Soft Batch Iced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
These soft batch iced pumpkin sugar cookies are perfectly soft with just the right amount of spiced pumpkin flavor!
So I have a question for you. Does pumpkin literally go with anything these days?
I was trying to think about Pumpkin Combos That Should Never Be and every time I thought of one, I googled out of curiosity and sure enough, pages of recipes.
Pumpkin and olives? There’s a recipe for that. Pumpkin vinegar? Recipe for that, too.
Pumpkin and mustard? Go ahead, google it.
It’s kind of weird. Like, who would ever think those combos would be delicious? Apparently I’m the one living in a box…and now I kind of want to try a recipe or five.
Good thing it’s a complete no-brainer that pumpkin and cookies are meant to be. And to take it one step further, pumpkin and sugar cookies are a match made in paradise.
I took a really, really old (but fabulous) recipe I posted way back in 2008 and decided it needed a pumpkin makeover. 1st batch = too bland, 2nd = too dry and puffy, 3rd = perfection.
All of that work required a lot of pumpkin sugar cookie sampling. Of course, no one around here was complaining about that. Shocker.
These pumpkin sugar cookies are perfectly soft with just the right amount of spiced pumpkin flavor and the simple icing is creamy and sweet with a special hint of cinnamon.
I swirled the icing on fairly thick (um, because it’s sweet and yummy) but you could mix it on the thinner side and have a glaze-like consistency. It’s really up to you.
And I really think someone should try adding just a smidgeon of soft cream cheese to the icing. And then invite me over. Ok?
Soft Batch Iced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 ½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar, for pressing
Icing:
- 2 cups (228 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), cream together the powdered sugar, granulated sugar and butter with a handheld electric mixer until combined. Slowly drizzle in the coconut oil and mix.
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla and pumpkin and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix well.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into balls (if the dough seems sticky, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or lightly grease your hands – I was able to roll them right after mixing). Place the balls on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Using a drinking glass with a flat bottom, dip the glass in the 1/2 cup sugar (lightly grease the bottom of the cup the first time to help the sugar stick) and press each cookie to about 1/4-inch thick, dipping the glass in the sugar between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
- For the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly add the milk (or cream) and whisk vigorously until smooth. Use more or less cream depending on the consistency you want (the thinner it is, the easier it will set so the cookies can be stacked).
- When the cookies are completely cooled, swirl a little icing on top of each cookie.
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Recipe Source: adapted from this Sugar Gems recipe that I posted way back in 2008
77 Comments on “Soft Batch Iced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies”
I can’t believe no one has asked this yet, but between this recipe and the older pumpkin cookie recipe (https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pumpkin-cookies-with-caramel-frosting/)- which do you prefer? I may make both, for a side to side comparison, but I thought I’d ask first- they both look awesome. Though I can’t believe you didn’t include the new bars in the pumpkin email. I may have to make those first, then these… Thanks for all the pumpkin everything!
Hey Rebecca, these soft batch cookies probably edge out the other cookies, but just by a small margin!
Thanks, Mel! I’ll make these first… 🙂
They are delish! My 13 yo and I made them this afternoon, along with the caramel frosting from the other recipe, piped to look like mummies with Wilton candy eyes. They are cute, and yummy! I didn’t think through the color effect of swapping in DARK brown sugar in the frosting- oh well, aged mummy wrappings would be sort of beige, right? 🙂 Thanks for another winner! Our stay home Halloween will be sweet…
I left comments before, but forgot to rate it. So perfect!
I think these are perhaps my favorite cookies ever, and that’s saying a lot! They were so perfectly soft, the flavor was so nuanced and the texture was delightful. Perfectly spiced (without clove). I topped it with your caramel frosting (cutting back a bit on the powdered sugar), and I simply delight in remembering each wonderful bite. Great job, Mel. You make eating fun! Since I am limiting how much I eat, it is nice when the food is truly amazing. 🙂
I might have made these three times this week to eat and share with a lot of friends!! They couldn’t have been any more perfect and everyone LOVED them. I was asked at least 3 times for the recipe!! Thank you. A family favorite and new tradition around here.
Yay!!
I made these today, and they were really good. Soft and perfect. I topped them with cream cheese frosting instead of the icing listed, and it was delish. People liked them, but didn’t RAVE about them.
Perfect pumpkin sugar cookie!
I had a can of pumpkin and was looking for something other than a chocolate chip cookie for dessert, and these hit the spot! Super good! My 5 year old proclaimed, “These are the best cookies I ever tasted!” Thanks for another winner of a recipe.
I know I’m a few years late, but I came across this recipe today & made it with my 2 yr old. (We still had a random can of pumpkin hangin’ out leftover from fall.) Mess aside, we had a great time making these! The directions were clear, and they came our PERFECT! We were able to roll them into perfect balls without refrigerating, etc. My 2 yr old would have been perfectly content leaving it in batter form. 😉 Needless to say, we ate them right out of the oven (ok, they cooled *just* a tad) & had a very hard time letting them cool long enough to frost them. I enjoy the added sweetness of the frosting, but honestly, they’re delicious without. I’ll definitely be making these come fall!
I am making a second batch of these sugar cookies in a week. The pumpkin flavor is subtle and amazing. The spice is just perfect (I did leave out cloves because i did not have any). I frosted mine with a brown butter frosting and they were in your mouth perfection.
Hi Mel:) I’m planning on making these tomorrow for my book club, and as I was making my list of ingredients to buy tomorrow, I noticed there is no butter in the frosting. I’ve never had a frosting without butter that didn’t taste uber sweet, like plain powdered sugar. But on the other hand, I totally trust you, so I guess this frosting must be awesome without butter in it? Thoughts? Thanks:)
Hi Meg – the frosting is on the sweet side; if you want to counteract that a bit, thin it out with cream (not milk).
Thanks Mel:)
Any idea how well these would work using ALL coconut oil (no butter)?
I haven’t tried it but I think it stands a good chance of working pretty well although you might need to add a pinch more salt!
I made these tonight using all whole wheat flour and they turned out great! I refrigerated the dough for several hours, rolled it out onto a piece of parchment that had been dusted with powdered sugar, and cut it into shapes using Halloween cookie cutters. I frosted them with a brown butter salted caramel cream cheese frosting and they were divinnnnnne. 🙂
These were SO good. My husband and I have been nibbling all night as the frosting dries. I only wish I’d doubled the batch!!
I made these after church today and sent some home with our HT. They are delicious cookies! They melt in your mouth and I agree with another commenter, that they aren’t overly sweet, which I liked a lot. The cookie goes so well with the sweet icing!
Made these over the weekend and they are a huge hit over here! The perfect amount of spice. Thanks!!
I love pumpkin, spices, and autumn flavours so I literally went to the kitchen and made a batch of these when I saw the recipe today! The cookies are just coming out of the oven and they are a perfect blend of pumpkin and spice! They are super soft and not overly sweet, which I love, You can really taste the pumpkin and spices! And the icing on top compliments the cookies perfectly!. Soo delicious!! Thanks Mel!!! =)
Does it have to be coconut oil? Can vegetable oil be used instead?
Yes, you could use vegetable oil.
Do you think these could be used with cookie cutters? Or its it too soft? My kids want to decorate some and I think this spin on them would be yummy.
I think these are a little soft for rolling out and using cutters (you could experiment adding more flour to make the dough sturdier but I’m afraid that might make the cookies dry).
First I just want to say a BIG thank you for sharing your talents and posting so many delicious recipes. You are my go to site for dinner inspiration. Second, I am wondering what the cream of tartar does for this recipe? Do you think they would still work without it?
Hi Bridget – it helps a bit with flavor and also activating the leavening in the cookies so I’d keep it in there if you have it on hand.
I have a most beloved pumpkin cookie with a brown sugar glaze that is a family favorite. I have a couple kids who aren’t big cream cheese frosting fans so we’ve stuck solely with that one. I’m glad to have another delicious option!
These turned out PERFECTLY. Seriously. Like amazing. They weren’t too pumpkin-y or too heavy in spices. I refrigerated mine for a little before baking, and they held their shape very well. I added about 2 TB of softened cream cheese to the frosting and it was just perfect. I added some sprinkles over the frosting for a little crunch. Just amazing. Thank you!
Just wanted to reply to Jennifer’s comment. Butter is not bad for your heart! That myth is based on bad science and perpetuated by food companies interested in making money. The Big Fat Truth by Nina Teicholz is a good read.
Mel, how do you do it? They were great. Perfect size, perfect texture, perfect flavor.
I made these today. I didn’t have coconut oil so subbed in canola oil. These came out really good. I especially like the topping,i made mine more glaze-like and thry dried nice and shiny. As an added bonus, your house smells sooo good while these are baking. Thanks Mel!
The crumb on these is incredible! They lasted about 5 seconds when I took them in for my employees the other day. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
These are super duper delicious!! Love finding new ways to use pumpkin. Going to use the leftover on my grandmas pumpkin roll! Can’t get enough pumpkin!
could I use pumpkin pie spice instead of using the different spices separately?
I’m sure you can although I don’t know the exact amount…maybe start with a teaspoon or so and add more to taste?? Good luck!
I made these last night to take to a pot luck dinner. Last minute I couldn’t go and my family was delighted! They loved the cookies! Defintely a new fall favorite at our house! I did add 1/4c. softened butter to the frosting/glaze. I liked the flavor it added. Butter makes everything better. Right? My daughter just reminded me it doesn’t make my heart better!
These cookies look so good Mel! I just love soft cookies with lots of spices. I love gingerbread – I think these would be right up my alley!
I’m tempted to try this in bar format.
I put mine in a 9×13″ greased pan and baked for 18-20 minutes. I like the resulting bars.
So did everyone at work…
Do you think I could replace the butter with coconut oil (so do a cup of coconut oil)? I have a couple dairy allergy kiddies. 🙂
I’m going to try these in a pumpkin bar form, for times sake!…..stop me if you think it won’t work!!! Thanks for sharing your awesome recipes Mel..I have to San Fran chops in the slow cooker right now!!
I have a jar of pre-mixed pumpkin spice. Can I substitute for the individual spices? If so, how much should I use? Just put up my fall decorations last night, so I’m ready for some pumpkin cookies! Thanks
I’m sure you can although I don’t know the exact amount…maybe start with a teaspoon or so and add more to taste?? Good luck!
Was trying to figure out what to bake today to warm up the house. DD said she was wanting something with pumpkin the other day so these will be perfect. Going in to make them now. Will update with the final results.
Back to update. These are by far the best cookies I’ve made in a long time. I love that they aren’t overly sweet. The pumpkin flavor is easily tasted and the texture is amazing.
I did make a couple of alterations based on what I had on hand. I left out the cloves since I am out of them (and not a big cloves fan anyways), I also used a whole egg instead of just the yolk since I had no plans for an egg white and didn’t want to waste it.
I added a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg to the icing too, to taste since I wanted it more of a savory icing instead of a sweet icing. YUM!!!!!!! That icing would awesome on pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
This cookie has been added to our holiday gift lineup. I’m sure everyone will love it.
Of course it does go together with everything. I made a pumpkin gnocchi lately – yummy. Your cookies are next 😀
I knew I was going to make these tonight as soon as I saw them this morning. Just took the last batch out of the oven. They are soft without being too cakey. I really like the texture. I thinned the frosting and made it into a glaze. Just brushed on the tops of each cookie with a pastry brush. I think they are quite good but I’ll bet they will be even better tomorrow after the spices have a chance to mellow. I will make these again.
These look incredible. Thanks so much. Pinning!
These cookies look to die for, Mel! Pumpkin and olives? Not so much! 😉 Oh, and what I wouldn’t give to be your recipe test taster. That’s one awesome job!
That’s ’cause you’re thinking sweet. Think pumpkin as a vegetable….think mediterrean and suddenly olives sound good w/pumpkin. It’s also wonderful in Thai chicken curry.
Laurel and I switched to using coconut oil on your recommendation. We both love the hint of coconut in our baking. So good…
Which coconut oil do you use for this recipe? Refined or unrefined? I am curious of the cookies have a coconut flavor to them.
I use extra virgin coconut oil (the unrefined) for this. There isn’t a noticeable coconut flavor at all.
Thanks for the response! 🙂 This recipe looks delicious!
I do not have coconut oil; could I substitute another type of oil or butter? (if butter, how much should I use?)
I do not have coconut oil; could I use another oil without changing the taste/flavor? (or butter and if so, how much would I use?)
I would love for your to come visit. Let me know when your in my area and I will have some of those yummy cookies waiting. Thanks for ALL the wonderful recipes you share.
I like that these aren’t puffy and cakey looking! They’re perfect!
I visited a friend this weekend, and came home with 6 pumpkins. Needless to say, I am
looking for recipes, and these cookies look tantalizing, to say the least!
Is canola oil interchangeable with coconut oil?
Hi LaRene – yes, you can use another liquid oil like vegetable/canola in place of the melted coconut oil.
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them. I am allergic to coconut though – how would you recommend changing the recipe to skip the coconut oil?
Jessica – I’d use another liquid oil like vegetable/canola in place of the melted coconut oil.
these look great! Any idea on a substitute for coconut oil?
Amanda – you can use another liquid oil like vegetable/canola in place of the melted coconut oil.
I love this idea, Mel, and it’s fun to see the reference to a post from 2008. I starting following you in 2009, so it’s a good reminder for me to check out anything I missed!
Look SO yummy! Anything I could use to substitute the coconut oil with, if say I didn’t have any on hand and the thought of dragging two children to the store would rob me of my cookie making joy?
You’re so right that pumpkins have been paired with everything. I thought I had a genius idea for Pumpkin Shandies…not as original as I had hoped (but definitely more delicious than pumpkin + olives).
These are on my to bake list for this week, no contest.
Quick question: is “ground coves” supposed to read “ground cloves”?
Yep, thanks for the heads up – just fixed it! 🙂
Love pumpkin anything! These look amazing! Thanks Mel! Would you come to Kansas to try them if I put cream cheese in them??? You are welcome over anytime! 🙂
I am going to make these this week. I knew I could count on you to come up with a great pumpkin recipe this fall. These look like those yummy Lofthouse cookies, which I won’t ever eat because they are so bad and toxic for people. Thanks for a great alternative and a soft cookie. 🙂
BTW- my hubby thinks I am the best cook because of your recipes.
Oooh, I love those sugar gems. I cannot wait to try these. Perfect for the first day of fall!