This post gathers seasonal favorites—pumpkin spice, maple, apple, and more—into one handy roundup from trusted food blogs. Each recipe is easy to follow, full of warm flavors, and perfect for autumn gatherings.
Fall baking is all about comfort and warm spice. This roundup of 10 fall cookie recipe ideas makes it simple to bring those flavors home. You’ll find pumpkin, apple, maple, and cinnamon cookies curated from top food blogs.
Each recipe is easy to follow and family-friendly. Bake a batch, fill the kitchen with cozy aromas, and enjoy sweet moments all season long.
Contents
Why This Recipe?
Fall cookies bring together everything people love about the season—warm spices, rich flavors, and easy baking. These recipes are simple enough for weeknight treats yet special enough for holiday tables. They’re versatile, with options from chewy oatmeal to elegant shortbread. Many use wholesome ingredients like pumpkin or apples, adding natural sweetness and nutrients. Whether you’re planning a cozy family night, hosting a party, or gifting homemade sweets, these cookies fit the occasion. Their inviting aromas and deep flavors make them a go-to for bakers who want maximum taste with minimal effort.
10 Fall Cookie Recipe Ideas
Below are 10 cozy, seasonal cookie ideas. Each has a short flavor summary, a quick 5-step outline, and key details. Later you can flesh them out with full recipes.
🍪 1. Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
Flavor Summary: Soft and warmly spiced, these cookies combine pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice with melty chocolate chips to yield a fall-flavored classic.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Beat melted butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree
- Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined
- Fold in chocolate chips
- Scoop dough onto baking sheet and bake about 16–18 minutes
Time: ~30 min (active + bake)
Tags: Seasonal, soft & chewy, crowd-pleaser
Recipe Credit: Food Network Kitchen
💡 Tip: Chill the dough briefly before baking to reduce spreading and deepen flavors.
👉 Check full recipe: Food Network — Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
🍪 2. Maple Snickerdoodles
Flavor Summary: A fall twist on the classic snickerdoodle—these are crisp on the edges, chewy in the center, and subtly sweet with real maple syrup and cinnamon.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
- Cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar until light
- Beat in egg, maple syrup, and vanilla
- Mix in dry ingredients until just combined
- Roll dough balls in cinnamon-sugar, bake ~13–14 minutes at 350°F
Time: ~25–30 min (+ chill time)
Tags: Maple twist, cinnamon, soft & chewy, fall flavor
Recipe Credit: Home Sweet Farm Home
💡 Tip: Use pure maple syrup, not imitation. Chilling the dough helps prevent over-spreading.
👉 Check full recipe: Home Sweet Farm Home — Maple Snickerdoodles
🍪 3. Brown Butter Ginger Molasses Cookies
Flavor Summary: Rich brown butter, warm molasses, and spicy ginger combine to create a deeply flavored, slightly chewy cookie with a crackled top.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Brown the butter until nutty and cool slightly
- Cream brown butter with sugars
- Add molasses, egg, vanilla
- Mix in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves
- Scoop dough, chill (if needed), and bake until edges set
Time: ~30–35 min
Tags: Spicy, holiday vibes, deep flavor, chewy
Recipe Credit: The Recipe Rebel or Damn Delicious
💡 Tip: Let browned butter cool before adding to avoid scrambling eggs.
👉 Search “brown butter ginger molasses cookies The Recipe Rebel” or “Damn Delicious ginger molasses cookies” for full recipe.
🍪 4. Caramel Apple Pie Cookies
Flavor Summary: A mash-up of apple pie and cookie—chunks or bits of apple, cinnamon, and little pockets of caramel make for a fall dessert in cookie form.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Prepare a spiced cookie dough base
- Chop or dice apples and toss in cinnamon
- Fold apples into dough with bits of caramel
- Scoop dough onto sheet
- Bake until golden and caramel pockets are soft
Time: ~25–30 min
Tags: Apple flavor, caramel, fall mash-up, dessert cookie
Recipe Credit: Love & Lemons or Half Baked Harvest
💡 Tip: Pat dry the apple pieces to reduce extra moisture in dough.
👉 Search “caramel apple pie cookies Love & Lemons” or “apple pie cookies Half Baked Harvest.”
🍪 5. Soft Apple Spice Cookies
Flavor Summary: Gentle apple flavor, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and a soft, cake-like texture make these cookies cozy and comforting.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices
- Cream butter and sugar
- Add egg, vanilla, and applesauce or finely chopped apple
- Combine dry + wet ingredients
- Scoop and bake ~10–12 min
Time: ~20–25 min
Tags: Apple, soft texture, spice, snack cookie
Recipe Credit: Minimalist Baker or Budget Bytes
💡 Tip: Use peeled, finely grated apple so texture stays soft.
👉 Search “soft apple spice cookies Minimalist Baker” or “apple spice cookies Budget Bytes.”
🍪 6. Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies with Streusel
Flavor Summary: A rustic cookie with chewy oats, warm cinnamon, and a sweet streusel topping—perfect with a cup of tea on crisp days.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Mix flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, salt
- Cream butter and sugars, add egg + vanilla
- Combine with dry until dough comes together
- Prepare streusel (butter, sugar, flour, maybe nuts)
- Bake cookies, adding streusel on top partway through
Time: ~25–30 min
Tags: Oatmeal, streusel, texture contrast, cozy
Recipe Credit: Love & Lemons or The Recipe Rebel
💡 Tip: Press streusel gently into cookie before baking so it adheres well.
👉 Search “cinnamon oatmeal cookies streusel Love & Lemons” or “streusel oatmeal cookies The Recipe Rebel.”
🍪 7. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Flavor Summary: A soft pumpkin cookie base with a swirl or dollop of cheesecake center—creamy, spiced, and decadent.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Prepare pumpkin cookie dough
- Make simple cheesecake filling (cream cheese, sugar, egg)
- Scoop a bit of cookie dough, then cheesecake, then more dough
- Seal edges
- Bake until just set
Time: ~30–35 min
Tags: Pumpkin, creamy center, indulgent, fall dessert
Recipe Credit: Half Baked Harvest or Damn Delicious
💡 Tip: Chill dough slightly to keep the center from leaking too much.
👉 Search “pumpkin cheesecake cookies Half Baked Harvest” or “cream cheese stuffed pumpkin cookies Damn Delicious.”
🍪 8. Chai Sugar Cookies
Flavor Summary: Classic sugar cookie base infused with chai spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger) — aromatic, tender, and lightly spiced.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Cream butter and sugar
- Add egg, vanilla, and chai spice mix
- Mix in flour, baking powder, salt
- Chill dough, roll out if desired
- Cut shapes or scoop and bake until edges are just golden
Time: ~20–25 min (plus chill)
Tags: Chai flavor, spiced sugar cookie, tea pairing
Recipe Credit: Love & Lemons or The Recipe Rebel
💡 Tip: Chill dough well to retain shape and keep flavors sharp.
👉 Search “chai sugar cookies Love & Lemons” or “chai spice sugar cookies The Recipe Rebel.”
🍪 9. Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Flavor Summary: Rich, buttery shortbread with toasted pecans, just a hint of salt — elegant and crisp, yet tender.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Cream butter and sugar until light
- Add flour and salt, mix to form dough
- Fold in chopped pecans
- Shape or press into pan, score or cut
- Bake slowly until light golden
Time: ~25–30 min
Tags: Shortbread, pecan, buttery, elegant treat
Recipe Credit: The Recipe Rebel or Love & Lemons
💡 Tip: Chill dough before cutting to minimize spreading.
👉 Search “butter pecan shortbread The Recipe Rebel” or “pecan shortbread Love & Lemons.”
🍪 10. Chai Spice Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Flavor Summary: Oatmeal cookie meets chai and chocolate — hearty oats, warming spices, and chocolate chips in each bite.
Quick 5-Step Summary:
- Mix flour, oats, chai spice (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves), salt, baking soda
- Cream butter + sugars, add egg + vanilla
- Combine with dry mixes
- Fold in chocolate chips
- Bake ~10–12 minutes
Time: ~20–25 min
Tags: Oatmeal, chai flavor, chocolate, hearty
Recipe Credit: Love & Lemons or The Recipe Rebel
💡 Tip: Use rolled oats (not quick oats) for better texture.
👉 Search “chai oatmeal chocolate chip cookies Love & Lemons” or “chai oatmeal cookies The Recipe Rebel.”
More Recipe Details
These cookie recipes are made for fall comfort and easy baking. Here’s how to get the best from every batch:
- Mix and match spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom can be adjusted for a milder or bolder flavor.
- Chill when needed. Chilling dough for 30 minutes helps control spread and improves texture.
- Use real butter. It creates a richer taste and better structure than margarine.
- Storage tips. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Presentation idea. Stack cooled cookies in a jar or box with parchment for easy gifting.
These small steps keep cookies soft, flavorful, and picture-perfect for any autumn gathering.
History or Origin of the Dish
Cookies have a long, sweet history. The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch koekje, meaning little cake. Early cookies were simple biscuits used to test oven heat. Over time, they evolved into countless regional treats.
Fall cookies like pumpkin, molasses, and spiced varieties reflect harvest-season ingredients. Cinnamon and nutmeg arrived in Europe centuries ago through spice trade routes and became classic autumn flavors. Shortbread traces back to medieval Scotland, while oatmeal cookies became popular in the U.S. in the late 1800s. Today, these traditions mix with modern flavors like chai or caramel to keep fall baking fresh and exciting.
Tools & Equipment Needed
Baking great cookies doesn’t require fancy gear. Here’s a concise checklist:
- Mixing bowls (large and medium)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Hand or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula and wooden spoon
- Baking sheets and parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Cookie scoop (optional, for even sizing)
- Airtight containers or tins for storage
Having these basics ready means you can bake whenever the mood—or the scent of pumpkin spice—strikes.
FAQ
Q1: Can I use canned pumpkin instead of fresh?
Yes. Canned pumpkin is smooth and consistent, making it perfect for cookies.
Q2: How can I make cookies softer or chewier?
Add a little extra brown sugar and avoid overbaking.
Q3: How should I store fall cookies?
Cool completely, then store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Q4: Can I swap in gluten-free flour?
Yes. Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend for best texture.
Q5: How do I bake in humid weather?
Slightly reduce liquid ingredients and chill dough longer to prevent spreading.
Q6: Can I freeze cookie dough?
Absolutely. Scoop dough balls onto a tray, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Q7: What’s the best spice blend for pumpkin cookies?
Try 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part nutmeg, 1 part ginger, and a pinch of cloves.
Q8: How can I prevent cookies from burning on the bottom?
Use light-colored baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.
Conclusion
Nothing says autumn like a kitchen filled with the smell of warm spices and fresh cookies. This roundup of 10 fall cookie recipe ideas brings together classic and creative flavors so you can bake something special any day of the season. Whether you’re gifting, entertaining, or simply enjoying a cozy night in, these recipes will bring comfort and joy—one delicious bite at a time.