Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

pumpkin sugar cookies on plate

I’ve been slowly adding pumpkin puree to almost everything I’ve been baking lately. Partly because it is the season of pumpkin and also because no recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin puree, I always have a little left in my fridge that needs to be used up. After you bake these, try adding some of that leftover pumpkin to your loaf of bread or buns. It will make you feel festive and cozy. 



Pumpkin Sugar Cookies (no chilling, vegan option)

Makes about 3 dozen



INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter (to make it vegan, use dairy-free butter)

1 cup white sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F

2. In the bowl of your mixer or large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until just combined. Now add baking powder and salt, and mix for 2 minutes.

3. Add flour, and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. 

4. For instructions on how to add a design to your cookies, check out this blog post. Or make it a regular sugar cookie, roll the dough till about ¼ inch thick, and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place about 3/4 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

5. Make sandwich cookies using the buttercream recipe below to fill them. The frosting is soft, so it is ideal for in-between cookies but not for detailed decorating. 

cookies stacked on plate close up




Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter, softened

¼ cup cream cheese at room temperature

1 tsp pumpkin puree

½ tsp cinnamon

3 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp Heavy Whipping Cream

close up of pumpkin cream cheese frosting

Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

  • Mix butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer (this way is easier) or in a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, and add pumpkin puree and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Whip it and whip it well with the whip attachment. Mix for at least 3 minutes. It will start to get lighter and fluffier. Scraping down the sides if needed.

  • Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, pinch of salt, and heavy whipping cream. Mix it until incorporated. Now add the rest of the powdered sugar.

  • Mix for 5-7 minutes. You will see the icing/frosting get lighter, fluffier, and almost glossy. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed. 

PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES (NO CHILLING, VEGAN OPTION)

PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES (NO CHILLING, VEGAN OPTION)

Yield About 3 Dozen
Author Alana Allred
Prep time
45 Min
Cook time
9 Min
Total time
54 Min

Ingredients

PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES
  • 1 cup butter (to make it vegan, use dairy-free butter)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • ¼ cup cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 tsp pumpkin puree
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F
  2. In the bowl of your mixer or large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until just combined. Now add baking powder and salt, and mix for 2 minutes.
  3. Add flour, and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
  4. For instructions on how to add a design to your cookies, check out this blog post. Or make it a regular sugar cookie, roll the dough till about ¼ inch thick, and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place about 3/4 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
  5. Make sandwich cookies using the buttercream recipe below to fill them. The frosting is soft, so it is ideal for in-between cookies but not for detailed decorating.
PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  1. Mix butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer (this way is easier) or in a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, and add pumpkin puree and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Whip it and whip it well with the whip attachment. Mix for at least 3 minutes. It will start to get lighter and fluffier. Scraping down the sides if needed.
  2. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, pinch of salt, and heavy whipping cream. Mix it until incorporated. Now add the rest of the powdered sugar.
  3. Mix for 5-7 minutes. You will see the icing/frosting get lighter, fluffier, and almost glossy. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
PUMPKIN, SUGAR COOKIES, NO CHILLING, VEGAN
COOKIES, DESSERT
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