The flavors of fall come together in these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with creamy frosting. Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger make these cookies taste like a crisp, cold fall morning!
Make Ahead Instructions
To save some time, you can make the cookie dough, roll it into balls, and refrigerate them for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake them, place them in the fridge overnight, roll them in the cinnamon sugar, bake, and frost.
Variations and Substitutions
- You can use pumpkin spice if you don’t have all the spices listed in this recipe.
- Add a little red and yellow food coloring to the frosting to make them more “like pumpkins”
How to Store Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
You can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days if not frosted.
Once you add the frosting, you have to refrigerate them if not eaten in a few hours. Place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Sugar Cookies?
You can freeze the cookie balls in an airtight container for up to 3 months, before baking them.
Place them in the fridge overnight before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar, frosting, and baking them.
Tips for making the BEST Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Make sure the eggs, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start baking.
- The chilling time is important so the dough is firm enough to make the balls.
- Don’t overbake the cookies or they could burn or dry out.
Easy Best Pumpkin Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canned 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 ground cinnamon
- ⅓ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
For rolling:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp ground 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 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a hand-held or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, in a few additions, beating on low speed after each addition, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Make the cinnamon sugar by combining the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon and set aside.
- After the chilling time is over, shape the dough into 36 balls of about 2 tbsp of dough for each ball. Roll them in the cinnamon sugar and place them on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between them.
- Press the cookies slightly using the bottom of a glass or the palm of your hand and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooking rack to cool down completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined, using a hand-held or stand mixer. Gently beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over the cooled cookies.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions about Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
1. How Can I Quickly Soften Butter And Cream Cheese?
To quickly soften butter, you can do it either by microwaving it for a few seconds, or by microwaving a bowl of water until it boils, discard the water, and cover the butter with the hot bowl. To soften cream cheese, do it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until soft
2. Can I Use Fresh Pumpkin Puree?
Absolutely! If you don’t like to use canned products, you can use fresh pumpkin puree!
