2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cookie

These 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cookies are one of those wonderfully simple recipes worth keeping around for fall baking. A box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin come together to make cookies that are soft, moist, warmly spiced, and almost cake-like, with plenty of cinnamon-and-spice aroma as they bake. The pumpkin keeps the centers tender without requiring eggs, butter, or oil.

I especially like this collected recipe for busy afternoons because there is almost nothing to measure, and the dough comes together in one bowl. The cookies are delicious plain, but they are also an easy blank canvas for chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or a little frosting. They are more like soft pumpkin cake cookies than crisp traditional cookies, so expect a tender, fluffy bite. The original recipe yields 24 cookies and uses a 15.25-oz spice cake mix with a 15-oz can of pumpkin.

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Ingredients

15.25 oz spice cake mix

15 oz canned solid-pack pumpkin puree

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2. Make the dough. Add the spice cake mix and pumpkin puree to a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined and no obvious pockets of dry cake mix remain. The dough will be thick and sticky.
3. Portion the cookies. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
4. Bake. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the centers look set and the edges feel firm. These cookies remain soft rather than becoming crisp.
5. Cool. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before serving or decorating.

Cooking Notes

Do not prepare the cake mix according to the directions on its package. Use only the dry cake mix and canned pumpkin for the basic two-ingredient recipe.

Make sure you buy plain pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling, which contains additional sugar and spices.

The dough is naturally sticky. A small cookie scoop makes portioning easier and helps the cookies bake at roughly the same rate.

These cookies do not spread dramatically, so the shape you scoop onto the pan will remain fairly similar after baking. Slightly flatten or smooth the tops before baking if you prefer a more uniform appearance.

For a sweeter variation, fold in semisweet chocolate chips or chopped pecans. Cream cheese frosting can also be added after the cookies have cooled completely.

Nutrition

Yields: 24 Servings
Serving Size: 1 Cookie

Because the original recipe already provides tested nutrition information, the estimate below retains those published values rather than replacing them with a less precise ingredient-database reconstruction.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 98 kcal
Fat: 3.0 g
Carb: 17.0 g
Protein: 2.0 g

The provided recipe also reports approximately 1 g dietary fiber, 10 g total sugars, 1 g saturated fat, and 188 mg sodium per cookie.

Recipe Science

These cookies use pumpkin puree as both a moisture source and a structural ingredient. Commercial spice cake mix already contains flour, sugar, leavening, flavorings, and other components needed to form a baked cake structure. Adding pumpkin hydrates those dry ingredients and supplies water, fiber, and natural carbohydrates. The result behaves more like a thick cake batter than conventional cookie dough.

That formulation explains the finished texture. Traditional cookies commonly rely on substantial butter or another fat for spreading, browning, and crispness. Here, the high proportion of pumpkin moisture encourages a soft, tender, cake-like crumb instead. Baking for approximately 18-20 minutes gives the leavening time to work while allowing the centers to set without excessively drying the cookies.

These cookies are practical for everyday baking because the ingredient list is exceptionally short and can be customized easily. Once completely cooled, store them in a covered container; because they are moist, separating layers with parchment can help prevent sticking. Optional chocolate chips, nuts, or frosting will change the calorie, sugar, and fat content.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: At 188 mg sodium and approximately 1 g saturated fat per cookie, a single serving remains below 20% of the FDA Daily Values of 2,300 mg sodium and 20 g saturated fat. The supplied nutrition information lists total sugar, rather than added sugar, so an accurate comparison with the FDA’s 50 g Daily Value for added sugar cannot be made from the provided data alone. Portion size matters because eating several cookies multiplies these values quickly.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Only Two Ingredients: Cake mix and canned pumpkin make the basic dough, keeping both shopping and preparation remarkably simple.
• Soft and Tender: Pumpkin creates a moist, fluffy cookie with an almost little-cake texture.
• Full of Fall Flavor: Spice cake mix delivers warm seasonal flavor without measuring several individual spices.
• Easy to Customize: Chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or frosting can turn the same basic recipe into several variations.
• Beginner-Friendly: There is no creaming butter, cracking eggs, or complicated shaping involved.

FAQ

• Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? Plain pumpkin puree is preferable. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and seasoned, which can make these cookies overly sweet and alter their texture.
• Why didn’t my cookies spread very much? That’s normal. This thick, pumpkin-heavy dough behaves differently from butter-based cookie dough and holds much of its scooped shape during baking.
• Can I add chocolate chips? Yes. Semisweet, dark, or white chocolate chips all pair well with pumpkin and warm spices. Keep in mind that additions will change the nutrition values.
• How do I know when they’re finished? Look for set centers and firm edges. Don’t wait for them to become crisp or deeply browned; their signature texture is soft and cake-like.
• Can I make them ahead? Yes. Cool the cookies completely before storing them in an airtight container. Their high moisture content helps them stay soft, although parchment between layers can prevent sticking.

Conclusion

These 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cookies prove that a cozy homemade treat doesn’t need a complicated ingredient list. Keep the basic version simple, or make it your own with chocolate, nuts, or your favorite frosting; cooking is always more fun when there’s room to experiment.

What would you add to your batch: chocolate chips, pecans, or cream cheese frosting?

Happy baking, and enjoy every cozy bite!