These pumpkin sugar cookies taste much better than store-bought and are super easy to make. Pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, butter, and a few other ingredients make these pumpkin cookies sweet, chewy, and warmly spiced.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:
- Butter: Makes cookies moist. We will use it to make the cookies and in the frosting.
- Granulated sugar: The main sweetener used in the cookies.
- Pumpkin puree: Use store-bought or homemade.
- Egg: At room temperature. Make the structure of pumpkin cookies.
- Vanilla extract: Adds amazing flavor.
- All-purpose flour: The base for most cookie recipes.
- Baking powder: it will make the cookies rise and not come out tough and hard.
- Cinnamon, Ground ginger, and Ground nutmeg: These spices add flavor and spiced notes.
- Salt: just a pinch to balance out the sweetness of the sugar.
- Cream cheese: Softened, used for the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: You can adjust the amount depending on your preference. It is used to sweeten the frosting or glaze.
How to make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies?
- Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, using an eclectic mixer beat together softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined at a low speed. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in a few additions. Beat after each addition on a low speed, and scrape the bottom and the sides of the mixing bowl to be sure that everything is combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the sugar mixture for rolling. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop about 2 tbsp of the dough and roll it into a ball. Then, roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
- Transfer the cookie balls to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave some space between cookies. Press them down slightly using a spoon or your palm. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are ever so slightly brown. Remove the pumpkin sugar cookies from the oven and let them cool down completely
Make The Glaze:
In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until combined. Then, add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each cooled pumpkin cookie. Sprinkle them with some additional cinnamon and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips:
- Don’t overmix the dough.
- Always use eggs and butter at room temperature.
- Refrigerate the dough until set before forming the balls.
- Baking time may vary depending on the cookie size.
Storage & Freezing Instructions:
Store these pumpkin cookies in the fridge. Place them in an airtight container in a single layer and store them for up to 5 days.
I recommend freezing pumpkin sugar cookies without the cream cheese frosting or freezing the dough and baking the cookies at a later time. Store unfrosted cookies in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies Recipe
Yield: 36
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
The perfect recipe for pumpkin season. Kids and adults will absolutely love these pumpkin sugar cookies.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature;
- 1 cup granulated sugar;
- ½ cup pumpkin puree;
- 1 large egg, room temperature;
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract;
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour;
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder;
- ½ tsp cinnamon;
- ⅓ tsp salt;
- ¼ tsp ginger;
- ¼ tsp nutmeg.
For rolling:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar;
- ½ tsp cinnamon.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened;
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened;
- ½ tsp vanilla extract;
- ¼ tsp salt;
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, using an eclectic mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar until creamy.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined at a low speed. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet in a few additions. Beat after each addition on a low speed, and scrape the bottom and the sides of the mixing bowl to be sure that everything is well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is refrigerating, prepare the sugar mixture for rolling. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop about 2 tbsp of the dough and roll it into a ball.
- Then, roll the ball in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Transfer to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or bake in small batches. Leave some space between the cookies (about 1 inch in between them).
- Press them down slightly using a spoon or your palm. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are very slightly browned.
- Remove the pumpkin sugar cookies from the oven, let them cool down completely, and prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
- Then, add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each cooled pumpkin cookie. Sprinkle them with additional cinnamon and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 178Total Fat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 5.5gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 23.9gFiber: 0.4gSugar: 16.7gProtein: 1.7g
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