These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are made slice & bake style! They’re much, much easier than you might think and are the perfect Thanksgiving, Halloween, or Fall-time treat! I’ve included a how-to video to show you exactly how to make them at home!
The Cutest Cookies of Fall
I’m sure you’ve seen these cookies before in the supermarket. You know that holiday-themed cookie dough you can buy at the grocery store with cute Easter bunnies or Christmas trees or pumpkins inside?
They’re adorable and my grandmother always makes them around the holidays and as a kid I ate them right up. As an adult, I tend to avoid them and reach for some of her homemade treats (like her apple cake or hot milk cake). But rather than write off those (adorable) cookies forever, I decided I would just make my own! Everything is better from scratch, and these pumpkin sugar cookies are no exception.
I used my icebox cookies as the base for today’s recipe, the dough is super simple to make and the technique is easier than you might think. Let’s get to it!
Using the Simplest Method Possible
I toyed around with a few options for getting the design in the center of the cookie. First I tried dying part of the dough orange, rolling it out, and using a cookie cutter to cut out dozens of mini pumpkins (finding a pumpkin cookie cutter that was small enough was hard to do!). This worked just fine and would be a good idea if you were trying to do a more intricate design, but let’s be real, pumpkins are just… round, so we don’t really need a cookie cutter to get that shape.
So, rather than use a cookie cutter, I dyed about one fourth of the dough orange and simply formed it into a round log and made it slightly flat on the bottom.
This is how we make our pumpkin!
Details Matter!
Of course, at this point it’s hard to really tell that it’s a pumpkin, so we need to add another key feature, like a pumpkin stem!
To make the stem I used a wooden skewer (though you could use almost anything, like a butterknife or the edge of a ruler) and make an indent that I’ll place my “stem” into.
Then we make the stem! Take a small bit of the uncolored dough (you only need 1-2 tablespoons) and dye it green (I use gel food coloring because it’s very vibrant, I linked to the colors I used in “equipment” section of the recipe). Roll this into a series of thin ropes (I found that if you try to make one long rope it breaks and can be difficult to manage) and lay it into the indent you just made.
Tip: Don’t bury the stem completely into the indent, you want it protruding from the top of the pumpkin some, like a real pumpkin stem would!
Once you’ve formed your pumpkin log (you’ll actually make two, this is easier to work with than one super long roll of dough) you’ll want to chill it in the freezer until it’s firm enough to be handled without losing its shape.
I usually place mine on a small baking sheet and place them in the freezer for at least 15-30 minutes.
Tip: You don’t want the plain dough to be as cold/firm as the pumpkin-shaped dough, it should be a bit warmer so it’s pliable and easy to wrap around the pumpkin without ruining its shape. Keep it at room temperature, or, if it’s too sticky, pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes while your pumpkin dough is in the freezer!
Getting A Pumpkin In A Cookie
Once your pumpkins are prepped and very, very well chilled, it’ time to wrap them in the remainder of your dough. In the photo above, I flattened the uncolored dough quite a bit, more than you really need to. This works just fine, but after making these pumpkin sugar cookies a few times I found it was easier to just wrap the dough around the pumpkin-shaped log the way I did it in the video.
The important thing is that you keep the pumpkin in the center of the dough, so that it has an even perimeter of uncolored cookie around it.
It’s very important that the pumpkin sugar cookie dough chill completely after you form it into logs. It will need to chill for several hours, but you can make it up to a week in advance of slicing and baking (just keep the logs tightly wrapped in plastic wrap!).
Tip: Place the cookie dough logs on a plush kitchen towel to keep them from getting a flat bottom from sitting on the hard refrigerator shelf!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I just prefer gel food coloring because it is more vibrant and you need much less of it than you do liquid.
Yes! After forming the complete cookie dough logs, the dough can be frozen for several months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator the day before baking, then bake as instructed in the recipe.
You can do this recipe with basically any design, so long as you can shape the design! Small cookie cutters would work (using the method I discussed earlier in the post) or, if it’s a simple shape like a ghost or a Christmas tree, you can form the shape yourself based off of the tips here and otherwise follow the instructions in the recipe.
More Recipes You Might Like
- Spooky Spider Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dessert Shooters
- Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert Shooters
- Witch Cauldron Brownie Bites
Enjoy! If you try this recipe (or if you get creative and use this method to make cookies with a different shape!) please make sure to leave a comment or share a picture on Instagram and tag me! 💜
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened (but not melty!)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Orange food coloring I prefer gel food coloring and used Amerigel electric orange, which I’ve linked to in the equipment section
- Green food coloring
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract and use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat until creamy, fluffy, and well-combined.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.2 ½ cups (315 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring on low-speed, until all ingredients are completely combined. Pause occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Remove about ¼ of the dough (this is ¾ cup or 220g) and place it in a separate bowl. Remove a tablespoon from that and place in another bowl.
- Add orange food dye to the ¾ cup of dough and stir, adding more until it’s a nice pumpkin-y color. Add green food coloring to the 1 Tablespoon of dough and stir until it’s a vibrant green. Leave the uncolored majority of the dough plain.Orange food coloring, Green food coloring
- If the colored dough is too sticky to manage, pop it in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes. When manageable, divide the orange dough into two pieces and roll each into a skinny log that’s about ⅔” tall by 1” wide. Use a wooden skewer or knife to indent a line into the top of the orange dough (see photo or video for visual if needed).
- Roll the green dough into a series of skinny strips and line these into the indent of the orange log (see photos or video for visual if needed). Repeat with the remaining orange and green dough. Place these on a tray and place in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes to an hour. Cover your uncolored dough and place that in the refrigerator in the meantime.
- When pumpkin logs are firm, remove from freezer and remove uncolored dough from refrigerator. Divide uncolored dough into two pieces and wrap one half around one pumpkin log and the second half around the other. Form a smooth log and mold the dough so the pumpkin is the center. Wrap dough logs with plastic wrap and place on a plush kitchen towel (so the bottom doesn’t flatten) and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours and up to one week.
- Before baking, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper (or you may bake directly on ungreased baking sheet).
- Slice dough into ¼” thick slices and space cookies at least 2” apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in 375F (190C) oven for 10 minutes or edges are just beginning to turn a light golden brown. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Mary
Video now active -yay — just in time as the dough is chilling in the freezer
Sam
I hope you love them!
Mary
Help Sam — I’m not seeing/find the video link — I always like to watch them a couple times before I dive in. Looks like this could be a bit tricky (no tricks, just treats!).
Sam
Hi Mary! If you have an ad blocker enabled it will also disable the video. You can always find them on Youtube. 🙂
Theresa
Perfect! Remade and perfect! I used regular butter and the dough rolled and was not sticky. Came out perfect. I’m bringing them to my son’s class Halloween party and can’t wait for the kids to enjoy them. Thanks for sharing this recipe. You make everything so easy and delicious.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Theresa! 🙂
Susan G
Could you give an approximate length of your orange logs?
Sam
Hi Susan! They were probably around 8 inches long. 🙂
Erika
First of all, I love all the recipes I’ve tried so far and haven’t had an issue yet! But for some reason this recipe is stumping me! Both times I’ve tried to make the cookie dough it’s not turning into dough. It’s super sticky and not a dough like consistency. I know my measurements are correct so I’m not sure what’s going on!
Thanks for all the amazing recipes Sam!
Sam
I’m so sorry this is happening, Erika! This can happen if your butter is too soft when you start, or it may just need a little more flour. I hope it goes better next time. 🙂
Theresa
I had the same issue but I think it’s because I mistakenly used plant based butter. The dough won’t roll and is super sticky! The batter is delicious, so I’m going to try again and be sure to use regular butter. I think the issue was baker error. 😉 I’ll post again once I’ve tried again.
DianeO
I baked this recipe with my Dad. It’s a fun project that’s intriguing to some. I’d make it again and will try Deborah’s Christmas cookie idea.
I over chilled the white dough by mistake. It didn’t conform enough to the orange dough, creating gaps in the cookie.Yes, you warned us. Fortunately, the white dough softened while waiting for the oven to heat up and I was able to press the white dough against the orange dough.
Thank you for such a cute baking project.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you two had fun baking together! Sounds like they turned out nicely regardless of the mishap 😊
Lisa A Martinos
I made them today to use. tomorrow. After I made the cookie dough logs I put them in the freezer. So I should take them out of the freezer in the morning ants then put them in the fridge so they are good to bake in the evening?
Sam
Hi Lisa! You’ll need to get them to the refrigerator for a bit so you can slice them. 🙂
Nat
These turned out really well- I added some pumpkin spice into the orange part of the dough as a surprise in the center.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum, we love that idea Nat! Thanks so much for your review 🙂
Kris
Hi there, really excited to bake these for Halloween (in UK!). Could I freeze the dough instead of chilling it, then slice it frozen before baking it? Thanks, Kris
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kris! We cover how to freeze the dough in the post. Enjoy! 😊
Ariana
My daughters LOVED making (and eating!) these this fall! They have requested we make them again for Thanksgiving! They are also wondering about making them with a Christmas themed center!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them, Ariana! That sounds like a lot of fun! What kind of design would you put in the middle?
Deborah Schmidt
Going to try for Christmas w/ red & green “ornaments” in place of the pumpkin.
Gold sprinkles instead of stem;
Rolling dough in sugar crystals before slicing.
Sam
I hope you love them! They sound like lots of fun. 🙂
Lisa A Martinos
how would we make a Xmas tree or other themed shape for the cookies? I know Sam said use a cookie cutter but does that mean cut dozens out and stack them on top of each other until we get a log?
Sam
Hi Lisa! If you could form the pumpkin log into a Christmas tree shape that would work. 🙂
Tyler
The cookies are so good, maybe the best sugar cookie I’ve ever had!!!!! However, when I made these, there were 3 pumpkin logs, and only enough uncoloured dough to coat one. 🙁
So I might recommend deciding the dough in half rather than 3/4 and 1/4. Other than that slight casualty, these are amazing and I will make again!
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that you enjoyed them, Tyler. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Katie
Oh, you accidentally pulled out too much dough. You were supposed to take out 1/4 of the dough, then 1 TB of that. The 3/4c is so you can actually measure that 1/4 of the dough.
Tyler
Katie you are a lifesaver!!! Thanks so much
Leslie
Amazing flavor!! And SO easy! One question – I’ve made these twice within the last week (the rolls have chilled about 24hrs before baking both times) and I’m finding that I can only bake them a max of 8 minutes before they end up over-baked. Is there anything I’m possibly doing wrong with the dough or is this just something to keep tabs on with my oven?
Sam
Hi Leslie! I’m glad you enjoyed them! Your oven may be running a little bit hotter than it says it is or maybe your cookies are slightly thinner than mine. I don’t think you are doing anything wrong here. 🙂
Jody
I find this happens to me whenever I bake cookies on a dark colored baking pan. Try using light colored if you aren’t already.
Darcy
Love love love love…… to infinity this recipe!! So fun and easy. I’m going to attempt to make jelly fish for my next batch!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Darcy! Jellyfish would be really cool! 🙂
Annabel
These were omg AMAZING. I was intimidated at first cutting into it but they were great! They’re almost gone now and I made them only last night haha!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Annabel! That’s a lot of cookies to eat that fast, but I can’t say it doesn’t happen in my house all the time. 🤣
Annabel
haha! we have grandparents visited so w/ a house of 10 people they sure did disappear fast!
Corrin
Oh my gosh, these are so cute!! I’m going to have to add these to my list of fall recipies to make this year along with your pumpkin muffins!
Sam
Thank you so much, Corrin! I hope you love them! 🙂
Susan
Good morning, Sam
This recipe looks yummy, and I have 2 questions for you. What is the name of the food coloring gel that you use, and where can I get it? Also, could I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar? I love watching your show and cooking.
Thanks,
Susan
Sam
Hi Susan! I actually have links to the food colorings right in the recipe card under “recommended equipment.” I would not recommend using powdered sugar here. 🙂