These Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies are the perfect way to embrace the flavors of fall. With their soft, chewy texture and warm, comforting spices, they will become a seasonal favorite in your household. Whether you're baking for a special occasion or just craving a taste of autumn, this recipe delivers delicious results every time.
Pumpkin spice has become synonymous with fall, and for good reason. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves encompass crisp autumn days, cozy sweaters, and slow mornings into the perfect fall cookie.
These pumpkin spice cookies incorporate this beloved flavor profile into a treat that captures the fall season in every bite.
If you are a pumpkin fan check out my Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Maple Latte, and Pumpkin Banana Bread.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and Easy: These cookies come together in under 30 minutes, making them perfect for a last-minute treat.
- Festive Flavor: The pumpkin spice blend brings the cozy, warm flavors of fall into every bite.
- Kid-Friendly: Kids will love helping to make (and eat) these soft and chewy cookies.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the recipe to suit your taste or dietary needs.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Kerrygold Butter works great. You will want to use unsalted, room-temperature butter.
- Egg: Room temperature, pasture-raised organic egg.
- Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling! Check the ingredients and make sure the only ingredient listed is organic pumpkin puree.
- Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar is not refined, and a great replacement for white sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Gluten-Free Flour: You can use any gluten-free flour here, however, I prefer 1:1 baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour.
- Almond Flour: Super fine almond flour works best. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Baking Powder
- Sea Salt: Redmond Real Salt is a great option.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Simply Organics makes my favorite Pumpkin Pie Spice. You can also make your own by combining ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Powdered Sugar: Lakanto makes a Monk Fruit sweetener which is a fantastic 1:1 substitute for powdered sugar.
- Dairy-Free Milk: I use my Homemade Cashew Milk, which is slightly sweetened, but any non-dairy milk (or dairy if you can easily tolerate it) will work.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-step instructions
Mix the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk the gluten-free baking flour, almond flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: Add the room-temperature butter, and coconut sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment of your electric mixer, mix at medium speed until combined.
Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, pumpkin pie puree, and vanilla extract.
Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed. Once combined, add another ⅓ of the flour mixture and repeat for the final ⅓. Mix on medium-to-low until combined. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Place in the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees f. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form the cookies: Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the sugar cookie dough and roll it into a ball, then place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until you have formed 12 balls.
Place a small square of parchment paper or plastic wrap (large enough to cover the ball) on top of one of the balls of dough. Using a mason jar gently press down on the dough until it flattens about halfway. Continue until all 12 balls have been pressed down. Be careful not to flatten completely.
Bake: Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
Cool: Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the icing.
Prepare the icing: Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon dairy-free milk to a small bowl and stir to combine. If you need to thin out the icing add another tablespoon of milk.
Icing the cookies: Once the pumpkin cookies have cooled, add 1 teaspoon of icing to each cookie. Spread it out to cover the top of the soft sugar cookie and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.
Substitutions and variations
- Non-Gluten-Free: If you are not gluten-free you can swap out the gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour.
- Vegan: Substitute the butter with dairy-free butter, and the egg with a flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoon water).
- Extra Spices: Add a pinch of warm spices like allspice or cardamom for an extra kick of flavor.
- Sugar: If you are not concerned with keeping the recipe refined sugar-free, you can swap the coconut sugar for brown sugar.
- Frosting: You can top these soft sugar cookies with royal icing, buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting for extra flavor.
Serving suggestions
- With a Hot Drink: Serve these cookies with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate for a cozy treat.
- Holiday Parties: These cookies make a great addition to a holiday cookie platter or dessert table.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches: Sandwich a scoop of vanilla or pumpkin ice cream between two cookies for a decadent dessert.
- Gift Idea: Package these cookies in a decorative tin or jar to give as a homemade gift.
Storage and reheating
- Room Temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze the baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: If you like your cookies warm, reheat them in a 300-degree f oven for 5 minutes.
Top tip
For the perfect texture, be careful not to overbake these cookies. They may look slightly underdone when you take them out of the oven, but they'll continue to set as they cool. This ensures a soft, chewy center with slightly crisp edges.
FAQ
No, you will want to stick to real pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugars and spices that will alter the pumpkin flavor and texture of the cookies.
Yes! You can prepare the dough and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours before baking. Just let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping and baking.
Absolutely! If you prefer, you can mix your own blend of spices using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Adjust the ratios to suit your taste.
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Soft Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies With Frosting
Ingredients
For The Cookies
- ½ cup Butter room temperature, unsalted
- 1 Egg room temperature
- ½ cup Coconut Sugar
- ⅓ cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 1 cup Almond Flour super fine
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
For The Icing
- ¼+2tbsp cup Monk Fruit Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon Dairy Free Milk
Instructions
For The Cookies
- In a small bowl, whisk the gluten-free baking flour, almond flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- Add the room-temperature butter, and coconut sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment of your electric mixer, mix at medium speed until combined.
- Beat in the egg, pumpkin pie puree, and vanilla extract.
- Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed. Once combined, add another ⅓ of the flour mixture and repeat for the final ⅓. Mix on medium-to-low until combined. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Remove your bowl from the stand-mixer and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the sugar cookie dough and roll it into a ball, then place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until you have formed 12 balls.
- Place a small square of parchment paper or plastic wrap (large enough to cover the ball) on top of one of the balls of dough. Using a mason jar gently press down on the dough until it flattens about halfway. Continue until all 12 balls have been pressed down. Be careful not to flatten completely.
- Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the icing.
For The Icing
- Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon dairy-free milk to a small bowl and stir to combine. If you need to thin out the icing add another tablespoon of milk.
- Once the pumpkin cookies have cooled, add 1 teaspoon of icing to each cookie. Spread it out to cover the top of the soft sugar cookie and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.
Notes
- Non-Gluten-Free: If you are not gluten-free you can swap out the gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour.
- Vegan: Substitute the butter with dairy-free butter, and the egg with a flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoon water).
- Extra Spices: Add a pinch of warm spices like allspice or cardamom for an extra kick of flavor.
- Sugar: If you are not concerned with keeping the recipe refined sugar-free, you can swap the coconut sugar for brown sugar.
- Frosting: You can top these soft sugar cookies with royal icing, buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting for extra flavor.
- With a Hot Drink: Serve these cookies with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate for a cozy treat.
- Holiday Parties: These cookies make a great addition to a holiday cookie platter or dessert table.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches: Sandwich a scoop of vanilla or pumpkin ice cream between two cookies for a decadent dessert.
- Gift Idea: Package these cookies in a decorative tin or jar to give as a homemade gift.
Nutrition
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