These adorable pumpkin sugar cookies are the perfect cookie to make for fall. Loaded with pumpkin spice flavoring in a sugar cookie, the whole family will love this pumpkin spice sugar cookie recipe.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Looking for the best pumpkin sugar cookie? This is it! We love these homemade pumpkin sugar cookies that are made with no spread sugar cookies and the best royal icing recipe ever! These pumpkin cookies are perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or if you just want to celebrate that it is time to bring out all things pumpkin. My kids love it when I make this pumpkin spice sugar cookie recipe and they love helping me make them.
These pumpkin spice sugar cookies are soft and sweet cookie that is really the best sugar cookie ever. We make sugar cookies often. This pumpkin spice cookie is at the top of our fall sugar cookie baking list along with pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
If you are looking for the perfect fall cookie this is it! They are beautiful enough to be a dessert centerpiece at the Thanksgiving dinner table but tasty enough to be a dessert that wows everyone!
If you love sugar cookies, be sure to check out a few more of our favorite sugar cookies!
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
- Zombie Sugar Cookies
- Minion Cookies
- Rainbow Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Jack Skellington Cookies
Tips for Making this Recipe
This pumpkin cookie recipe uses our no spread sugar cookie dough. It is the best sugar cookie dough that you are going to find I promise! They are easily and beautifully decorated with homemade Royal Icing to give the perfect dimensional look with ease!
If this is your first time making sugar cookies, check out everything you need to know about making sugar cookies for some awesome tips!
If you have never used Royal Icing before be sure to read up on how to use Royal Icing when decorating cookies and how to decorate with royal icing.
Use Gel Food coloring. It is best to use gel food coloring to make your royal icing.
Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting them.
How long should sugar cookies cool before frosting them?
Sugar cookies need to be fully cooled before frosting them. You want them to be room temperature so the frosting does not melt off the cookie when you are decorating them.
How to Store Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Store homemade sugar cookies in an air tight container, in a cool dry place out of sunlight for best results. If they have frosting on them, allow the frosting to fully harden before storing the cookies in a container. If they are frosted it is best to store frosted sugar cookies with wax paper between each layer.
How long do they last?
Pumpkin sugar cookies will keep for up to 2 weeks after being baked in an airtight container.
Why do sugar cookies get hard?
Sugar cookies get hard because they are hit by air, if you keep them in an airtight container they will stay soft.
Do I need to store cookies with royal icing in the fridge?
No, do not store sugar cookies decorated with royal icing in the fridge.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
You can make pumpkin sugar cookie dough ahead of time and store it in an air tight container for 3-5 days in the fridge. When you want to make the cookies, remove the dough from the fridge and roll out and shape as desired, and then bake according to the recipe directions below.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes. If you are wanting to make the cookie dough ahead of time to use later, make the pumpkin sugar cookie dough and then wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for 3-6 months. When you are ready to make the cookies, remove the dough from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge. Roll out and shape as desired and then bake according to the recipe directions below.
Can I freeze the cookies after they are made?
Yes. After baking the cookies and allowing them to cool completely you can freeze them. Then when it is time to decorate them just remove them from the freezer and bring to room temperature before decorating with royal icing. I find it best to place them in a single layer on a wax paper lined baking sheet and then put them in the freezer. Once frozen I remove them from the baking sheet and put them in a zip close freezer bag.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Royal Icing Ingredients
- 1 pound confectioners sugar sifted
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/2 cup of water, and more if needed
- Orange gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Equipment Needed
- Rolling pin
- Rolling pin bands
- Parchment paper or Silpat mat
- Sheet pan
- Pumpkin cookie cutter
- Scriber needle or toothpick
- Piping tips
- Couplers
- Pastry bags or squeeze bottles
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it is fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes. You can do this in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer. I personally prefer to use the stand mixer.
Once the butter and powdered sugar are creamed together add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Mix all of the dry cookie ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to mix everything together.
Then add the flour and other dry ingredients mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. If you are adding pumpkin spice to the cookie dough you will want to add that here.
Put half of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Put the rolled dough including the parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer. You want the dough to be cold.
Once the sugar cookie dough is chilled it is ready to cut using your pumpkin cookie cutter. After cutting all the cookies out, reroll the dough scraps and use the rest of it to cut out more cookies until you have no dough left.
Place cookies on a single layer with a little bit of space between them on a baking sheet and bake at 325° F for 10 -15 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool them on a cookie rack. Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before moving on to decorating them.
How to Make Royal Icing
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
If icing is too thick, add more water. If too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more.
Color about 3/4 of your icing pumpkin orange. Thin it out to be about a 20-second royal icing. If you are new to working with Royal Icing check out the information using Royal Icing to explain the different thicknesses of royal icing.
Color 1/4 the frosting green.
Decorating pumpkin sugar cookies
Pipe the outline of the pumpkin with a #4 round tip by breaking it into quadrants and start with the middle quadrant as a pointed oval in the middle.
Let them dry then water down half of the orange icing so it’s a 6-second icing.
Flood in the quadrants with a 6-second icing in the orange. If you need to use an icing stick to spread the royal icing after you have filled the quadrants.
Let it dry for 10 minutes then pipe the lines of the pumpkin with the 20-second icing.
Water it down to be about a 20-second icing. Pipe on the streams and some vines with the green icing.
Leave cookies to set the frosting with out touching them for 10-15 minutes.
Pumpkin Spice Recipes
- Pumpkin Pie French Toast
- Pumpkin Oreos
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- pumpkin spice creamer
Want delicious cookies that come out perfect every time? Check out some of our favorite tools to make super easy cookies with fun decorations!
pumpkin sugar cookies
Material
- Rolling pin
- Rolling pin bands
- Parchment paper or Silpat mat
- Sheet pan
- Pumpkin cookie cutter
- Scriber needle or toothpick
- Piping tips
- Couplers
- Pastry bags or squeeze bottles
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Royal Icing Ingredients
- 1 pound confectioners sugar sifted
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/2 cup water and more if needed
- Orange food coloring
- green food coloring
Instructions
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until fluffy, for about 5 minutes. You can do this in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer.
- Once it is creamed together add the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix all of the dry cookie ingredients in separate bowl and add to butter mixture, mix well. If you are adding pumpkin spice to the cookie dough you will want to add that here.
- Put half of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Put the rolled dough including the parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer. You want the dough to be cold.
- Once the sugar cookie dough is chilled it is ready to cut using your pumpkin cookie cutter. After cutting all the cookies out, reroll the dough scraps and use the rest of it to cut out more cookies until you have no dough left.
- Place cookies on a single layer with a little bit of space between them on a baking sheet and bake at 325° F for 10 -15 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool them on a cookie rack. Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before moving on to decorating them.
How to Make Royal Icing
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- If icing is too thick, add more water.
- If too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Add a clear extract to make your frosting take on different flavors if you want to.
- Color icing with desired food colors by blending a drop of coloring into the icing.
- Gradually blend additional drops until you achieve the desired color.
Decorating pumpkin sugar cookies
- Color about 6/8 of your icing pumpkin orange. Thin it out to be about a 20-second royal icing. If you are new to working with Royal Icing check out the information using Royal Icing to explain the different thicknesses of royal icing.
- Pipe the outline of the pumpkin with a #4 round tip by breaking it into quadrants and start with the middle quadrant as a pointed oval in the middle.
- Let them dry then water down half of the orange icing so it’s a 6-second icing.
- Flood in the quadrants with a 6-second icing in the orange. Let it dry for 10 minutes then pipe the lines of the pumpkin with the 20-second icing.
- Color your remainder of the royal icing green.
- Water it down to be about a 20-second icing. Pipe on the streams and some vines with the green icing.
- Leave cookies to set the frosting with out touching them for 10-15 minutes.
9 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per cookie on the Freestyle Program.
Comments & Reviews
Keriýonna says
cool beans