apple pieces should soften, pumpkin cookies should look set at the center, and sugar cookies should barely color around the rim.
What Are Fall Cookies?
Fall cookies use the flavors and shapes associated with autumn: pumpkin, apple, pear, maple, cinnamon, brown sugar, and warming spice. They may be soft and cake like, crisp around the edges, filled with caramel, or finished with icing.
Fruit purées add moisture, while oats and nuts bring a more substantial bite. If a dough contains pumpkin or applesauce, bake until the center looks set because excess moisture can leave cookies gummy. This collection includes classic autumn cookies, gluten-free choices, and lighter fruit and oat styles.
How to Choose the Best Fall Cookies
Choose apple or pear cookies when you want fresh fruit notes, pumpkin cookies for soft spice, and maple cookies when brown sugar and toasted edges matter most. Gluten-free cookies range from crisp graham style biscuits to tender pumpkin and chocolate options.
Short on time? Start with recipes listed at 30 minutes or less. If you need cookies for a gathering, chilled or filled doughs take more planning, while simple oat cookies can be mixed and baked quickly. Look for a dry looking top before removing soft cookies from the oven.
Pumpkin Cookie Recipes
Pumpkin purée gives these cookies a soft crumb and deep orange color, while spice, oats, chocolate, and cream cheese pull them in different directions. The 20- to 27 minute options suit busy afternoons; chilled swirls and filled cookies take longer but bring a more decorative finish.
-
-
Chewy Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Brown butter adds a toasted note to pumpkin oatmeal cookies, while the oatmeal base supplies the chewy center described in the recipe.
brown butter oatmeal -
Chewy Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cookies
Blotted pumpkin and brown sugar help this 27 minute batch keep a chewy center, with less waiting than the chilled pumpkin recipes.
27-minute pumpkin cookies -
Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe with Pumpkin Puree
Brown sugar, pumpkin purée, and spice anchor this classic recipe, though its 2 hour-25 minute total time calls for advance planning.
classic pumpkin spice -
Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rolled oats help these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies stay chewy, while the 25 minute timing suits a same afternoon autumn bake.
quick pumpkin oatmeal -
Spiced Iced Pumpkin Cookies
A cakey pumpkin base and tangy cream cheese finish give these iced cookies a frosted bakery style for seasonal dessert tables.
cream cheese icing -
Easy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies in 24 Minutes
Removing excess water from pumpkin keeps these chocolate chip cookies ready in 24 minutes with a softer, more balanced crumb.
24-minute chocolate chip -
Healthier 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Four ingredients and a 25 minute bake keep this pumpkin cookie especially streamlined, with a soft, cake like result and no long preparation.
four-ingredient bake -
Chewy Pumpkin Swirl Cookies
Chilled dough preserves the pumpkin swirl, while the 2 hour-42 minute timeline suits decorative baking planned well before serving.
decorative pumpkin swirl
Fall Apple Cookie Recipes
Applesauce, diced apple, caramel, and pie spices keep this group focused on familiar apple dessert flavors. Use the oat versions for a breakfast style bite, while thumbprints and pie cookies bring distinct fillings and shapes to an autumn dessert tray.
-
Candy Apple Cookies: Failure-Proof
A caramel center turns familiar apple flavor into a filled cookie, giving this batch a candy apple angle rather than a plain spiced dough.
caramel apple center -
Apple Pie Cookies
Apple pie flavors move into cookie form here, adding a pastry inspired option beside the collection's oat, caramel, and applesauce styles.
apple pie flavor -
Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cookies in 22 Minutes
Applesauce keeps these cinnamon sugar cookies tender and ready in 22 minutes, making them a quick apple option without oats.
applesauce cinnamon -
Caramel Apple Thumbprints with Apple Butter
A salted caramel core sits inside these apple spiced thumbprints, adding a filled cookie format suited to autumn gatherings.
salted caramel center
Gluten-Free Cookies for Fall
These recipes use gluten-free ingredients across several textures, from graham cookie snap to chocolate centers and tender pumpkin dough. If you need a mixed cookie platter, pair the crisp graham or sugar cookies with a softer pumpkin or chocolate batch so the textures do not all run together.
-
Crispy Homemade Gluten Free Graham Cookies
Honey helps these gluten-free graham cookies bake with a crisp snap, bringing a cracker like texture to the autumn cookie mix.
crisp graham snap -
Brown Butter Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mahogany edges and a chewy center make this gluten-free chocolate chip version the familiar pantry cookie for a fall dessert tray.
chewy chocolate chip -
Double Chocolate Cookies Gluten Free
Chilling supports a smooth, fudgy chocolate bite here, unlike the fruit forward pumpkin and apple cookies elsewhere in the collection.
fudgy chocolate bite -
Healthy Glutenfree Pumpkin Cookies with Almond Flour
Pumpkin, almond flour, and spice create a soft gluten-free cookie with a cake like crumb and a longer 1 hour-30 minute total time.
soft gluten-free pumpkin -
Tender GlutenFree Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almond flour and cinnamon frame the pumpkin and chocolate combination, giving gluten-free bakers a tender alternative to wheat based dough.
almond flour pumpkin -
Soft GlutenFree Fall Sugar Cookies
This gluten-free fall sugar cookie uses familiar butter and cane sugar in a 30 minute format suited to shaped seasonal baking.
gluten-free sugar cookies
Maple, Pear and Persimmon Cookies
Maple, pear, and persimmon give these autumn cookies a less expected fruit and syrup profile. Their flavors are gentler than the pumpkin group, so serve them when you want warm spice without a strong pumpkin note; watch fruit based dough closely because moisture changes browning.
-
Persimmon Cookies with Fall Spices
Persimmon brings a distinctive seasonal fruit note and tender bite, giving this 30 minute batch a change from the usual pumpkin base.
seasonal persimmon -
Old Fashioned Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
Dark brown sugar and maple syrup shape the flavor here, producing a syrup scented cookie that differs from fruit and pumpkin batches.
maple brown sugar -
Glazed Maple Leaf Cookies with Pure Maple Syrup
Leaf shapes and a glaze turn these maple cookies into a recognizable autumn party bake with a buttery snap.
maple leaf shapes -
Spiced Pear Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze
Pear butter, cinnamon, and butter give this 27 minute recipe a mellow fruit and spice profile beyond the standard apple and pumpkin pair.
spiced pear flavor
Easy Healthy Fall Cookies
Oats, banana, apple, and pumpkin form the base of these simpler cookies, with short ingredient lists and straightforward mixing. They differ from the frosted and filled recipes because the fruit or purée carries much of the moisture; let them cool on the tray so the centers finish setting.
-
Easy Healthy Cookies Recipe: Chewy Oatmeal Bliss
Banana and oats keep this soft baked option approachable, with gluten-free and kid friendly tags that set it apart from richer autumn cookies.
banana oat cookies -
Apple Oat Cookies
Apple and oats create a straightforward fruit cookie combination, useful when you want autumn flavor without frosting or a filled center.
apple oat cookies -
Healthy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies in 25 Minutes
Fresh apple and oats supply the central flavor and structure, creating a breakfast style cookie distinct from frosted autumn desserts.
apple oatmeal snack -
Three Ingredient Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies: 20 Minutes
Pumpkin purée binds this three ingredient oatmeal cookie, offering an egg free, no flour angle within the simpler fall baking group.
three-ingredient cookie
Storage and Food Safety Tips for Fall Cookies
Cool cookies fully before sealing them, or trapped steam will soften crisp edges and leave icing tacky. Plain cookies generally keep at room temperature for several days in an airtight container; cookies with cream cheese filling or frosting should be refrigerated.
For doughs containing egg, keep unbaked portions chilled until they go into the oven. FDA guidance suggests two hours as the limit for perishable foods at room temperature, so return cream cheese cookies to the refrigerator promptly and discard any batch with an off smell, mold, or wet, slimy filling.
Quick Comparison
| # | Recipes | Best For | Time | Difficulty | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies: Creamy | filled pumpkin cookies | 1 hr 2 min | Easy | cream cheese filling |
| 2 | Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies for 24 | nutty pumpkin oatmeal cookies | 1 hr 4 min | Not provided | chewy center |
| 3 | Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cookies in 27 Min | quick pumpkin spice cookies | 27 min | Not provided | chewy center |
| 4 | Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe for 30 | classic pumpkin spice batches | 2 hr 25 min | Easy | soft spiced |
| 5 | Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies in 25 Minutes | quick pumpkin oatmeal cookies | 25 min | Easy | oatmeal bite |
| 6 | Iced Pumpkin Cookies in 35 Minutes | iced pumpkin dessert trays | 35 min | Not provided | cakey base |
| 7 | Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies in 24 Min | fast pumpkin chocolate chip cookies | 24 min | Easy | soft chocolate chip |
| 8 | 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies in 25 Min | short ingredient-list baking | 25 min | Easy | cake-like |
| 9 | Chewy Pumpkin Swirl Cookies | decorative pumpkin swirls | 2 hr 42 min | Not provided | swirled dough |
| 10 | Candy Apple Cookies in 37 Minutes | caramel-centered apple cookies | 37 min | Not provided | filled center |
| 11 | Apple Pie Cookies | apple-pie inspired baking | Time varies | Not provided | pie-style |
| 12 | Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cookies with Applesauce | quick applesauce apple cookies | 22 min | Not provided | soft spiced |
| 13 | Caramel Apple Thumbprints in 27 Minutes | filled cookies for gatherings | 27 min | Not provided | thumbprint center |
| 14 | Gluten Free Graham Cookies in 30 Minutes | crisp gluten-free snack cookies | 30 min | Easy | crisp snap |
| 15 | Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies | gluten-free chocolate chip fans | Time varies | Not provided | chewy center |
| 16 | Chocolate Cookies Gluten Free: Fudgy | rich gluten-free chocolate cookies | Time varies | Easy | fudgy bite |
| 17 | Healthy Glutenfree Pumpkin Cookies Soft | soft gluten-free pumpkin cookies | 1 hr 30 min | Not provided | cake-like |
| 18 | GF Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: Tender | gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies | 25 min | Easy | tender bite |
| 19 | GlutenFree Fall Sugar Cookies in 30 Min | gluten-free shaped sugar cookies | 30 min | Not provided | soft sugar cookie |
| 20 | Persimmon Cookies in 30 Minutes | seasonal persimmon baking | 30 min | Not provided | soft bite |
| 21 | Maple Brown Sugar Cookies in 37 Minutes | maple-flavored cookie tins | 37 min | Not provided | chewy finish |
| 22 | Glazed Maple Leaf Cookies for 24 | shaped autumn party cookies | Time varies | Not provided | buttery snap |
| 23 | Spiced Pear Cookies in 27 Minutes | pear-and-spice autumn baking | 27 min | Not provided | soft fruit cookie |
| 24 | Easy Healthy Cookies Recipe in 22 Mins | banana-oat cookies for kids | 22 min | Easy | soft baked |
| 25 | Apple Oat Cookies | fruit-and-oat snacks | Time varies | Not provided | oat cookie |
| 26 | Healthy Apple Oatmeal Cookies for 15 | apple-oat snack cookies | Time varies | Not provided | oatmeal bite |
| 27 | Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies in 20 Minutes | three-ingredient pumpkin cookies | 20 min | Easy | soft oat |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between pumpkin and apple fall cookies?
Pumpkin cookies usually have a softer, more cake like crumb and stronger spice profile. Apple cookies range from fresh and oat filled to caramel centered, so choose them when you want fruit pieces or apple pie flavor.
Can I make these fall cookie recipes ahead of time?
Generally, yes. Bake plain cookies a day or two ahead and store them airtight once cool; frost or fill them closer to serving when possible.
What makes a good gluten-free cookie?
A balanced gluten-free flour blend and enough moisture help prevent a dry or crumbly texture. Let the cookies cool before moving them because many gluten-free doughs firm as they stand.
How do I keep pumpkin cookies from becoming gummy?
Measure pumpkin carefully and avoid removing the cookies before the centers look set. If the purée is especially wet, excess moisture can prolong baking and soften the crumb.
What are good healthy fall cookies for kids?
Banana oatmeal, apple oatmeal, and simple pumpkin oatmeal cookies are useful starting points because fruit or purée contributes moisture and sweetness. Check the texture after cooling before packing them.
Browse by Category
Related Recipe Collections
Discover more curated recipe collections
Explore more recipe collections →