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Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies Recipe

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Indulge in these soft, spiced pumpkin sugar cookies with a creamy frosting. Perfect for fall gatherings!

  • Total Time: 55 minutes (including chilling time)
  • Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cookies:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

For Rolling:

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. How to Prepare the Cookie Dough

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and creamy, usually about 2-3 minutes.

Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until everything is well combined, forming a smooth and creamy batter. Set the bowl aside.

2. Mixing the Wet and Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.

3. Rolling and Shaping the Cookies

While the dough is chilling, prepare the sugar mixture for rolling by combining the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll the dough into a ball with your hands, then roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.

4. Baking the Cookies to Perfection

Place the cookie balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one. Gently press down on each cookie with the back of a spoon or your palm to flatten slightly. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Overmixing the Dough: Mixing the dough too much can make the cookies dense instead of soft. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Skipping the Refrigeration Step: Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
  • Baking Too Long: These cookies should be soft and chewy, so keep an eye on them in the oven and remove them as soon as the edges start to brown.
  • Author: Jessica
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
  • Category: Dessert