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Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
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The perfect fall cookie – these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream are perfectly soft with just the right amount of spice. The buttercream frosting gives them the perfect sweetness.

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If you are a pumpkin lover, make sure to check out all of my other pumpkin recipes, especially this Pumpkin Cake!

soft sugar cookies with pumpkin topped with maple cinnamon buttercream and sprinkles

I remember when I first made this recipe, quite a few years ago. I love notebooks, and have about a million of them that I keep around to take notes in or make lists. One day, while looking through an old notebook, I came across a page with a bunch of ideas for pumpkin recipes. The idea for these cookies was on that page.

I love the Lofthouse cookies. A soft sugar cookie with a sweet buttercream frosting. What’s not to love, right? Well, this pumpkin version hits all the right notes and more. They are slightly spicy from the pumpkin pie spice and the maple cinnamon buttercream is a home run. Seriously – if you are a fan of maple or cinnamon, you need this buttercream in your life.

Ingredients:

  • Flour: I have only tested these cookies with all-purpose flour.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The cookies need both baking powder and soda to give them the right texture and lightness.
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice: I like to make my own pumpkin pie spice mixture, but you can also use store bought.
  • Butter: You need butter for both the cookies and the frosting. You want to make sure it is at room temperature, but not too soft.
  • Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for the cookies.
  • Eggs: I use large eggs.
  • Vanilla: The vanilla adds great flavor.
  • Pumpkin: You can use canned pumpkin, or you can make your own pumpkin puree. If you do use homemade puree, you will probably want to drain it first so that it is not too wet.
  • Maple Extract: Maple extract is a highly concentrated flavor. So while you could use maple syrup, it wouldn’t give a strong maple flavor like the extract. You can usually find it at the grocery store, but you can also buy maple extract online.
  • Powdered Sugar: I don’t sift my powdered sugar – just add it in as is.
  • Cinnamon: I love the cinnamon flavor in the frosting, so I will sometimes add more than is called for in the recipe.
  • Salt: I like to add a little bit of salt to the frosting to balance out the sweetness.
  • Cream: The cream will make the frosting silky smooth and give it some richness.
  • Sprinkles: I like to add on some fall themed sprinkles, but they are totally optional.
Maple Cinnamon Buttercream on soft pumpkin sugar cookies

Tips and Tricks

The biggest thing to remember about these pumpkin sugar cookies is that keeping them soft is very important. And here are all the secrets on how to do that:

  • The number one thing you need to remember is to not overbake the cookies. If they are brown around the edges when you take them out of the oven, you’ve probably gone too far. The cookies need to be pale in color still and just set in the center. You don’t want them doughy in the center still, but they will continue to bake on the cookie sheet after you take them out, so remove them when they are just barely set.
  • They bake super fast – I only need about 7 minutes per batch.
  • Don’t overmix the dough. When you add in the dry ingredients, mix just until the dough is combined – not more.
  • Refrigerate your dough. If the dough is not cold, not only will it be harder to roll out, but the cookies may spread and you’ll end up with a flat cookie.
  • Since these are a rolled cookie, you’ll end up with extra dough that you’ll want to re-roll for more cookies. Just be aware that the more you handle the dough, the tougher and less soft the cookies become. The first batch is always the best. Try to re-roll as little as possible by cutting the cookies close together, utilizing as much dough as you can.
  • Don’t roll the dough too thin. Thinner dough equals harder cookies.
  • If not frosting right away, store the cooled cookies in an airtight container to retain softness. If frosting the cookies, store them in the refrigerator.
texture of Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream

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texture of Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

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Author: Deborah Harroun
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
Servings: 60 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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The perfect fall cookie – these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream are perfectly soft with just the right amount of spice. The buttercream frosting gives them the perfect sweetness.

Ingredients

Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, store bought or homemade

Maple Cinnamon Buttercream:

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • Sprinkles, optional

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
  • Divide the mixture into 2 and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  • Lightly flour a work surface. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. The dough will be a little sticky, so use flour as needed to avoid sticking. Use a 2 to 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake the cookies until just set and still pale, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack or piece of waxed paper to cool completely before frosting.
  • To make the frosting: in a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add in the maple extract. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat until combined completely. Add in the cinnamon and salt and beat, then add the cream and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
  • Frost each cookie with the frosting and then top with sprinkles, if desired.

Recipe Notes:

I like to beat the frosting for several minutes to make sure it is nice and fluffy and smooth.
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 167kcal (8%), Carbohydrates: 24g (8%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 7g (11%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 28mg (9%), Sodium: 56mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 15g (17%)
Keywords: Pumpkin sugar cookies

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Welcome to Taste and Tell. Here you will find easy, fast and family friendly recipes. I am a believer that anyone can cook and that dinner doesn’t have to be complicated. Come join me in my kitchen! Read More

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