I have had a sweet tooth since my childhood. So, my mom used to make me different types of healthy desserts almost every day. Among all her dessert items, pumpkin cookies were my favorite.
Even after all these years, those homemade crispy, sweet snacks remain my go-to item no matter what the occasion is. Recently, I tried making them using an air fryer. And the best part is, those air-fried cookies came out just fine, like my mom’s.
You should also try this version of crunchy cookies because it takes less time than baking. There’s no fear of overdoing anything in the air fryer. So, things will definitely go fine even if you’re not a regular cook.
Let’s show you how to make these easy pumpkin cookies at home.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cookies
This recipe is a hundred times easier than baking. You don’t have to do any hard work. The air fryer does almost everything here. You won’t have to worry about things like preheating or timer. Just set it to 300°F, pop the cookies in, and you’re done in 10-12 minutes.
These easy pumpkin cookies also come out with the perfect texture. The outer part remains traditionally crispy. But the inner part remains as soft as cakes. You won’t get this combination of texture by using a oven if you’re not used to bake. But this is possible from the very first attempt with airt fryer.
The recipe makes a small batch of 20 cookies. That’s ideal when you want fresh pumpkin cookies chocolate chip style without leftovers sitting around for days. And if you need more, just double the ingredients.
You can also customize these however you like. I sometimes skip the chocolate chips, add cream cheese icing, or swap the flour for an almond flour version. It works no matter how you adjust it.
Pumpkin Cookies Ingredients & Substitutions
This air fryer pumpkin cookies recipe uses basic pantry items. You probably already have most of these at home. The chocolate chips and pumpkin puree do the heavy lifting for flavor.
For the Cookies
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour: for almond flour pumpkin cookies, swap with a 1:1 ratio but expect a denser, nuttier texture.
- ½ teaspoon baking soda: check freshness. Flat cookies usually mean old baking soda.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon: add more if you like a stronger spice kick.
- ¼ cup shortening: this keeps the cookies cakey and holds their shape in the air fryer. You can use softened butter instead, but they will spread more.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed: the molasses adds moisture and depth.
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree: use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Check the label.
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips: measure with your heart here. Even ½ cup works.
Optional cream cheese icing
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For healthier pumpkin cookies, reduce sugar by a quarter and skip the icing. The pumpkin and brown sugar bring enough natural sweetness on their own. Want the simplest version? Pumpkin puree, cake mix, and chocolate chips make a quick 3 ingredient pumpkin cookies variation worth trying separately.
How To Make Pumpkin Cookies
Now, let’s explain how to air fry pumpkin cookies.
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set it aside.
Step 2: Cream the Wet Ingredients
Beat shortening, sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Add pumpkin puree and mix. Then add the egg and vanilla. Mix just until combined.
Step 3: Combine Everything
Add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients in three batches. Stir gently after each one. Fold in the chocolate chips last.
Step 4: Preheat the Air Fryer
Set your air fryer to 300°F. Line the basket or rack with perforated parchment paper.
Step 5: Scoop and Flatten
Use a #40 cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion the dough. Place 4 to 6 balls per batch, leaving space between each one. Press them flat gently with a wet finger.
Step 6: Air Fry the Cookies
Cook for 12 minutes at 300°F. They’ll smell done before they actually are. Check the centers before pulling them out early.
Step 7: Cool and Repeat
Remove the tray carefully and let cookies cool for a few minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Step 8: Add Icing (Optional)
For pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spread on fully cooled cookies only.
Additional Tips
- Don’t raise the temperature to speed things up. 300°F is the sweet spot for air fryer pumpkin cookies. Higher heat burns the outside before the center sets.
- Only bake 4 to 6 cookies per batch. Crowding blocks airflow, and that’s the whole point of using an air fryer. The spacing also gives you that crisp outside and soft inside.
- You can freeze scooped dough balls on a tray, then store them in a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 300°F for about 14 minutes whenever you want fresh pumpkin cookies chocolate chip style.
- If you’re using butter instead of shortening, chill the dough for 15 minutes before scooping. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too thin.
Final Words
That’s really all there is to it. These air fryer pumpkin cookies take less than 25 minutes from bowl to plate. No special skills, no complicated steps, and no overheating your kitchen.
I’ve been making these almost every week since I first tried the air fryer method. They remind me of my mom’s version but without the long wait of baking. If you have a sweet tooth like me, keep a bag of frozen dough balls ready. Fresh cookies anytime, zero effort.
Try them once and you’ll see why this is my go-to fall snack now.
