Description
Soft, thick, and packed with warm spice — these pumpkin sugar cookies get a tangy cream-cheese finish and are total fall comfort food. They’re simple to make, bake up dense and tender, and taste like autumn in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (use canned pumpkin, not pie filling)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- Ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
For the cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the wet mix. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, pumpkin puree, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir until smooth and well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently until the dough comes together into a soft, workable mass.
- Chill briefly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for about 25 minutes — this firms it up and makes shaping much easier.
- Portion the dough. Scoop out heaping 1½–2 tablespoon portions and roll them into balls. Arrange them a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. You should get roughly 12–14 cookies.
- Bake. Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 18 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain tender.
- Make the frosting. While the cookies bake and cool, beat the cream cheese and softened butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until creamy and spreadable. If it seems loose, chill briefly to thicken.
- Cool and frost. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting on each cookie, then dust with a pinch of cinnamon or extra pumpkin pie spice if desired.
- Serve. Plate and enjoy immediately, or store as directed below.
Notes
- Storage tips
- Because of the cream cheese topping, keep these cookies refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days.
- To freeze: omit the frosting and freeze baked cookies in a single layer. Thaw and frost just before serving.
- To refresh: warm briefly in a 300°F oven for a few minutes to soften before frosting.