Description
These Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are soft, flavorful fall treats infused with warm pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree, topped with a smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for cozy autumn gatherings or holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, pumpkin puree, white sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and fully blended.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir until a cookie dough forms with an even consistency.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 25 minutes to firm it up, which helps cookies maintain shape while baking.
- Shape Cookies: Remove dough from fridge and roll into balls approximately 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons each. Place them evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, yielding about 12-14 cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and centers are set.
- Prepare Frosting: While cookies bake, beat cream cheese and softened butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until creamy. Chill frosting until cookies cool.
- Frost Cookies: Once cookies have cooled completely, spread about one tablespoon of cream cheese frosting on each cookie. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon or additional pumpkin pie spice for garnish.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve these delicious pumpkin spice sugar cookies as a fall dessert or festive snack and enjoy their rich, seasonal flavors.
Notes
- For softer cookies, avoid overbaking; remove when edges are just set.
- You can adjust the amount of pumpkin pie spice to taste for a milder or stronger spice flavor.
- Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened well for a smooth frosting texture.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- If desired, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 170 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: pumpkin spice cookies, sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting, pumpkin dessert, fall cookies, Halloween baking
