Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

5 from 5 votes

Published on July 27, 2023

, Updated on August 13, 2023

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Pumpkin Sugar cookies are soft and delicious with the best glaze on top. Each bite is rich and packed with pumpkin flavor.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

These bite size cookies are the perfect fall dessert. They are so soft and taste amazing with the glaze topping. There is so much pumpkin flavor in these cookies that you will absolutely love them!

It is incredibly easy to make homemade cookies and the entire family will enjoy them. Whether you love to make all things pumpkin for Fall or year-round, this is a great recipe to try. We also love to make Pumpkin Bars.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

All Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Granulated Sugar
Butter (softened)
Vanilla Extract
Large Egg (room temperature)
Pure Pumpkin Puree (not pie filling)

Glaze:

Powdered Sugar
Milk
Pumpkin Pie Spice

How to make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:

Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Step 2. Get out a separate bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. This recipe does not call for brown sugars.

You can use a hand held or stand up mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract, egg and pumpkin until well combined.

Step 3. Lower the mixer speed. Reduce the speed on the mixer to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.

Mixing bowl with ingredients for cookies.

Step 4. Cover and refrigerate. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 6. Form the cookies. Roll the dough balls into approximately 1 inch size balls. Place on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.

The cookies should be at least 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass to press each cookie down slightly.

Step 7. Bake the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies start to brown slightly.

Step 8. Remove from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to make the Glaze:

Stir together the glaze ingredients until smooth and combined.
Spread approximately 2 teaspoons of the glaze onto each warm cookie.

Let the glaze and cookies sit for a few hours so the glaze can harden. Then the cookies are ready to serve and enjoy!

Storage:

Store the leftover cookies in an airtight container or bag at room temperature. They will keep up to 4-5 days.

Allow the cookies to completely harden before storing or they will stick to each other. It is also suggested to place parchment paper in between the layers of cookies.

Tips for the best cookies:

Don’t use pumpkin pie filling. The recipe is best with pure pumpkin. The pie filling variety has all the seasonings in it and you do not want that.
Soften the butter. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature. The ingredients will come together easier and smoother.
Spread the glaze on warm cookies. They should cool a few minutes but it’s ok for them to still be warm. You just don’s want them hot.
Allow to set. The glaze needs time to set and harden. Then you can store them.
Line the baking sheets. Place a silicone liner or parchment paper on the cooking sheets. This will make clean up easy and help the cookies to bake evenly.
Don’t overbake the cookies. They will continue to cook on the pan. You don’t want to overbake them or they will be hard.

Variations

Homemade Pumpkin Puree. We used store bought in the recipe but you can certainly use homemade. It is very simple to make homemade pumpkin puree and we keep some in the freezer.
Pumpkin Pie Spice. If you do a lot of baking with pumpkin, consider making a batch of homemade pumpkin spice. It is very simple to make and goes a long way in baking.
Drizzle the glaze. For another option, try drizzling the glaze on the cookies instead.

These tasty Pumpkin Cookies are so easy to make and taste amazing. The flavor is the perfect combination of Fall flavors for a delicious treat. We love these for class parties, holidays or just an afternoon treat.

Make them today for a fabulous fall recipe that you will want to make all the time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my cookies thin?

Your butter might have been too softened which caused the cookies to spread too much. Another culprit is not chilling the dough before forming the balls.

It is important to chill the dough before using. If it is too sticky when you bake it, they will thin out.

Can I omit the frosting?

Yes, you can leave the frosting off. It is so yummy with it but the cookie is equally tasty plain.

If you need a less sweet option, try serving the cookies plain. It is delicious.