Soft and chewy Pumpkin Sugar Cookies that are melt-in-your mouth delicious. You’ll love this Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Recipe with a Cream Cheese Glaze for a little fall flavor you’ll want to savor all year! Fastened with a ribbon, these pumpkin cookies make the perfect holiday treat!
I love all things fall – especially fall cookies!
I never really thought I was a pumpkin fan until I took a bite of these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. I was happy to oblige since it’s the season of pumpkin everything, but once again, I was surprised. The subtle pumpkin flavor paired with cream cheese makes these soft and chewy Pumpkin Sugar Cookies irresistible.
A cookie should look as good as it tastes and these certainly do. They’re also stackable, making them great for gift-giving. Why limit cookie sharing to Christmas? ‘Tis the season of being thankful and takes the pressure off during the holidays.
You can stack them in a small cellophane bag and wrap them with a ribbon, or simply secure the bag with a piece of washi tape. Place them in a charming basket for a beautiful housewarming or hostess gift.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies Ingredients
- Butter – Make sure it is slightly softened.
- Vegetable Oil – You need a neutral flavored fat for moisture and tenderness. It’s part of the reason why these pumpkin cookies are so soft & chewy.
- Canned Pumpkin – Yes, canned pumpkin! It’s what makes this cookie recipe quick and easy.
- Sugar – For sweetness, of course!
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is made with a touch of cornstarch, which helps give the cookies a tender texture.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Eggs – Fresh, organic eggs help bind the pumpkin cookie ingredients together.
- Flour – I like Pillsbury unbleached, all-purpose flour. But whatever flour you have in your panty will work.
- Baking Soda – A mere 1/4 tsp gives these pumpkin cookies their lift.
- Cream of Tartar – A secret ingredient! The cream of tartar gives the cookies an extra lift!
- Salt – I use fine sea salt for all my baking recipes.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – These two warm spices make me think of all things Fall!
Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients
- Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese is best since this is the main ingredient.
- Butter – Softened, both for texture and flavor.
- Vanilla – Again, make sure to use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Powdered Sugar – The powdered sugar creates a smoother frosting.
- Corn Syrup – Optional, but I find it adds that extra bit of shine.
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Sugars – In a large bowl, combine butter, vegetable oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients – Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Make Cookies – With two tablespoons, drop dough balls onto parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake – Bake 13 minutes, or until the cookies are a light golden brown.
- Make Icing – Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and optional corn syrup until smooth.
- Glaze – Once the pumpkin cookies are completely cool, top with cream cheese glaze by spooning on or smoothing on with a spatula. Allow to completely set.
If you’ve ever wanted pumpkin pie wrapped into a cookie you’ll love these Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies. There’s no need to purchase store-bought dough – these are so incredibly easy to make and have bakery-style quality that melts-in-your-mouth!
How to Frost Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
These pumpkin cookies are so easy to frost, too! Just warm the cream cheese glaze, add a dollop and smooth on with a spatula or icing spatula. No decorating required! The glaze will harden just enough to stack, but not enough to take away that soft, chewy flavor you’ll love.
How Many Calories are in Pumpkin Sugar Cookies?
We’re not even going to begin to talk about how many calories are in one of these sugar cookies, but if you really want to know you can find it in the printable recipe card below!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we all do, please write a five star review and help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
Get all the best tips, tricks and recipes for your fall pumpkin baking right here. My ultimate pumpkin baking guide is totally free and filled with delicious possibilities!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons corn syrup optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine butter, vegetable oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients until incorproated.
- Drop dough balls onto a cookie sheet and flatten using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake 13 minutes (watch baking time as your oven may vary).
- Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and optional corn syrup until smooth.
- Melt and top cooled cookies by spooning on or smoothing on with a spatula. Allow to cool until set.
These are my favorite ever. Love how soft they are. So stinking good.
Bring on all the pumpkin! LOVE these cookies 🙂
These are amazing. Simple to make, tons of pumpkin flavor and perfect for fall!
Lol. I totally ignored the calorie count by choice. Who’s counting when these are so delicious?
These are simply beautiful! I can’t wait to try!
These look so soft and chewy — yum!!!
These cookies taste even better then they look – so delicious and perfect for a pretty fall party! I always love your recipes so much!
I love the swirl of icing on these cookies!! Perfect texture and flavor!
Those look so pretty and delicious, I can’t wait to try them!
Wow these look so good!! I’m going to try them out this weekend my kids love pumpkin flavored treats!
I love a good pumpkin recipe. These cookies look AMAZING! They might be my favorite of the week!
xo Michael