Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
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Sugar Cookies just got better with a little pumpkin! This recipe creates soft, chewy, lightly spicy glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies that are perfect for Fall!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies | With Icing
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good sugar cookie. Especially if it’s soft, spicy, and if pumpkin is involved in some way. Ever since I posted this recipe back in 2014, people have been going crazy for Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. Yes, there’s the classic pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, and even old-fashioned pumpkin donuts, but pumpkin sugar cookies are the way to my heart.
This simple recipe for pumpkin sugar cookies is a simple one, using butter, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree a mixture of two sugars, vanilla, spices, and flour. Scooped and pressed onto a baking sheet, these bake up nice and soft and then get taken over the top with a sweet and spicy glaze.
They are easy to make, stay soft for days, and are just the right amount of spicy and sweet. Alone they are kind of boring, but with the glaze, they are addicting. Most food is addicting to me though. These are carbs after all.
Main Ingredients Needed
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these pumpkin sugar cookies!
- Butter + Vegetalbe Oil – for all of the flavor and moisture.
- Pumpkin Puree – don’t confuse this for canned pumpkin pie mix. It’s not!
- Granulated + Powdered Sugar – for sweetness and soft texture.
- Vanilla – for flavor.
- Eggs – for structure and texture.
- Flour – this fills out the rest of the cookies.
- Baking Soda – for rise.
- Cream of Tartar – helps with the leavening and also brings a slight tang.
- Salt – to balance out all of the flavors.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg + Cloves – I used a mixture of these three to create warm and spiced notes.
Butter and Vegetable Oil? Why Use Both?
When testing this recipe, I used all butter, all oil, and then a combination of both and found that using both butter and vegetable oil gave me the texture I was looking for while still giving that buttery flavor. Butter adds flavor and the vegetable oil keeps the cookies moist and soft all the way through.
Homemade Spice Mix vs Pumpkin Pie Spice
For this pumpkin cookie recipe, I use a mixture of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon in the dough, but do use pumpkin pie spice in the glaze. Either is fine and works perfectly well. Use what you have! Also, if you feel you need to add in a little ginger to make it a true pumpkin pie spice mix, feel free to add that in as well. I just didn’t have any and am partial to cloves over the ginger. To each their own!
The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves. If you want to use Pumpkin Pie spice in place of these, simply use 1 1/2 teaspoons total of pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
This process of baking couldn’t be easier! Using very common pantry ingredients, you only need one bowl and a few minutes! A lot of the comments below say that these pumpkin sugar cookies don’t taste “pumpkiny” enough, so if you want things really screaming pumpkin, use 1 1/2 times the amount of spices in the cookie dough and glaze. I don’t recommend adding in more pureed pumpkin because that will add too much moisture to the cookie (and be super gross)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line light colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Stir butter, oil, sugars, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin together until well incorporated.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until and stir until just combined.
- Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet.
- Press the bottom of a small cup into granulated sugar and press each cookie down to flatten slightly.
- Bake 8-9 minutes.
- Whisk powdered sugar together with water and pumpkin pie spice to create smooth, thick glaze.
- Once cookies have cooled, glaze cookies.
Glaze vs. Frosting
I love using a simple spiced glaze for these pumpkin sugar cookies made from powdered sugar, water and pumpkin pie spice. It hardens nicely and actually, helps to lock in moisture in the finished cookie. They can stack well for easy transport and look great!
But again, there are lots of people with strong opinions in the comments section that complain about the glaze! If its not spicy enough, add in more pumpkin pie spice or a combo of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Want to take it to a whole new level? Try cream cheese frosting or a simple vanilla buttercream. Dust the frosted cookies with a little pumpkin pie spice for a beautiful presentation and extra flavor! So so delicious!
More Recipes Like Pumpkin Sugar Cookies!
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies
- Sweet Potato Cookies with Homemade Streusel
And if you’re looking for more even more pumpkin recipes, check out my full list here.
The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy 🙂
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree canned pumpkin
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
for the glaze-
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. In a large bowl, stir butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs together until incorporated and smooth.
- Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated.
- Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. If the dough is sticking to the glass, press the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar before flattening. Bake 8-9 minutes.
- While cookies bake, stir all ingredients together for glaze until smooth.
- Once cookies are finished baking, cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze harden 2-3 hours before serving. OR eat them warm with lots of runny glaze 🙂
If I use fresh pumpkin puree, I always make my own to use, woukd it effect the recipe at all? Like would it be too watery or anything?
Just made these to bring to a party!! Delicious!!!
Well, I just made these. Recipe definitely needs work. Tastes like flour! I would make these again but would tweak it, cut back on the flour, add more pumpkin & spices. Good attempt but you did not nail it.
I literally did a *spit take* when Martin Short said ‘haaaaalo!!!’. Love me some Martin Short and Steve Martin!
And I love me some pumpkin cookies!! I will be trying these in the very near future! Thank you!!
Love these! !!! Was wondering how to make them crunchy and like melt in your mouth type sugar cookie?
These are amazing – my son absolutely loves them! 🙂
[…] via Lauren’s Latest […]
Made these today…good flavor…had 2 cook them longer…very very soft!
I’m going to give these a try. I’m thinking of adding cream cheese to the frosting recipe.
Dont waste your time or ingredients on these cookies. Cookies are bland and somewhat gummy. Icing is horrid. No pumpkin flavor what so ever.
These were good but not sure if I messed up somewhere..mine were more like cake cookies, pretty thick and a liitle dry..tasty tho, my daughter helped measure some things so it may have been off..
So easy and delicious! Not overly sweet.
These were more like cake type of cookies rather than sugar cookies 🙁
These sound great, but I would need to substitute the white flour for GF flour.
We made them and we like them, but will probably add more spice and sugar to our next batch. I am commenting though because my kids said they taste like Popeye’s bisquits with pumpkin flavoring….and that wasn’t a bad thing. So if you are looking for a not too sweet breakfast bisquit….this might be perfect is you left it a little bit thicker and topped with butter and glaze?
Can you use fresh pumpkin puree that I always make in the fall for pies and pumpkin bread? The canned stuff is ok but this stuff makes the best bread pies ever. Might have to squish some of the water out of the frozen stuff but I am doing some new stuff here soon as the pumpkins are ready to go. The can stuff is a totally different thing made out of squash and sweet pumpkins if you didn’t know that already lol
As long as you get rid of as much water as you can, it should work just fine!
Wow! These cookies are everything you promised & more! Followed your recipe to a T and they came out perfect! Thanks!!
thank you for such great recipes….
[…] *prep time includes 30 minute chilling time**recipe adapted from Lauren's Latest 3.2.2708 […]
Has anyone tried this with Whole Wheat flour? Or should I just play it safe and stick to all purpose?
Just printed out the recipe – I think I would add applesauce – lots of cinnamon and pumpkin spice as well as some walnuts -and maybe brown sugar 1/2 cup and powdered sugar 1/2 cup – lessen the sugar a bit.. can’t wait to try them
[…] recipe for Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies comes from Lauren’s Latest […]
I am going to an annual family memorial/reunion on thursday. The service and potluck isn’t until sunday. Since we will be staying at a hotel, I won’t have access to an oven/kitchen. Any tips on how to store them so they are still good to go if I make them on Wednesday? It’s about an 8 hour trip so we are leaving early Thursday. Thanks!
i am lactose intolerent and can’t have any oil do you have a receipe for oatmeal cookies?
These were good following the recipe the first time, the second time I used a full teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and used a brown sugar glaze with 3T butter, 1/2 c brown sugar and 4 T of cinnamon roll flavored coffee creamer in place of milk, boil two minutes let cool for about 5 and whisk in 1/2 c powdered sugar until smooth…drizzled over the cookies and….OMG!! Yummy!
This is a great base recipe. It is a little bland. A little more pumpkin and pie spice would do wonders! I am also going to try a buttercream frosting instead of the glaze, the sweetness takes over the cookie.
Can you replace the vegetable oil with butter or olive oil do you think?
Tried these today, and although I like the soft, cake like texture, I found them pretty bland. Even though I increased the amount of pumpkin and pumpkin spice they still had very little pumpkin flavor. Same with the glaze. If I make them again I will be sure to really up the the pumpkin spice!
I think they have a flat taste. So next time I make these I will increase and salt and baking soda. I thought the amount of salt and baking soda were too low for the amount of flour used. I used half and half in the glaze instead if water and sprinkled in some nutmeg too.
Agreed! Mine were really bland, too 🙁
If I were to make these again I would cut the flour at least by a cup…I followed the recipe to a T and they are nasty.
OMG i want these so bad right now, but they are gonna have to wait till fall and the A/C is off. I think they may turn out to be my new favorite treat!!! Thank you so much for sharing these with ut!! O:)
Have you tried in lieu of reg sugar, using sweetner?
No, I haven’t.
Have just reviewed the recipe and it is not diabeticfriendly, so here’s a solution for if others want it. Instead of regular sugar use splenda . Looking forward to tring them
I am sorry Lauren but these are not good at all. I followed the recipe as written and there was no taste of pumpkin or spice. Will not use this recipe again.
I had the same issue. Very dissapointed. I even needed to extend the bake time and they were still too wet.
I had the same problem bland and tasted like oil. I did use the correct amount of oil based on the recipe instructions seemed like a lot.
Just made these for my pumpkin! haha love the pun. I tried using whole wheat flour instead of regular white. Thinking it will make it a bit “healthier”. Thank you so much for the recipe!
also wonder if some or all stevia could be used
Hi There! I just made these and wow were they good – I did up the pumpkin spice and pumpkin ingredients and tried two different glazes…yours and one with milk, and they both came out great! I’ll be posting on my blog and including yours as reference too. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Just made them and YUM!!!!!!
Love these cookies. My husband is addicted. I actually made a buttercream icing for them instead of a glaze. I also think I’ll up the amount of pumpkin pie spice. I used my own pumpkin that was in the freezer (I grew them in my garden last year).
[…] Go to full Instructions […]
Did you use an electric mixer? Or can these cookies be whipped by hand? Thanks! They look super-duper scrumptious 🙂
Both are a.o.k!
[…] also used the pumpkin puree to make the best sugar cookies ever. Pumpkin Sugar Cookies (using this recipe). They turned out great, and the kids had a blast making all kinds of cut-out […]
I made these but it came out Cakey and not much rise. Is it 4 cups of flour? Is that a lot?
[…] SOFT GLAZED PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES (recipe from Lauren’s Latest) […]
[…] Cookie Everyone thinks of cookies as a Christmas tradition, but why not add cookies to your Thanksgiving spread to have something to nosh on. This soft glazed pumpkin sugar cookies fit the bill. I may have to make these for our Thanksgiving next week. Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies […]
[…] Soft Glazed Pumpkin Cookies from Lauren’s Latest […]
I just made these and posted a picture on FB. They are delicious! This recipe is a total keeper. Although I wish (sort of) the recipe came with nutritional information.
[…] small amounts – my coworkers and family don’t seem to mind though! I made some amazing Pumpkin Sugar Cookies this week. These were super easy, make enough small cookies for two events from a single batch, and […]
Lauren, I just wanted to tell you I made your cookie last week and they are scrumptious! I eliminated the powdered sugar and added 2 tsp. of apple cider. They are so moist! I posted pictures of mine on my blog and referred everyone to yours. I’ll definitely be making these again. Thanks for sharing!
[…] Adapted from Lauren’s Latest —- If you liked these Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting, you may also like […]
[…] Note: I used the glaze from Lauren’s Latest Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies […]
Yum Yum Yummy! Just made a batch for my quilting class…Just the perfect touch for fall here in the Pacific Northwest! Enjoy your day 🙂
[…] recipe came from the blog Lauren’s Latest. I’m going to send you directly to her blog to pick up her recipe because I know you […]