Description
Soft, bakery-style pumpkin sugar cookies with a light cake-like crumb and a swirl of cream cheese frosting. Moist from pumpkin, gently spiced, and finished with a dusting of cinnamon. Perfect for cozy fall baking and make-ahead treats.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
0.5 cup light brown sugar, packed
0.75 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
0.5 teaspoon baking soda
0.5 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
2.5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
0.25 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
5. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined.
6. Scoop tablespoon-sized dough onto prepared baking sheet. Gently press tops to flatten slightly.
7. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until tops are puffed and just begin to crack. Do not overbake.
8. Cool cookies completely on wire racks before frosting.
9. For frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth.
10. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and maple extract if using. Beat until creamy and thick.
11. Pipe or spread frosting on cooled cookies.
12. Dust with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.
13. Store in a single layer or with parchment between layers in an airtight container.
Notes
Use canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, for best texture.
Let cookies cool completely before frosting to maintain swirl definition.
Frosting can be flavored with maple extract for extra autumn flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: pumpkin sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting, fall cookies