As the crisp air signals autumn’s arrival, there’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies filling your home. These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream are the epitome of fall indulgence – a perfectly soft, tender, and subtly spiced treat. Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of classic pumpkin pie flavors, elevated by a luscious, sweet maple cinnamon buttercream frosting that truly defines “bakery-style” perfection. This recipe isn’t just about baking cookies; it’s about embracing the season with warmth, flavor, and a touch of homemade magic.
For devoted pumpkin enthusiasts, the autumn season is a culinary wonderland. If you adore pumpkin as much as we do, you’ll be thrilled to explore our extensive collection of delicious pumpkin recipes. Dive into the rich flavors of our beloved Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, a moist and decadent dessert that’s perfect for gatherings, or warm up with a cozy Pumpkin Steamer, an indulgent beverage that feels like a hug in a mug. Each recipe celebrates the versatility and comforting essence of pumpkin, making your fall baking adventures truly unforgettable. Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert or a simple seasonal sip, our pumpkin creations are sure to delight.
The Inspiration Behind Our Favorite Fall Cookie: A Taste of Nostalgia
I distinctly remember the day this recipe first came to life, quite a few years ago. I have always been a devoted collector of notebooks – those wonderful blank canvases that hold countless ideas, dreams, and culinary inspirations. I must have a million of them scattered around my home, each filled with scribbled notes and forgotten lists. One afternoon, while leisurely flipping through the well-worn pages of an old, beloved notebook, I stumbled upon a page bursting with creative ideas for new pumpkin recipes. Among those exciting possibilities, the concept for these delightful pumpkin sugar cookies immediately caught my eye.
The core inspiration was simple yet profound: my enduring love for the iconic Lofthouse cookies. You know the ones – those wonderfully soft, tender, and slightly cake-like sugar cookies crowned with a generous swirl of sweet, pillowy buttercream frosting. What’s not to adore about that perfect combination, right? This pumpkin-infused rendition takes that beloved concept and elevates it to new heights, transforming a classic into a seasonal masterpiece. Each cookie is delicately spiced with just the right amount of pumpkin pie seasoning, delivering a warm, inviting flavor that truly embodies the essence of autumn. The natural sweetness and earthy notes of pumpkin puree lend an unmatched depth and moistness to the cookie base, creating a tender crumb that simply melts in your mouth.
But the real showstopper, the element that truly makes these cookies a home run and gives them their unmistakable “bakery-style” appeal, is the incredible maple cinnamon buttercream. Seriously, if you’re someone who appreciates the rich, earthy notes of maple or the comforting warmth of cinnamon, then this buttercream is an absolute must-have in your life. It’s a game-changer, with its velvety smooth texture and deeply aromatic flavor profile. The vibrant maple extract, combined with a generous hint of cinnamon, creates a frosting that is both sweet and perfectly balanced, complementing the spiced pumpkin cookie base without overwhelming it. It’s this exquisite frosting that transforms a simple pumpkin cookie into an unforgettable culinary experience, making it the perfect indulgence for fall festivities or a cozy evening treat.
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Achieving the perfect flavor and texture for these bakery-style pumpkin sugar cookies relies on selecting high-quality ingredients and understanding their specific role in the baking process. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need to create these irresistible treats, along with tips for best results:
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the fundamental structure for our cookies, ensuring they hold their shape while remaining tender. I’ve exclusively tested this recipe using standard all-purpose flour, which consistently gives the cookies their ideal soft yet sturdy base. For best results, measure your flour accurately by spooning it into a dry measuring cup and then leveling it off with a straight edge to avoid over-packing.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents are crucial for giving the cookies their signature light and airy, “bakery-style” texture. Baking powder works rapidly to create initial lift, while baking soda reacts with the acidic pumpkin puree to provide additional rise and tenderness, preventing the cookies from becoming dense. Together, they create a wonderfully soft and pillowy crumb.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This aromatic spice blend is the heart of the pumpkin flavor, infusing the cookies with that quintessential taste of fall. You can easily make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture for a fresher, more customizable flavor profile, or opt for a good quality store-bought blend for convenience. Don’t hesitate to adjust the amount to your personal preference for spice intensity – a little more or less can tailor it to your palate.
- Unsalted Butter: Used generously in both the cookie dough and the buttercream frosting, butter contributes immense richness, tenderness, and flavor. It’s absolutely essential for your butter to be at a true room temperature – soft enough to indent with a finger but not greasy, shiny, or melted. This consistency ensures it creams properly with sugar, creating air pockets that contribute to the cookie’s soft texture and the frosting’s exceptionally fluffy consistency.
- Granulated Sugar: This provides essential sweetness to the cookie dough and aids in achieving a beautiful, golden-brown edge during baking. When creamed with butter, it creates tiny air pockets that form the foundation of a tender cookie.
- Large Eggs: Eggs act as a vital binder in the dough, adding moisture, richness, and helping to emulsify all the ingredients together. Using large eggs is standard for most baking recipes, providing the right balance for the recipe’s structure and consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of pure vanilla extract enhances all the other flavors in the cookies, adding a warm, aromatic depth that complements the pumpkin and spices beautifully. Always opt for good quality pure vanilla extract for the most authentic and delicious taste.
- Pumpkin Puree: The star ingredient for both flavor and moisture! You can use canned pumpkin puree (ensure it’s 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling) or prepare your own homemade pumpkin puree. If using homemade, which often has a higher water content, I highly recommend draining it thoroughly through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve to remove excess moisture. This critical step prevents the cookie dough from becoming too wet, which could lead to flat or cakey cookies, and ensures they bake up with the perfect soft texture.
- Maple Extract: For that distinct, robust, and intense maple flavor in the buttercream, maple extract is key. It’s a highly concentrated flavoring agent, so a small amount goes a long way. While maple syrup could be used, it won’t deliver the same strong maple essence without altering the frosting’s delicate consistency. You can often find maple extract in the baking aisle of your local grocery store or easily purchase it online.
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): This superfine sugar is absolutely essential for creating a smooth, silky, and stable buttercream frosting. I typically don’t bother sifting it, as beating it thoroughly with butter and cream will generally eliminate any lumps. However, if your powdered sugar is particularly lumpy, a quick sift can ensure an even more exceptionally smooth frosting.
- Ground Cinnamon: While some cinnamon is already present in the pumpkin pie spice, an additional dash in the frosting significantly amplifies its warm, inviting aroma and flavor. This extra boost of cinnamon pairs perfectly with the maple, creating a truly irresistible frosting. Feel free to adjust the amount to your preferred level of cinnamon spice.
- Salt: A small pinch of salt in the buttercream is vital. It acts as a flavor enhancer, balancing the intense sweetness of the powdered sugar, preventing the frosting from tasting overly sugary, and bringing out the complex notes of maple and cinnamon.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: This luxurious ingredient transforms the buttercream, making it exceptionally light, fluffy, and silky smooth. It adds a decadent richness and helps achieve the perfect spreadable consistency. While whole milk can be a substitute, heavy cream yields a noticeably superior texture and mouthfeel.
- Seasonal Sprinkles: Totally optional, but a scattering of fall-themed sprinkles or a dusting of extra cinnamon adds a festive touch and a pop of color, making these cookies even more visually appealing, especially for special occasions or holiday gatherings.
Expert Tips for Unbelievably Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
The hallmark of a truly exceptional pumpkin sugar cookie is its soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, reminiscent of those found in a gourmet bakery. Achieving this isn’t difficult, but it does require attention to a few key details throughout the baking process. Here are my tried-and-true secrets to ensure your homemade pumpkin sugar cookies are always perfectly soft, tender, and utterly irresistible:
- Do Not Overbake Your Cookies: The Golden Rule of Softness
This is perhaps the single most crucial tip for achieving and maintaining soft cookies. Overbaking is the quickest way to dry them out, resulting in a hard, crumbly texture. You must remove your pumpkin sugar cookies from the oven when they are just barely set in the center and still appear noticeably pale in color. The edges should show no signs of browning; a slight golden hue is acceptable, but anything more means they’ve gone too far. Remember, cookies continue to bake for a few minutes on the hot baking sheet even after they’ve been removed from the oven. This residual heat helps them firm up without over-drying. If they look perfectly done in the oven, they’re probably already overbaked. Aim for a slightly underdone appearance, and they’ll reach perfection as they cool. - Bake Them Quickly at a Slightly Higher Temperature
These particular cookies bake surprisingly fast, often needing only about 7 minutes per batch. A slightly higher oven temperature (like 425°F or 220°C) is beneficial because it helps them bake through quickly, setting the edges and allowing the centers to remain moist and soft before they have a chance to dry out. Always keep a close eye on them, especially during your first batch, as actual oven temperatures can vary slightly from what’s displayed. Use a timer and check them promptly. - Avoid Overmixing the Dough for Tender Results
Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, it’s critical to mix only until they are just combined. Overmixing vigorously or for too long develops the gluten in the flour, which leads to a tougher, chewier cookie rather than the desired soft, cake-like texture. As soon as you no longer see significant pockets of dry ingredients, stop mixing. A few small streaks of flour are perfectly acceptable and will disappear during baking. - Chilling the Dough is Non-Negotiable for Shape and Texture
Refrigerating your cookie dough for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight, is a vital step for multiple reasons. First, it makes the dough much easier to handle and roll out, preventing it from sticking excessively to your hands or rolling pin. Second, and perhaps most importantly for soft cookies, chilling helps to solidify the butter in the dough. This prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking, ensuring they retain their thickness and chewiness, resulting in a beautiful, plump, and soft cookie rather than a thin, flat one. - Handle Re-rolled Dough Minimally to Preserve Softness
When working with a rolled cookie recipe, you’ll naturally have dough scraps left over from cutting out your initial shapes. While it’s tempting to re-roll these scraps to maximize your yield, be aware that the more you handle and re-roll the dough, the more gluten develops, which will make the cookies from those subsequent batches tougher and less soft. To minimize this effect, try to cut your cookies as close together as possible during the first roll to maximize your yield and reduce the amount of dough needing to be re-rolled. The first batch of cookies will almost always be the softest. - Roll the Dough to the Correct Thickness for a Plush Texture
Don’t be tempted to roll your dough too thin in an effort to get more cookies or for quicker baking. Thinner dough consistently results in harder, crispier cookies, which isn’t the desired soft, plush texture we’re aiming for with these pumpkin sugar cookies. Aim for a thickness of approximately 1/4-inch to ensure they bake up tender, moist, and perfectly pillowy. - Proper Storage for Lasting Softness and Freshness
If you’re not frosting the cookies immediately, ensure they are completely cooled before storing. Place the unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. This will help them retain their moisture and softness for several days. Once frosted with the delectable maple cinnamon buttercream, these cookies should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container to keep the frosting fresh and prevent it from melting or becoming sticky. For the best flavor and texture, allow them to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Try
If you’ve fallen in love with these soft pumpkin sugar cookies, you’ll be delighted to explore some of our other cherished cookie recipes. Each one is designed to bring joy and deliciousness to your kitchen, perfect for any occasion:
- Peppermint Holiday Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe: Get ready for the festive season with these delightful peppermint-infused soft sugar cookies, boasting a refreshing zing and perfect for holiday platters and thoughtful gift-giving.
- Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: A comforting and wholesome twist on a classic, these cookies combine the hearty goodness of oatmeal with the cozy flavors of pumpkin and rich, melty chocolate chips – a truly satisfying bite.
- Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies: Indulge in the rich, classic flavor of red velvet in a wonderfully soft, chewy, and gooey butter cookie form – an absolute treat for chocolate and cream cheese lovers looking for something extra decadent.
- Peanut Butter Blossoms: A timeless American classic, these tender peanut butter cookies topped with a milk chocolate Hershey’s Kiss are always a hit, perfectly combining salty and sweet in every irresistible bite.
- Frosted Chocolate Sugar Cookies: For the ultimate chocolate devotee, these incredibly soft chocolate sugar cookies, generously topped with a luscious and creamy frosting, offer a double dose of deep, satisfying cocoa decadence.
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Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream
Deborah Harroun
20
7
2
2 27
60 cookies
Dessert
American
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree canned or homemade (drained if homemade)
Maple Cinnamon Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Fall-themed Sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, typically about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing. Stir in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until just combined. Gradually add the prepared flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed only until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the cookie dough into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Chilling is crucial for making the dough easier to roll and preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking, ensuring they maintain their soft, thick texture.
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to ensure the cookies do not stick and bake evenly.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Lightly flour a clean work surface to prevent sticking. Take one disc of chilled dough and roll it out evenly to a thickness of approximately 1/4-inch. The dough will be slightly sticky, so dust with additional flour as needed, but avoid incorporating too much extra flour into the dough. Use a 2 to 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circular shapes. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Combine any dough scraps and re-roll gently as few times as possible to avoid making the cookies tough.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for about 7 minutes, or until they are just set in the center and still appear pale. It’s important to avoid browning the edges to maintain their signature softness. As soon as they are ready, immediately transfer the baked cookies to a wire cooling rack or a piece of waxed paper to cool completely. Ensure they are fully cooled before proceeding with frosting.
- Prepare Maple Cinnamon Buttercream: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer), beat the softened butter until it is light and fluffy, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Add the maple extract and mix until fully incorporated. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined and the frosting is smooth. Stir in the ground cinnamon and pinch of salt. Finally, add the heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat on medium-high speed for several minutes until the buttercream is incredibly light, airy, and wonderfully fluffy. This extended beating time is key for a truly bakery-style frosting.
- Frost and Serve: Once the cookies are completely cooled, generously frost each pumpkin sugar cookie with the prepared maple cinnamon buttercream. For an extra festive and appealing touch, adorn with fall-themed sprinkles, if desired. Serve immediately, or store them as recommended to maintain freshness.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided here is an estimate only and can vary significantly based on specific brands, ingredient substitutions, and precise measurements used. It should be considered a general guideline and not a substitute for professional nutritional advice.