Pumpkin sugar cookies are butter, soft cookies full of real pumpkin. These fall cookies are perfectly sweet enough on their own or really indulge your sweet tooth with a sweet, sugared coating.
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I’m not much for baking during spring and summer or heck even most of winter.
But from September through December, it is on.
And by it, I mean my oven of course.
One of my favorite fall baked goods?
None other than pumpkin sugar cookies.
These are the cookies you will want to make over and over again all fall long.
Buttery?
Check!
Soft?
Double check!
Full of real pumpkin?
You know it!
And they are pretty easy to make and my family goes crazy for them!
Ingredients
To make these you’ll need:
- Sugar– Granulated
- Flour– All purpose
- Baking soda– Make sure you are using baking soda and not baking powder
- Salt– To balance the sweet
- Cinnamon- Ground
- Butter– Softened
- Vanilla– Use real vanilla extract for best results
- Egg yolk– Just the yolk because the pumpkin puree adds more binding action
- Pumpkin– Canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Dough
Making pumpkin sugar cookies is very similar to making other kinds of sugar cookies.
Start by whisking the dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl.
Set them aside.
Then, whip the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment the mixture is until smooth and creamy.
Once you’ve creamed the butter and sugar, whip in the egg yolk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
Then, beat in the pumpkin puree just until combined.
Next, set your mixer on low speed, and slowly add in the flour mixture.
Continue mixing on low just until the batter has come together.
Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and mix again.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
Chill the covered cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
How to Bake Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Once the dough has chilled, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add some extra granulated sugar to a small prep bowl, and set aside.
Then using a medium sized cookie scoop, roll a scoop of dough in between the palms of your hands until it’s a roughly smooth 1 inch ball.
Roll the dough ball in the sugar and then place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat this process, placing the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart until all the dough has been used or your baking sheet’s full.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Carefully remove the hot cookies from the oven and let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a waiting cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Enjoy!
Storing
Because these cookies aren’t iced, they will keep in an airtight container on your counter for up to 10 days or so.
But I guarantee your family will finish them well before that!
Can you freeze pumpkin cookies?
Yes!
You can put these in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to a year so you can enjoy them whenever the mood strikes.
Are these cookies soft or crispy?
These are softer, chewier sugar cookies as is.
If you prefer crispier sugar cookies bake them for 2-3 minutes longer.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you’re using canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Chilling the dough is very important! The cookies will spread too much if you skip this.
- If you don’t let the cookies cool before transferring them to wire racks they will break apart
- I have to bake this recipe in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of baking sheet I use.
- You can skip rolling the cookie dough balls in sugar before baking if you want a less sweet cookie
- Want to add a little something extra? Mini white or chocolate chips taste delicious in this recipe. They’re also great topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Other Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin sugar cookies are a classic fall treat we love! Make them and enjoy!
Looking for other classic pumpkin dessert recipes? Try these:
- Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecans
- Crockpot Pumpkin Bread
- Creamy Pumpkin Pie Oats
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dip
- Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter
- Vanilla Pudding Pumpkin Cake Bread
- Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie
If you’ve tried these PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar plus extra for rolling the dough
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 3/4 sticks butter softened
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together until evenly combined. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter & sugar. Whip together until smooth & creamy.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl, whip again until completely incorporated.
- Add the pumpkin puree to the bowl, and mix again- just until combined.
- Set your mixer on low speed, and slowly add in the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the batter has come together. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the center and mix again.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add some extra sugar to a small prep bowl, and set aside.
- Using a medium sized scoop, roll a scoop of dough in between the palms of your hands until it's a roughly smooth 1 inch ball. Roll it in the sugar and then place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Continue, placing the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart until all the dough has been used- or your baking sheet's full.
- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot cookies from the oven, and let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a waiting cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
- Make sure you're using canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Chilling the dough is very important! The cookies will spread too much if you skip this.
- If you don't let the cookies cool before transferring them to wire racks they will break apart
- I have to bake this recipe in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of baking sheet I use.
- You can skip rolling the cookie dough balls in sugar before baking if you want a less sweet cookie
- Want to add a little something extra? Mini white or chocolate chips taste delicious in this recipe. They're also great topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
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