Soft pumpkin sugar-cookie cut-outs with real pumpkin puree, warm spices and orange-tinted buttercream ridges.
The important detail in this recipe is the way the dough is shaped and finished. Cut chilled ¼-inch dough into 3-inch pumpkins or autumn leaves. Arrange 3 inches apart and keep the second slab refrigerated while shaping the first.
Before mixing, measure the flour without packing it and prepare the pans. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices. Use plain canned pumpkin puree and remove excess water before measuring the ¼ cup needed here.
Watch the first tray closely near the end of the baking range. Let the cookies cool completely before finishing: Beat frosting butter smooth, then add confectioners’ sugar on low. Add milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice and salt, and beat creamy. Tint with a little optional orange gel color. Spread or pipe curved ridges on completely cooled pumpkin shapes.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Per tray: 11–13 minutes · About 3 trays, 9 cookies per 13 × 18-inch half-sheet pan.
Plan 234 minutes: 45 hands-on, 120 required chilling, 39 for all trays baked sequentially, and 30 cooling including pan rest. Preheat during preparation or the final chilling minutes. Ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale or US measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl and silicone spatula
- Electric hand mixer
- 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Rolling pin with ¼-inch guides
- 2½–3-inch cookie cutters
- Thin cookie spatula
Soft pumpkin sugar-cookie cut-outs with real pumpkin puree, warm spices and orange-tinted buttercream ridges.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches. Keep piece size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Cookie dough
Spiced buttercream
Instructions
Mixing
- Make the doughBlot the pumpkin until ¼ cup (60 g) remains. Whisk flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Cream dough butter and sugar, beat in yolk, vanilla and blotted pumpkin, then mix in dry ingredients on low.
Thermal management
- Manage the doughRoll the freshly mixed dough between lightly floured parchment sheets to ¼ inch thick, cover and refrigerate until firm for the stated chilling time. Keep the second slab refrigerated while cutting the first.
Shaping
- Shape evenlyCut chilled ¼-inch dough into 3-inch pumpkins or autumn leaves. Arrange 3 inches apart and keep the second slab refrigerated while shaping the first.
Baking
- Bake one tray at a timePreheat to 350°F (175°C). Bake on the center rack for 11–13 minutes. Edges should be set and only lightly colored; centers must lose their wet sheen. Use cool pans for subsequent trays.
Cooling
- Let the crumb setRest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes total, before frosting.
Finishing
- Complete the cookiesBeat frosting butter smooth, then add confectioners’ sugar on low. Add milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice and salt, and beat creamy. Tint with a little optional orange gel color. Spread or pipe curved ridges on completely cooled pumpkin shapes.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Use puree, not pie filling
Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices. Use plain canned pumpkin puree and remove excess water before measuring the ¼ cup needed here.
Keep the portion consistent
Cut chilled ¼-inch dough into 3-inch pumpkins or autumn leaves. Arrange 3 inches apart and keep the second slab refrigerated while shaping the first. Different thicknesses need different baking times; bake comparable pieces together.
Keep the puree concentrated
The measured 60 g is blotted puree. Extra water makes cut-outs softer and more prone to losing their outlines. Blot first, then weigh the amount used in the dough.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 1 day | Keep frosted cookies covered in a cool room. If the room is warm, refrigerate them promptly instead. |
| Refrigeration | Frosted cookies: up to 4 days | Refrigerate in a sealed container; bring out only the portion you will serve and let the frosting soften briefly. |
| Freeze raw | Up to 2 months | Freeze cut shapes flat, then seal in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, checking near the usual window and allowing extra time if needed. |
| Freeze baked | Up to 2 months | Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months, then thaw sealed and frost. This preserves a neater finish. |
| Restore | 30–60 minutes | Thaw plain cookies in a closed container and frost after thawing. Do not heat frosted cookies in the oven. |
Notes
- Use the gram weights for the most consistent dough. Small leavener weights are approximate; measure teaspoons carefully. Egg weights exclude shells. Oven temperatures refer to a conventional oven. Start with about 6 tablespoons (86 g) canned pumpkin puree and blot off moisture with paper towels until ¼ cup (60 g) remains. Do not use sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24. Includes required fillings and toppings, excludes optional decoration and unused rolling flour. Brands and actual portion sizes change the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
What texture should these cookies have?
Soft pumpkin sugar-cookie cut-outs with real pumpkin puree, warm spices and orange-tinted buttercream ridges. Judge the final texture after cooling, not while the centers are warm.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices. Use plain canned pumpkin puree and remove excess water before measuring the ¼ cup needed here.
Can I skip blotting the pumpkin?
The measured 60 g is blotted puree. Extra water makes cut-outs softer and more prone to losing their outlines. Blot first, then weigh the amount used in the dough.
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