Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

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Sugar Cookies just got better with a little pumpkin! This recipe creates soft, chewy, lightly spicy glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies that are perfect for Fall!

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies | With Icing

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good sugar cookie. Especially if it’s soft, spicy, and if pumpkin is involved in some way. Ever since I posted this recipe back in 2014, people have been going crazy for Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. Yes, there’s the classic pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, and even old-fashioned pumpkin donuts, but pumpkin sugar cookies are the way to my heart.

This simple recipe for pumpkin sugar cookies is a simple one, using butter, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree a mixture of two sugars, vanilla, spices, and flour. Scooped and pressed onto a baking sheet, these bake up nice and soft and then get taken over the top with a sweet and spicy glaze.

They are easy to make, stay soft for days, and are just the right amount of spicy and sweet. Alone they are kind of boring, but with the glaze, they are addicting. Most food is addicting to me though. These are carbs after all.

Main Ingredients Needed

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these pumpkin sugar cookies!

• Butter + Vegetalbe Oil – for all of the flavor and moisture.
• Pumpkin Puree – don’t confuse this for canned pumpkin pie mix. It’s not!
• Granulated + Powdered Sugar – for sweetness and soft texture.
• Vanilla – for flavor.
• Eggs – for structure and texture.
• Flour – this fills out the rest of the cookies.
• Baking Soda – for rise.
• Cream of Tartar – helps with the leavening and also brings a slight tang.
• Salt – to balance out all of the flavors.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg + Cloves – I used a mixture of these three to create warm and spiced notes.

Butter and Vegetable Oil? Why Use Both?

When testing this recipe, I used all butter, all oil, and then a combination of both and found that using both butter and vegetable oil gave me the texture I was looking for while still giving that buttery flavor. Butter adds flavor and the vegetable oil keeps the cookies moist and soft all the way through.

Homemade Spice Mix vs Pumpkin Pie Spice

For this pumpkin cookie recipe, I use a mixture of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon in the dough, but do use pumpkin pie spice in the glaze. Either is fine and works perfectly well. Use what you have! Also, if you feel you need to add in a little ginger to make it a true pumpkin pie spice mix, feel free to add that in as well. I just didn’t have any and am partial to cloves over the ginger. To each their own!

The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves. If you want to use Pumpkin Pie spice in place of these, simply use 1 1/2 teaspoons total of pumpkin pie spice.

How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

This process of baking couldn’t be easier! Using very common pantry ingredients, you only need one bowl and a few minutes! A lot of the comments below say that these pumpkin sugar cookies don’t taste “pumpkiny” enough, so if you want things really screaming pumpkin, use 1 1/2 times the amount of spices in the cookie dough and glaze. I don’t recommend adding in more pureed pumpkin because that will add too much moisture to the cookie (and be super gross)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line light colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Stir butter, oil, sugars, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin together until well incorporated.
3. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until and stir until just combined.
4. Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet.
5. Press the bottom of a small cup into granulated sugar and press each cookie down to flatten slightly.
6. Bake 8-9 minutes.
7. Whisk powdered sugar together with water and pumpkin pie spice to create smooth, thick glaze.
8. Once cookies have cooled, glaze cookies.

Glaze vs. Frosting

I love using a simple spiced glaze for these pumpkin sugar cookies made from powdered sugar, water and pumpkin pie spice. It hardens nicely and actually, helps to lock in moisture in the finished cookie. They can stack well for easy transport and look great!

But again, there are lots of people with strong opinions in the comments section that complain about the glaze! If its not spicy enough, add in more pumpkin pie spice or a combo of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Want to take it to a whole new level? Try cream cheese frosting or a simple vanilla buttercream. Dust the frosted cookies with a little pumpkin pie spice for a beautiful presentation and extra flavor! So so delicious!

More Recipes Like Pumpkin Sugar Cookies!

• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies
• Sweet Potato Cookies with Homemade Streusel

And if you’re looking for more even more pumpkin recipes, check out my full list here.

The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy 🙂

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4.48 from 63 votes

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies just got better with a little pumpkin! This recipe creates soft, chewy, lightly spicy glazed pumpkin sugar cookies that are perfect for Fall!

servings 36

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 28 mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup pumpkin puree canned pumpkin
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 4 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ pinch of cloves

for the glaze-

• ▢ 3 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 4 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. In a large bowl, stir butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs together until incorporated and smooth.
• Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated.
• Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. If the dough is sticking to the glass, press the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar before flattening. Bake 8-9 minutes.
• While cookies bake, stir all ingredients together for glaze until smooth.
• Once cookies are finished baking, cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze harden 2-3 hours before serving. OR eat them warm with lots of runny glaze 🙂

Video

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Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 623IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin Sugar Cookies