If you’re craving sugar and spice and everything nice, then these pumpkin spice sugar cookies topped with cream cheese buttercream frosting will do the trick! Not too sweet and a little bit spicy, every bite tastes like fall. They would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table.
As noted in the recipe below, you can choose your own adventure when it comes to flavor. If you want a stronger pumpkin flavor, add 1/2 cup of puree. But the dough is a little wetter and a little trickier to work with. f you’re a patient baker, then it’s not a problem. If you’re making this recipe for the first time, I recommend starting with 1/3 cup to see if it meets your pumpkin preferences.
Don’t skimp on the chilling time. I recommend chilling the dough for at least two hours. If you chill it overnight you might need to let it sit out on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly.
This recipe yields about three dozen cookies depending on the size cutter. Be sure and roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. You’ll also want to flour the spatula used to transfer the cookies from the cutting surface to the prepared baking sheets. Don’t put more than 12 cookies on a pan.
Chill the cut-out cookies directly on the pan for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading. Bake for no more than 6 or 7 minutes. Only large, thick cookies will need 7 minutes. Baked cookies will still be slightly soft in the middle but won’t be wet or doughy.
Make the cream cheese buttercream frosting while the cookies are cooling. The cookies will be easier to decorate if you freeze them first.
Cream cheese frosting is often too thin for intricate piping, but you can use this recipe to create a basket weave, pipe roses or any other design! The trick is not letting the frosting get too warm. If it starts feeling too soft then pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool off.
Tag me @rosesandwhiskers on Instagram if you try these pumpkin spice sugar cookies and use the hashtag #rosesandwhiskers.
Happy baking! 🙂
Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour substitute all-purpose flour for gluten-full cookies
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice add an extra 1/2 tsp if you bump up the pumpkin (see recipe notes)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6 tbsp butter-flavored Crisco
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree room temperature (or 1/2 cup (see recipe notes))
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup Crisco
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, Crisco and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well-incorporated. On low speed, mix in the vanilla.
- On low speed, gradually blend in the dry ingredients until just combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. (You can also chill the dough overnight.)
- Roll out half of the chilled dough onto a floured surface until an 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator until you're ready for it. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Don't put more than 12 cookies on a pan.
- Re-roll the scraps until you've used up the dough and then roll out the remaining chilled dough.
- Chill each sheet of cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). I don't even preheat the oven until the cookies have been in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake the cookies (one pan at a time) for no more than 6-7 minutes. Don't worry if they still look a little soft when you take them out of the oven. (But you don't want them to look wet and doughy.) Thicker, larger cookies will need 7 minutes, and smaller cookies will only need 6.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Decorating the Cookies
- Make the frosting while the cookies are cooling. (I actually recommend freezing the cookies before decorating them.) Cream the butter, cream cheese and Crisco until smooth. Add in 1/2 of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated and then beat on high speed until creamy. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated, and then beat on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
- Decorate as desired and store in an airtight container in the freezer with a sheet of wax paper in between layers. Enjoy!
