Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
These pumpkin spice sugar cookies are a rolled cookie dough that are crisp and tender, but sturdy enough for decorating. It's an easy cut-out cookie recipe, with pumpkin spice & real pumpkin to capture the essence of fall!Recipe yield and total baking time will vary, depending on how thick you roll them and the size of your cookie cutters. Adjust baking times accordingly!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened (8 oz or 2 sticks)
- 1 cups sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp milk or cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp salt
Egg Wash (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp cold water
Instructions
mix & chill cookie dough:
- In a medium bowl, mix the spices, flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk or sift to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or mixer, cream the softened butter until smooth, then add the sugar. This is easiest with a stand mixer and paddle attachment, but you can use a hand mixer or a sturdy spoon.
- When the sugar and butter are fluffy and well mixed, add the pumpkin, then the egg and mix again until emulsified. Stop and scrape down the bowl, and then add the milk and vanilla. Cream together again until uniformly mixed.
- Add half of the spiced flour mixture and mix lightly on low speed for about 30 seconds, or fold it in gently. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl thoroughly, and add the rest of the flour mixture.
- Mix gently or on low just until the flour is combined. You may want to finish mixing by hand, or knead the dough two or three times just until it is combined.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic or seal it in an airtight container, and let it rest and chill in the fridge overnight, or at least 2 hours.
roll and cut cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line your cookie sheets with silicone non-stick sheets, parchment paper, or use nonstick sheets (or butter and flour them very lightly as a last resort).
- Working with about a quarter of the dough at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or a nonstick baking mat. Keep the rest of the dough chilled while you work.
- Roll the dough between ¼" to ½" thick, and use cookie cutters to cut shapes as closely together as possible. Transfer the dough to the cookie sheets, and chill the scraps of dough before re-rolling and cutting the rest of the cookies.
decorate cut-out cookies
- Score the cookies with a butter knife or the back of a spoon to add detail (leaf veins, pumpkin ribs, or other texture) to make your cookies more visually interesting.
- If you'd like glossy cookies, brush them with an egg wash made with one whole egg and about a tablespoon of water before baking. You can also leave them plain, or decorate with royal icing after they have baked and cooled.
bake & cool
- Bake them for 8-15 minutes, just until they look set and are very lightly golden brown around the edges. Thinner cookies will cook faster and thicker cookies will take longer, and the size of the cookies will also affect baking time, so check early and often! They will still be slightly soft but will firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a rack or cold cookie sheet with a thin metal spatula. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 143mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 658IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
