Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Published September 16, 2014. Updated October 11, 2024

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Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting – a lighter and sweeter alternative to the moist, rich, and dense pumpkin cookies you’re used to. These pumpkin cookies use a sugar cookie dough that’s infused with pumpkin purée and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Then the soft and chewy cookies are frosted with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting that will knock your socks off! 

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

My obsession with sugar cookies continues. This time around we’ve got an autumn-inspired sugar cookie that is completely irresistible! These are soft along with just the right amount of slight chewiness to them. They have just enough pumpkin flavor and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting just takes them over the top. You need to try these at least once…and then you’ll want to make them forever after.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking Classy

I love pumpkin spice everything so it’s really due time that I have a pumpkin sugar cookie recipe. I know my family completely agrees. They got to test one from each of the 4 test batches this past weekend. Far too many cookies around here, but we aren’t complaining.

I recommend using a cookie scoop to create uniform dough balls, then giving them a quick chill in the fridge so they’ll hold their shape while baking.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking Classy

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking Classy

Other Pumpkin Desserts to Try

If you don’t love pumpkin for dessert, I’m convinced that you simply need to try it in a new version. I have so many yummy recipes that are perfect for every occasion: delivering treats to neighbors, pumpkin pie alternatives for Thanksgiving, game day treats, for Halloween parties, class parties, autumn birthday cakes, or just a cozy night in.

Give a few of these a try to see which you like most. I love pairing pumpkin desserts with a glass of hot apple cider or cold milk!

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

4.60 from 5 votes

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft and tender Lofthouse style cookies flavored with pumpkin and spices and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. 
Servings: 24
Prep30 minutes
Cook24 minutes
Ready in: 54 minutes

Ingredients

Frosting

Instructions

  • For the cookies:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger for 20 seconds, set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, shortening and sugar until pale and fluffy.
  • Mix in egg yolks one at a time. Mix in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Scoop dough out and shape into 3 Tbsp balls (I just filled 1/4 cup 3/4 full). Place on Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets (you'll only be able to fit about 8 per sheet, these are fairly large cookies), and using your fingers lying flat, evenly flatten cookies into rounds until they are slightly under 1/2-inch thick.
  • Bake in preheated oven 11 - 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Store in an airtight container.
  • For the frosting:
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy.
  • Mix in cinnamon, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix in enough milk to reach desired consistency and mix until smooth and slightly fluffy.
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Amount Per Serving
Calories 240 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 102mg4%
Potassium 60mg2%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1293IU26%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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95 Comments

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  • Cathy

    I have made this recipe twice, first as is and the second time I added chopped pecans and candied ginger to the dough. I prefer the additions, they gave some texture to what is a flabby cookie. My cookies did not turn out chewy at all, either time. Good taste, but I would appreciate suggestions to improve the texture. I made the icing as is first time, and the taste was good but the color was very unappetizing–kind of mouse brown, from the cinnamon I guess. I added a little bit of yellow and red food coloring the second time, and the pale orange looked nice with the cookies.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      You can reduce to one egg yolk and they should be a bit more chewy (I tried both one and two egg yolks). And for the frosting just whip it longer and it should become pale or use less cinnamon and add some ginger.

  • Renee @ Awesome on $20

    These sound absolutely perfect. I’d love to try them. Hashtag pumpkin everything.

  • Marisa

    Yum! I have been finding for something pumpkin flavoured lately and these seem to be EXACTLY what I need! Love love love cream cheese frosting! My only fear is i’ll eat the entire batch! Thanks for sharing :)

  • Julie

    Hi there! This looks amazing! Wondering if there is something else I can use in place of shortening – more butter? I don’t have much experience with shortening so I don’t know what would be a good sub :)

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      You might be fine to use the butter but your cookies will likely spread just a little bit more and the texture will be slightly different, but it would be the best sub if you don’t want to use shortening.

      • Morgan

        Can always use coconut oil (solid at room temp). Instead of shortening…refined has no coconut flavor ;) thats what i did. These were a bit too sweet for me, although I love pumpkin and cinnamon…I do think they are good without frosting though :)

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