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Cozy Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Easy Icing

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Soft, pillowy pumpkin spice sugar cookies with a sweet, creamy icing. Perfect for fall baking, these cookies come together in about 30 minutes and are a crowd-pleaser for cozy evenings and holiday cookie swaps.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree (100% pure, not pie filling)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1½ cups (180g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk (whole milk preferred)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until just combined (about 1-2 minutes on medium speed). Mixture should look slightly grainy, not creamy.
  3. Beat in pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Mixture may look slightly curdled—this is normal.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until flour disappears. Do not overmix.
  6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 15 minutes (30 minutes is better).
  7. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion dough into balls and roll smooth between palms. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set and tops look slightly cracked. Centers will still be soft and puffy.
  9. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth and glossy. Add more milk if too thick, more powdered sugar if too thin.
  11. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies using a spoon or piping bag. Let icing set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes to prevent spreading. Blot pumpkin puree if watery. For a thicker icing layer, let first layer set 10 minutes then add a second. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days; freeze un-iced cookies up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin spice, sugar cookies, fall cookies, pumpkin cookies, easy icing, soft cookies, holiday cookies

Find it online: https://recipebelle.com/cozy-pumpkin-spice-sugar-cookies-with-easy-icing/