These perfect, tender pumpkin sugar cookies are topped with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon! Sweet, simple and perfect for fall!
They are super soft and oh so delicious. You can enjoy them right away or eat them straight from the refrigerator like we do! For more pumpkin cookies with tons of panache try Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pumpkin Spice Monster Cookies.
Inspired by Lofthouse and Swig!
I am so excited to share these yummy cookies with you all! They’re a mix between a Lofthouse style cookie and a Swig cookie (for those of you who know what that is) and they’re sooo good!
While I love traditional pumpkin cookies and my chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, these pumpkin sugar cookies are definitely in a league of their own. They’re dense yet fluffy, sweet yet full of fall spices, and absolutely heavenly when eaten straight from the refrigerator. Huh, whaaat? Yep, we like them nice and cold!
I used one of my favorite recipes for cream cheese frosting (it’s one that I’ve used over & over again). Whip it up, frost the cookies and sprinkle them with a pinch of cinnamon.
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Canned or homemade puree? You can use Homemade Pumpkin Puree if you want to! Typically homemade puree is thinner than canned puree. If this is the case, you may need to thicken up your cookie batter by adding more flour. Also note that canned pumpkin puree typically has more spices incorporated in it than fresh homemade pumpkin puree, so you may like to add more pumpkin pie spice if using homemade.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the egg and yolk, mix just until combined.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
COMBINE. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mix just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Baking Tips
REFRIGERATE. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Note: Chilling the dough is critical. This is a very soft dough, so chilling it not only allows it to firm up for easier scooping/shaping, but it allows the cookies to bake properly. The butter solidifies which yields thicker cookies and the dough has time to rest, which allows flavors to meld together. Trust me, do not skip this step!
PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat; set aside.
SCOOP. Scoop and roll the dough into 3.5-inch balls (a #20 scoop is perfect). Place on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough with a bottom of a glass, jar or measuring cup to ½-inch in thickness.
Note: The first batch I made was on the BIG side. I used a #20 scoop (3.5 tablespoons). I’m not going to lie, I kind of loved how huge they were, however, if you’re trying to make these for anyone other than yourself, you may want to stick with a standard scoop (#40).
BAKE. Place in the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes. The edges should be firm and the middles should be set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
The Cream Cheese Frosting
CREAM. Meanwhile, to prepare the cream cheese frosting, using the paddle attachment cream the butter, vanilla and salt for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
MIX. With mixing speed on low gradually add the powdered sugar, beat until it forms a thick paste. Add cream cheese and a splash of milk, mix on the lowest speed possible for 1½ minutes, then STOP!
FROST & ENJOY. Frost cookies and enjoy immediately, dust tops with cinnamon, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and serve cold or at room temperature.
Storage Tips
STORE pumpkin sugar cookies at room temperature in an airtight container or bag at room temperature. You can frost them before storing or after. If you want to store them unfrosted then you should keep the frosting in the fridge and let it sit out for a little bit before trying to spread it on the cookies.
FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH by rolling the dough into logs or into cookie balls before placing them in a freezer safe bag. For the rolls, you should wrap them in parchment paper. Frozen cookie dough will last for about 3 months. Then you can bake as normal, but just add a couple of minutes to the bake time.
FREEZE BAKED COOKIES by letting them cool completely, then pre-freeze them on a cookie sheet before placing them in a freezer safe ziploc bag in layers with pieces of parchment paper in between them. You can bring out individual cookies and bring them to room temperature and then they’re ready to eat!
For more pumpkin recipes, try:
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Recommended Products
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter - room temperature, (1 ½ sticks)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter - (1 stick), room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese - room temperature for 30 minutes
- splash milk - OR cream
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the egg and yolk, then mix until combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat; set aside.
- Scoop and roll the dough into 3.5-inch balls (a #20 scoop is perfect). Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough with the bottom of a glass, jar, or measuring cup to ½-inch thickness.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10–14 minutes. The edges should be firm, and the middles should be set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Meanwhile, to prepare the cream cheese frosting, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, vanilla, and salt for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. With the mixing speed on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until it forms a thick paste. Add the cream cheese and a splash of milk, then mix on the lowest speed possible for 1½ minutes, then STOP!
- Frost the cookies and enjoy immediately. Dust the tops with cinnamon, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and serve cold or at room temperature.
NOTES
- Chilling the dough is key for these cookies. It helps firm up the butter, improving both texture and shape. The dough is also sticky, so it’s easier to handle once chilled.
- You can use a standard-sized cookie scoop; just adjust the baking time to about 8–11 minutes.
Nutrition
The taste was good but the texture was not like a sugar cookie. It was too cake-like. Plus the recipe said to flatten the cookie to 1/2″ thick before baking them….really??? 1/2″ thick?? I did not make mine that thick because I was not looking for a cupcake. The search is still on for the perfect pumpkin sugar cookie.