If you’re a fan of sugar cookies and pumpkin pie, you’ll love this mashup of the two in my pumpkin spice cookies. They’re incredibly moist and perfectly sweet — and they have all of the iconic flavor that’s become synonymous with the season.
This easy pumpkin spice cookie recipe brings together actual pumpkin puree and warm spices to make a chewy cookie. And, since I can’t get enough of those fall spices, I made these into a version that’s a little bit like pumpkin snickerdoodles by rolling the dough balls in a mixture of sugar and the pumpkin spice blend.
The next time you’re looking for an easy recipe for the perfect fall cookie, try this pumpkin spice cookies recipe. It’s one of our favorite desserts at my house during the fall season — and it might become yours, too.
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
This easy pumpkin sugar cookie recipe brings together actual pumpkin puree and warm spices to make a chewy cookie. And, since I can’t get enough of those fall spices, I made these into a version that’s a little bit like pumpkin snickerdoodles by rolling the dough balls in a mixture of sugar and the pumpkin spice blend.
The next time you’re looking for an easy recipe for the perfect fall cookie, try this pumpkin spice cookies recipe. It’s one of our favorite desserts at my house during the fall season — and it might become yours, too!
Pumpkin Cookies
I have a few recipes that use the iconic pumpkin pie spice blend without coveted pumpkin, but not many. And that is why I didn’t just simply add the seasoning to plain sugar cookies.
Nope, I made a pumpkin cookie first and then added the seasoning to really brighten those flavors. In case you didn’t know, plain pumpkin puree is actually pretty bland.
But is does help to make the softest cookies ever! Cookies that taste like a dainty little pumpkin pie.
Ingredients
The list is pretty standard as far as cookies go with the exception of the puree and spice blend. Feel free to use store bought or easily make your own.
- Flour– Provides structure to your cookies.
- Baking powder– A leavening agent.
- Kosher salt- Brightens other flavors, use a coarse salt and never iodized, which can lead to cookies tasting metallic.
- Pumpkin pie spice– Adds that classic fall aroma and taste!
- Unsalted butter– You can use salted but omit additional salt
- Sugar– These are sugar cookies.
- Light brown sugar– Adds a bit of molasses flavor.
- Egg- Creates structure and stability.
- Pumpkin puree– Adds flavor, moisture and color.
- Vanilla extract- Adds flavor. You can also substitute almond.
- Topping: Sugar, spice and everything nice!
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
Making these delicious cookies is easy!
- Dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients for the cookies to a medium bowl and stir together.
- Beat butter and sugars. Add the butter, sugar, and light brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugars until creamy.
- Add egg, vanilla and pumpkin. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin to the sugar mixture and mix.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Then, add the flour mixture in intervals until combined.
- Chill dough. Refrigerate the cookie dough for the recommended time.
- Make spice mixture. Stir together the pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
- Scoop cookies. Using a cookie scoop, evenly portion out the dough balls before rolling them into spheres.
- Roll in spice mixture. Coat each cookie dough ball with the sugar and pumpkin pie spice mixture.
- Place on sheet. Place each dough ball on the prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Flatten. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in water.
- Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the tops of the cookies begin to crack.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Serve these with anything you’d serve with pumpkin pie, like vanilla ice cream. Or spoon a little vanilla whipped cream in between two of them to make cookie sandwiches.
You can also skip rolling them in cinnamon and sugar and instead use a glaze. Just whisk together 3 cups of powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of milk and ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and allow it to set before serving.
These cookies also taste great with a nice cream cheese frosting.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to not over blend.
Chill for a few hours so the dough isn’t too loose when baking. If it is too warm, the cookies will fall to little flat pancakes. Keep dough in the fridge between rolling.
Roll dough into balls- not too small and not too big- and then roll in the sugar spice mix like you would for Snickerdoodles. I like to line my insulated baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy clean up.
Soft Cookies
Bake and remove right before they look done. Tops will crack slightly and look a little shiny. Do not wait until you see browning on the bottom. Overcooking is the #1 reason for dry cookies.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes just so they harden slightly and then remove them to a wire rack. This allows them cool evenly. Leaving them on a hot cookie sheet will continue cooking until the cookie sheet cools, which can be quite a while.
Vibrant orange and tasting just like pumpkin pie, serve with vanilla ice cream or make into cookie sandwiches with a little vanilla whipped cream!
Glaze or Not To Glaze
A lot of pumpkin cookies use a glaze but I don’t find it necessary. Should you want one, omit the sugar and spice rolling and just bake the balls.
Whisk together 3 cups powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle over cooled cookies and allow to set.
These cookies also taste great with a nice cream cheese frosting.
Storage and Freezing
Store pumpkin sugar cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. They are at their freshest for the first 2 days, but they will keep for up to 1 week.
After 2 days, try microwaving them for 10 seconds. This will reheat the butter and make them soft again.
Make ahead: Make the cookie dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Refrigerator: Storing these cookies at room temperature will keep them more moist, but you can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freezer: Wrap the cookies individually with plastic wrap and store them for up to 3 months.
More recipes that use pumpkin:
Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Heat Resistant Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:
- 3 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sugar Cookie Topping:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients including flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar and light brown sugar. When blended, light and creamy, add egg, vanilla and pumpkin.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet until fully combined.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients, sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
- With clean hands, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dough might be sticky and not roll well, have no fear, just plop it into the sugar and coat.
- Place onto a parchment paper or silmat lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Dip the flat bottom of a pint glass into the sugar and flatten each ball until approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookie tops start to crack. Do not wait until cookies brown, they will be overdone.
- Allow to cool on cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack using a spatula.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, please come back and leave a comment to let us know how it went and if you made any modifications!
Nutrition
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Welcome to 2023’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event!
If you’re new here, Welcome! If you’re a returning haunt, welcome back!
#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife . You’ll find that this fun and spooky event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some frightfully fun Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween loving bloggers!
For this years 6th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 18 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week! You can following the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media to collect all of these frightful recipes to use at your own Halloween parties and events!
Make Sure to check out all of the fun Halloween recipes that we’re sharing this week!
- Mummy Macarons from Big Bear’s Wife
- Pumpkin Marshmallow S’more Pops from Semi Homemade Recipes
- Spider Web Pancakes from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Spiderweb Pretzels from For the Love of Food
- Candy Corn Crumb Cake from Sweet ReciPEAs
- Air Fryer Bloody Intestines Cinnamon Rolls from It’s Shanaka
- Halloween Kids Punch from An Affair from the Heart
- Monster Burgers from Palatable Pastime
- Muddy Buddy Cookies from Best Cookie Recipes
- Eyeball Skewers from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Monster Mash-mallow Cereal Bars from Savory Moments
- Marshmallow Spiderweb Cupcakes from The Redhead Baker
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from Savory Experiments
- Pumpkin Halloween Eyeballs from Jen Around the World
- Ghost Marshmallow Brownies from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
- Monster Milkshakes from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Very good cookie. I had a roasted fresh sugar pie pumpkin that I substituted for the canned pumpkin. The neighbors loved them. The cookie was easy to make and a perfect introduction to the pumpkin pie spice season. The house smelled divine while the were baking. I will be adding these to the Christmas cookie plate collection this year. Thanks for the recipe.
Woohoo! That is what we like to hear and thank you so much for coming back to let us know.
These pumpkin cookies look delicious. I could almost smell them on my way to your site…Yum!
Blessings,
Shari
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A very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family.