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I love pumpkin spice season! These Pumpkin Spice Cookies may not have any actual pumpkin in them – just pumpkin spice – but they’re an easy sugar cookie with warm fall flavors – and they’re addictingly good.

I took my favorite sugar cookie recipe and added pumpkin spice to the cookie and the icing. This is an EPIC fall cookie recipe: PUMPKIN SPICE SUGAR COOKIES!

pumpkin spice cookie with frosting on rack


BEST EVER Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Before some of you angrier readers send me comments at tell this recipe isn’t really pumpkin because there’s no canned pumpkin puree in them, don’t worry: I know. It’s pumpkin spice.

Pumpkin cookies are really good. I know, because I’ve made several pumpkin cookie recipes, even one stuffed with Nutella. But sometimes you’re in the mood for pumpkin spices but not actual pumpkin (you know, how I loved the PSL before it actually had pumpkin in it?) That’s where these cookies come in!

These cookies are TO DIE FOR. I literally ate 5 without thinking about it. And then I had to give away a bunch and throw some away (!!!) to get rid of them. These cookies are “cover with coffee grounds in trash” cookies. Some of you get that reference. You know – when you cover food with coffee grounds so you don’t go back digging in the trash for them.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies are an easy sugar cookie recipe filled with pumpkin pie spice in both the cookie dough and the frosting. They’re the perfect fall cookie recipe!

Important Ingredients Needed

  • Butter: I always use unsalted butter. Be sure to soften it before making the cookies so that it’s room temperature.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar goes into these cookies – they’re like a sugar cookie! You could also do half and half brown sugar if you want a more chocolate chip cookie texture.
  • Cream of Tartar: I use this to keep the cookies nice and soft. Learn all about Cream of Tartar – and if you don’t have it you can substitute 1 tsp lemon juice.
  • Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin Pie Spice is another one of those enigmas to me because every recipe I’ve found for pumpkin pie spice is different. Cinnamon and nutmeg are always there. But some have allspice, some have cloves and some have ginger. Some have a combination or none of the above. That’s why I made my own DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice so I never have to guess, plus it’s easier than getting out all the spice jars individually.
4 photos showing how to make pumpkin spice cookies

How to make Pumpkin Spice Cookies without pumpkin

  1. Cream Butter and Sugar: Use a hand or a stand mixer to cream your butter and sugar until fluffy.
  2. Add Egg and Vanilla: I like to mix those in before adding dry ingredients.
  3. Add Pumpkin Spice: A whole lot of it!
  4. Flour: Mix in the all-purpose flour then you can scoop and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F.
pumpkin spice cookie with frosting on rack

Ingredients in Pumpkin Spice Frosting

  • Softened Butter – I prefer using unsalted butter.
  • Powdered Sugar – a classic frosting ingredient
  • Vanilla and Pumpkin Spice
  • Heavy Cream – you can sub milk but you’ll need less of it
4 photos showing how to make pumpkin spice frosting

How to make Pumpkin Spice Frosting

  • Butter and Sugar: Mix the two until they’re crumbly.
  • Spice: Add the pumpkin spice.
  • Cream: Add the cream and mix. The cream makes the frosting fluffy and delicious.
  • Frost: You have a creamy frosting – time to frost your cookies!

If you want, you can make cream cheese frosting instead and add the pumpkin pie spice. This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe!

pumpkin spice cookie with frosting on rack

Expert Tips

FAQ

Why don’t your cookies have pumpkin in them?

I have a pumpkin cookie recipe but for these I wanted just a pumpkin spice cookie!

What can you substitute for cream of tartar in cookies?

You can use 1 tsp lemon juice in place of the cream of tartar in this recipe.

How do you use spices in place of pumpkin pie spice?

If you have all the spices and not the pumpkin spice, you can make your own DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Do you have to chill the cookie dough?

No these cookies are drop and bake which is why I love them.

My cookies didn’t flatten.

Did you use too much flour? They should flatten just fine if baked right after mixing. Also check the expiration dates on your baking soda and cream of tartar.

My cookies are much thinner than yours.

Chances are your butter was too softened and your cookie dough was too sticky and warm going into the oven. If that happens, chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.

Do I have to frost the cookies?

No these are good plain too!

Do I have to use heavy whipping cream in frosting?

You can also use milk or half and half, or even nondairy milk. Just know you’ll need less of it – the less fat your milk has the less you need to make the frosting thin enough to spread.

closeup of pumpkin spice sugar cookie with frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe

4.46 from 11 votes
Pumpkin Spice Cookies are an easy sugar cookie recipe filled with warm fall pumpkin spices, both in the cookie and the easy frosting!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 22 cookies
Serving Size 1 cookie

Ingredients
 

For the Cookies:

  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour

For the Frosting:

  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper.
  • Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in egg and extract. Mix in pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour.
  • Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough (use a cookie scoop if you have one) onto cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 9-10 minutes. Take them out just as you notice the bottoms start to turn golden (or right before). They’ll finish cooking as they cool. If they get too golden on the bottom before you remove them, they won’t be as pillowy and soft!
  • Cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  • Make the frosting: Beat butter until creamy with a hand or a stand mixer. Mix in salt. Slowly add in powdered sugar until mixture is crumbly. (It will be very crumbly if using a hand mixer, more smooth if using a stand mixer.) Add vanilla, pumpkin spice and 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Mix until the frosting comes together and becomes smooth, adding remaining tablespoon of heavy whipping cream as needed for consistency. Frost.
  • Store at room temperature loosely covered. Frosting will semi-dry and cookies are stackable but some frosting may transfer.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

To make the frosting with Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer instead:

Mix 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 2 cups powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons pumpkin spice coffee creamer until smooth. Frost as desired.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Pumpkin Spice Cookies are the BEST Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with pumpkin spice FROSTING! These are an easy fall cookie with tons of spice and they’re the most popular fall cookie recipe!

Last Updated on September 26, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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9 Comments

  1. I make these every year as a tradition now, and everyone in the family and at work asks every fall, “when are you making the cookies??” Thank you!

  2. My cookies didn’t spread out. They remained in ball/dome shape even after cooling. I followed the recipe added everything I needed to. Any suggestions?

    1. Sometimes if they get extra cold while chilling (chilled longer than an hour or two) I’ll press them slightly with the palm of my hand before baking to help them spread.

  3. I just made these! The only thing I did different was add a spoon of maple syrup to the icing! These are so delicious!

  4. Love these! Love using pumpkin pie spice in cookies rather than actual pumpkin as the texture doesn’t get all wonky which can happen so easily when you add pumpkin puree. That may have only taken me about 99879 batches of cookies to figure out when I was writing my cookbook. LOL  I love the frosting on these. Mmmm!! And the collage! Pinned 🙂

    I put a recipe for pumpkin pie spice in my book and when I was researching it, yes, there’s a million different combos and since I’m a spice hoarder I do always have all the component spices on hand so it’s easier to DIY. Usually. Until those seasonal jars of TJs spices come out for like 1.99.  That’s hard to beat!