PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES
I first posted this pumpkin sugar cookie recipe a few years ago. It continues to be a reader favorite and family favorite.
I have updated the post with some very helpful tips & tricks down below so be sure and read those.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES
Pumpkin sugar cookies are a simple sugar cookie dough with canned pumpkin & pumpkin pie spice. The trick to making these is to use the bottom of a glass cup or jar, dip it into some sugar, and press down on the cookie dough ball until it resembles a cookie.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, canned pumpkin, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Use a handheld blender (or bowl of a stand mixer) to beat it together until combined.
To the same bowl, add flour and all the spices, and salt. Beat together well until no flour streaks remain and everything is combined. It should resemble a thick dough that is not sticky.
Roll the dough into balls, about the size of a golf ball or 2 tablespoons, and place onto a cookie sheet.
Take a flat bottomed glass (not one that is too large) and dip the bottom into granulated sugar. Press down on the dough balls until they're about ½-inch thick and look like a cookie.
The glaze is a simple powdered sugar + milk glaze with some pumpkin spice added in. Spread the glaze over the warm cookies and let it set so the glaze can harden.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THESE PUMPKIN COOKIES
- After many reviewers telling me that these cookies do not taste like pumpkin, I have experimented and added some additional seasonings into them. I think before, when it was just the pumpkin spice, the flavor did not come through. But now, I have added some nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves which really helps the pumpkin pie spice flavor to shine.
- This new way of rolling the dough into balls and then pressing them down with a flat bottomed cup, really helps the cookies cook through and look more like a sugar cookie. It is a little but more effort but please do it!
- The old recipe did not call for the dough balls to be pressed down. Which resulted in the cookie not spreading at all, and the middle became kind of gooey because it was difficult to get it cooked through in the cook time.
- When you are mixing the flour into the wet mixture, make sure it is completely mixed in. No flour streaks or pockets should remain. And no pumpkin batter should be sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure to use a spatula and really make sure that everything is mixed together.
- For best results, make sure the butter is well softened. If not, the wet batter will be very lumpy from the butter.
TRY THESE OTHER SUGAR COOKIE RECIPES
- sheet pan sugar cookie bars
- 5 ingredient, no roll sugar cookies
- candy corn sugar cookie bars
- chocolate sugar cookie bars
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter softened
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup pure pumpkin
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Pumpkin Spice Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or water
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, baking mats, or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter, oil, pumpkin, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla and eggs. Use a hand held blender (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) and blend together until smooth and combined. It's ok if it appears lumpy (normal for pumpkin doughs).
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and cloves. Blend together on low speed, increase speed as need, until everything is combined and mixed well together.
- Take about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball (about the size of a golf ball) place 12 dough balls per cookie sheet.
- Dip the bottom of a glass cup into granulated sugar and press down on each dough ball to flatten to baout ½-inch thickness. Dip the cup between each cookie. If needed, very lightly spray the bottom of the glass cup.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 1-2 minutes before adding the glaze. You want them to still be warm so the glaze softens when it hits the cookie.
- To make glaze combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Use more or less milk depending on how thick you want the frosting. Spread onto each cookie and let sit for several minutes to harden.
Notes
Nutrition
Will try these,thankyou
You're welcome. Hope you love them!
I can't wait to try these cookies! They seem to shout Fall! They look and sound delicious.
I hope you love them! They are the best fall cookie 🙂
Did you use pumpkin puree or pure pumpkin?
As far as I know they're the same thing. I just use Libby's 100% pure pumpkin. It comes pureed in the can already. Hopefully that helps 🙂 Enjoy!
These cookies did not turn out well. All you could taste was flour. They look so delicious; I wish they tasted that way.
Sorry to hear you didn't like them ?
Something wasn't right, that came out "doughy" or too much flour. The flour to liquid ratio wasn't right.
I am remaking the recipe (as I wrote it) this weekend to make sure I typed it all out right. I've gotten a few negative reviews on this recipe whish is so odd cause I seriously could not stop eating them, haha 🙂 Make sure you are using pure pumpkin NOT the pumpkin pie filling. Not sure what else the problem could be. I'm so sorry these did not work out for you. I hate it when recipes don't work out. Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Thanks replying, I so wanted these to work as they looked so good.
These turned out wonderful! I did add a little more pumpkin pie spice just based on personal preference. Yummy little cookie!
Love these! The dough is perfect. They have a nice light flavor to go with the texture of the cookie. I'm sad I already offered to share them!
haha, I was sad too when I sent the leftovers with my husband to work. I regretted it soon after 🙂 The dough is my favorite part! I always have to take a test with a spoon before making the dough into cookies!
I've made these twice now; once exactly as the recipe called for above, and the second time I used a full cup of pumpkin and omitted the oil, because I just didn't think they were "pumpkiny" enough. Even the second time, they just didn't hardly taste at all like pumpkin. They're yummy, soft cookies, but definitely don't satisfy my craving for pumpkin things.
Yes, the pumpkin flavor is subtle in these. If you're looking for all out pumpkin then maybe try making a pumpkin cookie. These are more of a sugar cookie with light pumpkin flavor. Thank you for coming back to leave your feedback 🙂
While I agree with the other commenters the pumpkin and spice are very subtle, I loved these cookies. I amped up the cinnamon in the glaze and found the combination to be delightful. I posted about them on my blog and would love if you check my post out 🙂 http://piesandplots.net/pumpkin-sugar-cookies-sundaysupper/
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing them on your blog. I will head over and check it out.
I should have read the reviews before making. I even added more spices in the second tray, the consistency is soft, but not like a cookie. It reminded me of a odd pancake.
Did you use pure pumpkin and NOT the pumpkin pie filling? That's the only reason I can think that these cookies would not turn out. I've made them several times (just again last week) and they are a favorite. So sorry they did not turn out for you.
These sure do look good. I love pumpkin and can not wait to try them.
Thanks so much Amy, I hope you get the chance to try them!
Love this cookie!!
Me too Susan! Thanks so much for leaving your review 🙂
I would like to receive emails with your recipes
I'm still in the process of creating those. Hopefully soon 🙂 Thanks for being here and visiting.
Hey! I'm really not getting close to 4 dozen cookies (not sampling the batter 🙂 - more like a dozen and a half. I've followed all the measurements exactly and using a 2tbsp cookie scoop. Has this happened to you?
I'll have to check my recipe for the amount it makes. I may have just typed it in wrong, which could be very likely... I'll update the recipe when I find out for sure. Or I will just have to make them again 🙂 !
I wish I read the comments as well.. these just taste super doughy ... many cut the flour down to 2 cups instead of 4.... .. Ugh.. felt like I wasted ingredients .. oh well
This recipe turned out terrible. I followed everything correctly. Step by step. I used pure pumpkin. The dough just didn’t turn out like cookie dough for me and after cooking them they were more of a pancakey consistency. Would not recommend this recipe what so ever! ?
So sorry to hear this. For some reason lots of people are not having good results with this recipe. I made these over the weekend to double check the recipe and they turned out great, so I am not sure what the problem is. Thanks for coming back and leaving your feedback 🙂
Made these last night, I followed the recipe exactly, except I might have made them a little smaller than golf balls, got exactly 4 dozen. They were awesome & every loves them. Not sure why all the bad reviews, but I will definitely be making these again!
Yay! I love these cookies so the bad reviews make me sad. Thanks for your comment.
I followed the recipe exactly and I love how they turned out! They are so delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Made this recipe and absolutely loved them!!!!! Thank you so much 🙂 I was wondering if there was a way to adapt this recipe for just regular sugar cookies, because I think those would be fab as well (when pumpkin isn’t in season)!
I am not sure I would call these a sugar cookie. I used white and brown sugar to help with the pumpkin feel. I think they are beautifully soft but almost dry... Maybe more pumpkin which I was a little generous on.
I agree with a lot of the comments I just made them and even thou they came out perfect looking, soft and moist they lack flavor big time .they are rather bland....maybe too much flour? However the consistency of the dough I felt was perfect and the amount made 4dozen
I LOVE these cookies. I don't mind that the pumpkin flavor is subtle....I prefer it that way, I got about 3 1/2 dozen....uses my scooper that was about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Several people have asked for the recipe.
So good to hear this! Thanks for commenting and letting me know. I love these cookies too!
Can you substitute coconut or almond flour for the all purpose flour?
I think so? I am not too familiar with coconut and almond flour, but I think it is an equal substitution in recipes.
Made these cookies and loved them. I made them into big cookies and only got 12 out of the mix, but they look so good and display wonderfully on a big fall looking plate.
These turned out delicious! Perfect sugar cookie texture with subtle pumpkin flavor. I mixed the dry ingredients together first and then gradually added them to the wet mixture to avoid over-mixing. I'm wondering if that may help the texture issue that some are having. Thanks for sharing!
Just finished frosting them & as you can see I made cut out pumpkins. Bringing them to my little neighbors for a special treat. Hubby says they came out very goid.
I made these yesterday exactly as you state and they. Are. Amazing. So soft and fluffy and flavorful! The ONLY thing I did differently is that I chilled the dough for one hour before rolling and baking. That might help people with spreading. I also omitted cream of tartar just because I don’t have it! Thank you for this recipe!
Yes chilling the dough would help prevent spreading for sure. So happy to hear this and thank you for your comment and rating.