Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
A perfectly soft pumpkin sugar cookie with cinnamon cheese cream frosting makes these a new fall favorite!
I think most of us can agree that you can’t beat a good ol’ sugar cookie – it’s a classic, vanilla taste that satisfies the fiercest sugar cravings!
But this fall, I’m taking my basic sugar cookie recipe and dialing it up a notch with some pumpkin and my favorite fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
And if that doesn’t sound yummy enough, I’ve topped these pumpkin sugar cookies off with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Just because!
Funnily enough, the secret ingredient in these cookies is not the pumpkin puree that gives them their signature color and flavor, but the addition of some cream cheese into the dough. It creates the perfect soft yet chewy texture that is going to make you fall in love with this recipe.
And if you’re craving more soft, chewy goodness, make some pumpkin muffins to savor with your morning cup of coffee. Or whip up a few pumpkin whoopie pies for a decadent afternoon snack.
You probably have most of these ingredients in your home already. If not, stop by the grocery store and make a batch for some special people in your life. These pumpkin sugar cookies are a twist on the traditional sugar cookie and they’re sure to love them!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For The Cookies
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon or substitute all spices with just 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tablespoons divided
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the Frosting
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
- Add the pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
- Slowly stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until dough comes together.
- Roll dough into balls about the size of a golfball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat process with more dough until you have 10 or so balls spaced at least 2 inches apart.
- Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl. Coat the bottom of a glass with cooking spray, dip in the sugar, and flatten each dough ball to about ½-inch thickness. Spray more cooking spray on the bottom of the glass between batches, if needed.
- Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until tops look mostly dry around the edges, yet still glossy right the center. You do not want any browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For The Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate leftovers.
- Using a knife, swirl the frosting onto the cooled cookies until the tops are covered. Refrigerate in a single layer in an airtight container. Alternatively, store cookies at room temperature and only frost before serving.