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Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

Pumpkin spice sugar cookies with a tender, rolled-and-cut dough and crisp edges, made with pumpkin puree for a soft fall flavor. Chilled dough is rolled to 1/4-inch and baked at 350°F, then finished with orange royal icing and leaf or pumpkin cutouts.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Cookie dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened Softened.
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup pumpkin puree (blotted very dry) Blotted very dry to prevent excess moisture.
  • 1 egg
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla
Orange royal icing
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2.5 tbsp milk Use 2–3 tablespoons to reach a pipeable consistency.
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon For the icing.
  • 0.01 orange food coloring Add to reach a bright orange tint.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make the pumpkin spice dough
  1. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the blotted very dry pumpkin puree, then add the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  2. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt just until no dry flour remains.
Chill, roll, and bake
  1. Divide the dough, wrap each portion, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Chill helps the dough hold its shape when rolled and cut.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan for easy transfer after cutting. Roll the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into fall shapes.
  3. Bake the cut cookies for 10–12 minutes at 350°F, until the edges look set. Cool completely before icing so the glaze doesn’t melt or bleed.
Decorate with orange royal icing
  1. Stir powdered sugar with milk and cinnamon until smooth and thick, then add orange food coloring to reach the desired shade. If needed, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time for a pipeable or spreadable texture.
  2. Decorate the cooled cookies with orange-tinted icing and let the icing set before serving or storing.

Notes

Pro tip: blot the pumpkin puree very dry before mixing to prevent greasy pooling and to keep the rolled cookies crisp. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days; refrigerate up to 7 days (icing may firm). Freeze baked, undecorated cookies up to 2 months—thaw and then ice. For a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 dairy-free butter substitute and dairy-free milk in the icing.