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These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Buttercream are soft, cozy, and full of fall flavor. The tender pumpkin cookie pairs perfectly with the creamy cinnamon frosting, making them an easy, festive treat for any autumn baking day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These pumpkin sugar cookies are the perfect cookie for pumpkin lovers and pumpkin skeptics alike. It has a perfect mild pumpkin flavor and is topped with a delicious cinnamon buttercream frosting.
These cookies are great to make ahead and freeze beautifully, so you can make them for your holiday gathering early and save some stress. They can be frozen with or without the frosting.
Ingredients Need
- Powdered sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Butter, salted. If using unsalted butter add in an additional pinch of salt.
- Canola oil
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- All purpose flour
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Spices: salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cover baking sheets with parchment paper
- Cream powdered sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add in oil and mix until combined.
- Add in egg yolk, vanilla and pumpkin puree, mix until combined
- Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
- Add this dry mixture to wet mixture.
- Roll dough into a ball and place on parchment covered cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Press dough flat to 1/4 inch thickness with a glass coated in sugar.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.
- Blend sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl until combined.
- Add in milk and mix until a nice spreading consistency is found.
- Frost cookies.
Tips from leigh Anne.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Mix just until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- This is a soft dough but still workable. If your dough feels too sticky, a quick 15–20 minute chill makes it easier to scoop and shape.
- Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling has added sugar and spices and will change the texture.
- Bake just until set. The cookies should look slightly soft in the center—they’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Cool completely before frosting. Warm cookies will melt the buttercream.
- Add extra cinnamon. If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor in the frosting, taste and adjust as you mix.
- Make ahead friendly. Cookies and frosting can both be refrigerated or frozen for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make pumpkin sugar cookies ahead of time?
Yes! The baked cookies (unfrosted) keep well for 3–4 days or freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Frost before serving for the freshest texture.
Can I freeze after frosting?
You can—just freeze them in a single layer until the frosting firms up, then stack with parchment between layers.
Why do my cookies spread?
This usually means the dough was too warm. Pop the scooped dough in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.
How do I store leftover pumpkin sugar cookies?
Store frosted cookies in an airtight container for 2–3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Can I use cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream frosting?
You can, just be sure to keep the cookies refrigerated if you use cream cheese frosting.
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Buttercream are the perfect way to bring a little fall cozy into your kitchen. Soft, flavorful, and topped with the dreamiest frosting, they’re a treat everyone will love. Word of advice, make these when you are going to have other people around to help you eat them because you are going to want to eat them all yourself!
Check out more of my favorite pumpkin recipes:
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Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter salted, softened
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup sugar for pressing
Buttercream
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2-3 Tbsp milk or whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream powdered sugar, granulated sugar and butter. Or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add in oil and mix until combined.
- Add in egg yolk, vanilla and pumpkin puree, mix until combined
- Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
- Add this dry mixture to wet mixture.
- Dough will be stick. If it is too sticky to work with refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- Roll dough (2 Tbsp) into a ball and place on covered cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Dip the bottom of a glass into the 1/2 cup sugar (grease or moisten the bottom of the glass to get sugar to stick) and press into each cookie, to about 1/4 inch thick. Dip glass into sugar between each cookie.
- Bake cookies for about 10 minutes.
Buttercream
- Combine sugar, cinnamon and butter.
- Add in milk until a nice spreading consistency is found.
- Frost cookies.
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t overmix the dough. Mix just until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Chill if needed. This is a soft dough but still workable. If your dough feels too sticky, a quick 15–20 minute chill makes it easier to scoop and shape.
- Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling has added sugar and spices and will change the texture.
- Bake just until set. The cookies should look slightly soft in the center—they’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Cool completely before frosting. Warm cookies will melt the buttercream.
- Add extra cinnamon. If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor in the frosting, taste and adjust as you mix.
- Make ahead friendly. Cookies and frosting can both be refrigerated or frozen for later.
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Ash says
Fluffy af. These cookies are so very good. Don’t be fooled by the ordinary looking recipe! Make sure to fully cream your butter! And from experience, no powdered sugar, no problem. I used all granulated sugar and it turned out fabulous.
Christine says
Looking forward to trying these! Do you frost these in advance or right before serving? Is the frosting stiff enough for the cookies to be stacked after frosting? Do you leave them out at room tempature after frosting or refrigerate them?
Leigh Anne says
You can frost them in advance. The frosting doesn’t get super hard but it does set up. I just store them at room temperature but they’d be good chilled too.
Christine says
Thanks so much for responding! Happy Halloween!
Desiree @ The36thAvenue says
Looking yummy… Pinning!
Kara says
These look so good! That cinnamon frosting sounds divine.