Air Fryer Pumpkin Cookies
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Air Fryer Pumpkin Cookies taste like classic homemade pumpkin cookies, but they’re done way faster. Each one comes out soft and chewy with warm pumpkin spice in every bite. The cozy fall aroma fills the kitchen while they cook, and once you set them out, they disappear before you know it.
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I make these soft, chewy cookies for Halloween, Thanksgiving, fall weekends, and holiday cookie exchanges because both kids and adults love them. They work perfectly as dessert or an afternoon snack for casual gatherings and potlucks. Store them at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to Make Air Fryer Pumpkin Cookies with Step-By-Step Instructions
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
Let me walk you through how easy it is to whip up soft, chewy pumpkin cookies in your air fryer.
Cream the Butter and Sugars
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated white sugar until smooth. For the fluffiest results, this hand mixer makes creaming the butter and sugars effortless.
Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree, whisking until fully combined. The mixture may look separated at first, but keep mixing, and it will come together. Then, set the bowl aside while you prep the dry ingredients.
Sift the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. This removes lumps and helps the spices mix evenly, giving every bite the warm fall flavor. For the best results, use a fine-mesh strainer so your spices blend evenly and your cookies bake up perfectly.
DO MORE WITH YOUR
AIR FRYER
This eBook is a collection of 86 recipes I make again and again in my own kitchen. If you love good food and easy instructions, this book was made for you.
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∙ Cheesy Egg Bites
∙ Broccoli Cheddar Soup
∙ Asparagus Casserole
∙ Crack Chicken Casserole
∙ Coffee Cake
...and much more!
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Combine and Chill the Dough
Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a spoon or spatula until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix, or the cookies can turn tough.
Fold in the chopped pecans until evenly mixed. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days if you’re prepping ahead. Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape in the air fryer and prevents them from spreading too much.
Prep the Air Fryer
Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper, keeping it flat so it doesn’t blow around during cooking.
I recommend using a pack of pre-cut air fryer parchment paper to keep everything in place, with no sliding or curling, so your cookies cook evenly and never make a mess.
Shape and Flatten the Cookies
Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie using a cookie scoop for uniform sizing. Roll each scoop into a ball and space them 3 inches apart on the parchment-lined tray so they’ll cook evenly.
Gently flatten the tops with a spoon or the bottom of a cup until they’re about ½ inch thick. Add a few extra pecan pieces on top for a prettier finish.
Air Fry Until Set
Air fry the cookies for 5 minutes, just until the edges set and the centers look soft and slightly underdone. They’ll feel extra chewy and almost too soft at first, but don’t panic.
Let them cool completely on the tray so they don’t fall apart. A sturdy wire rack helps them cool evenly and stay intact as they firm up. The residual heat finishes cooking them while maintaining the centers soft and chewy. Keep air-frying in batches until all the dough is cooked. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- ½ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and pumpkin puree, whisking until combined. Set aside.½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients using a spoon or spatula until a soft dough forms. Fold in the pecans. Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Line the air fryer with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie (or use an ice cream scoop), roll into balls, and place them 3 inches apart on the tray. Slightly flatten the tops with a spoon or cup and top with more pecans.½ cup pecans
- Bake for 5 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. They will be super chewy at this point, wait for them to get cool before trying to move them. Work in batches until done.
- Serve and enjoy your pumpkin cookies.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter: Cold butter won’t cream properly with the sugars, and melted butter will make the dough too greasy, and the cookies will spread too thin in the air fryer.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough: Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes so the cookies hold their shape and don’t spread into flat puddles, or chill it for up to 3 days if you want to prep ahead.
- Flatten the dough balls: Air fryers cook from all sides with circulating hot air, so if you don’t flatten the cookies slightly, the outsides will overcook before the centers are done.
- Work in batches: Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket, or the cookies won’t cook evenly. Leave at least 3 inches between each cookie so the hot air can circulate.
- They’ll look underdone:
The centers should still look soft and almost raw when you take them out. They’ll finish cooking as they cool, giving you the chewy texture instead of a dry, cakey cookie. - Flash freeze first: Freeze cookies on a baking sheet for 1 hour before transferring to containers so they don’t stick together and maintain their shape perfectly.
Nutrition
DO MORE WITH YOUR
AIR FRYER
This eBook is a collection of 86 recipes I make again and again in my own kitchen. If you love good food and easy instructions, this book was made for you.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
∙ Cheesy Egg Bites
∙ Broccoli Cheddar Soup
∙ Asparagus Casserole
∙ Crack Chicken Casserole
∙ Coffee Cake
...and much more!
Includes ad-free recipes like:
How to Store Leftovers
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you’re stacking them, place parchment between layers so they don’t stick. They’ll stay soft and chewy without drying out.
For longer storage, freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Flash-freeze them on a baking sheet for about an hour first so they keep their shape and don’t stick together.
Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating, or warm them in the air fryer for 1 minute to restore the fresh-baked texture.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Pumpkin Cookies
These cookies are perfect with hot coffee or a pumpkin spice latte because the warm spices pair beautifully with caramel, cinnamon, and maple flavors. They’re also amazing with vanilla ice cream since the cold creaminess goes perfectly with the soft, spiced cookies.
You can pair them with apple cider, hot chocolate, or chai tea for cozy fall afternoons. They’re wonderful as part of a fall dessert spread with apple crisp, pumpkin bread, or pecan pie bars. The pecans on top make them feel special enough for holiday cookie exchanges and casual entertaining, and they’re always the first to disappear from the dessert table.
More Easy Dessert Recipes for You to Try at Home
Craving more quick air fryer desserts? These treats are just as cozy, soft in every bite, and irresistible as these cookies.
