Well friends, it is officially Fall again. And what does that mean? Pumpkins!!! These lovely orange beauties are part of the squash family and are thought to have originated in North America. Approximately 1.5 billion pounds are produced in North America each year, and approximately 95% of those intended for processing are grown in Illinois (source).

The recipe below features, you guessed it, pumpkin. Complimented by sugar and spice, and everything nice, these moist, soft cookies are perfect for those upcoming Autumn-inspired festivities. This recipe provides nearly 30 cookies, excellent for sharing with multiple people.

While you’re waiting for these sweet treats to bake, check out some of the health benefits of pumpkin here and enjoy yourself a Pumpkin Spice Martini while you’re at it!

Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Drizzle

Yields approximately 28 cookies

Cookies:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch salt

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup vegan buttery spread

1 (8-ounce) container imitation cream cheese

¾ cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Drizzle:

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons vegan buttery spread, softened

3-4 teaspoons regular unsweetened almond milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease two large cookie sheets and set aside.

For the cookies, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat sugar and buttery spread together until smooth. Mix in cream cheese, pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly stir in dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Place approximately 2 tablespoons dough, 1-2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, for the icing, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon. Add buttery spread, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Using a fork, drizzle icing across tops of cooled cookies.