These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies might be one of my favorite fall cookies I’ve made. They start with my viral Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies and are topped with creamy orange vanilla buttercream, sparkling orange sanding sugar and a chocolate chip stem to turn each one into the cutest little pumpkin.
The best part is how easy they are to decorate. There’s no rolling out dough, cookie cutters or complicated royal icing involved. The cookies themselves are already round, so a few lines of orange buttercream are all you need to create the pumpkin shape.
These are obviously perfect for Halloween, but I love that they aren’t specifically Halloween cookies. They work all the way through Thanksgiving and would be so cute on any fall dessert table.
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
If you’ve made my Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies before, you already know how soft these are. The dough is made with butter, sugar, vanilla and a little almond extract, and cornstarch helps give the cookies that signature soft and chewy texture. They barely spread in the oven, so there’s also no chilling required. You can make the dough and bake them right away.
For this version, we’re keeping that cookie exactly the same and letting the frosting turn them into pumpkins.
How to Decorate Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating.
Tint the vanilla buttercream a bright pumpkin orange and transfer it to a piping bag. Pipe thick lines of frosting vertically across the cookie, following the round shape as you work toward the outside edges.
You don’t need the lines to be perfectly identical. The slight variation is actually what gives the pumpkins their shape.
Immediately cover the frosting with orange sanding sugar. I like to decorate one cookie at a time so the sanding sugar has plenty of soft buttercream to stick to.
Finish each pumpkin with a semisweet chocolate chip for the stem. I press the pointed end down into the frosting so the wider part of the chocolate chip sticks up from the top.
That’s it! No vines, leaves or faces needed.
Why Sanding Sugar Works So Well
You could technically stop with the orange buttercream, but the sanding sugar completely changes the finished look. It gives the pumpkins that sparkly, almost sugary coating you see in the photos while still allowing all of those piped pumpkin ridges to show through.
Be generous with it. I like the buttercream to be completely coated rather than having a light scattering of sugar on top.
Place a piece of parchment paper underneath the cookie while decorating and you can easily collect the excess sanding sugar and reuse it on the next cookie.
Recipe Tips
Don’t skip the cornstarch. Cornstarch is one of the keys to the soft, chewy texture of these cookies. It’s an important part of the original recipe and shouldn’t be omitted.
Don’t overbake the cookies. This is probably the most important tip. For the original large cookies, I bake them for about 10 minutes and let them finish setting on the hot baking sheet. Waiting for them to turn golden brown will leave you with a much drier cookie.
Flatten the dough before baking. These cookies don’t spread very much. After scooping, use the flat bottom of a glass to press the dough until it’s roughly ¼–½ inch thick. This also gives you a nice, flat surface for the pumpkin frosting.
Use a cookie scoop. I always recommend a cookie scoop so every cookie is approximately the same size and bakes evenly. The original recipe uses my large 3-tablespoon scoop for 12 large cookies. You can also use a smaller scoop for approximately 20 cookies; just reduce the baking time to about 8–9 minutes.
Decorate one at a time. Pipe the buttercream, immediately coat it in sanding sugar and then move on to the next cookie. This prevents the surface of the frosting from setting before the sugar can stick.
Use gel food coloring if you have it. You’ll get a vibrant pumpkin orange without needing to add a large amount of liquid to the buttercream.
No piping bag needed! To decorate these cookies, I simply scooped orange buttercream onto the center of each cooled cookie and pressed the frosting directly into a plate of orange sanding sugar. As you press, the buttercream spreads across the cookie and the sanding sugar coats the entire surface. Add a chocolate chip stem and that’s it!
How to Make Perfectly Round Cookies
For bakery-style round cookies, use the cookie scoot trick as soon as they come out of the oven. Place a round cookie cutter or glass that’s slightly larger than the cookie around it and gently move it in a circular motion. This pushes any uneven edges inward while the cookie is still warm and soft.
It’s a tiny extra step, but it makes a big difference, especially when you’re adding a symmetrical design like these pumpkins on top.
Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
Absolutely. You can bake the sugar cookies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate. Just make sure they’re completely cool before storing them.
You can also prepare the buttercream ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Let it return to room temperature and give it another quick mix before piping.
If I’m making these for a party or holiday, I’d personally bake the cookies ahead and decorate them closer to when I plan to serve them.
How to Store Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Store the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. If you need to stack them, place parchment paper between the layers to protect the frosting.
You can also freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Let them thaw completely at room temperature and then decorate with fresh buttercream, sanding sugar and chocolate chip stems. That’s the best way to preserve the finished look.
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are one of those recipes that looks like you spent way more time on them than you actually did. They’re soft, buttery and covered in plenty of vanilla buttercream, and the sanding sugar gives them the prettiest sparkle. Whether you’re making them for Halloween, Thanksgiving or just because it’s finally pumpkin season, they’re such a fun fall version of one of my favorite sugar cookies.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream or milk room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- orange food dye
- orange sanding sugar
- 18 semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and mix on low until just incorporated. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix on low just until everything is incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into 18 balls and place them 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Using the flat bottom of a glass, gently press each ball of dough until it is approximately ¼–½ inch thick. The cookies should remain round there's no need for a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter. I dip the bottom of my glass into powdered sugar to keep them from sticking to the dough!
- Bake for 10–11 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Don't wait for the cookies to turn golden brown or they may be over baked. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
For the frosting:
- While the cookies cool, make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Add the heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is smooth and reaches a thick, pipeable consistency. Add orange food coloring and mix until the buttercream reaches your desired pumpkin-orange color.
To decorate:
- Pour a generous amount of orange sanding sugar into a shallow bowl or plate. Once the cookies are completely cool, scoop a mound of orange buttercream into the center of each cookie.
- Turn the cookie frosting-side down and gently press the buttercream directly into the orange sanding sugar. The pressure will spread and flatten the buttercream across the surface of the cookie while completely coating it in sanding sugar.
- Lift the cookie from the sanding sugar and, if needed, gently shape the frosting into a rounded pumpkin shape. Press a semisweet chocolate chip into the top of the buttercream to create the pumpkin stem. Repeat with the remaining cookies and serve.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Soft and chewy frosted sugar cookies decorated with orange vanilla buttercream, sparkling sanding sugar and chocolate chip stems to look like adorable little pumpkins.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 large cookies
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Orange Vanilla Buttercream
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2–4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Orange food coloring
For Decorating
- Orange sanding sugar
- 12 semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar for 3–5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix on low until just incorporated.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix just until everything is incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place the dough balls 2–3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Using the flat bottom of a glass, gently press each cookie until it’s approximately ¼–½ inch thick.
- Bake for 10–11 minutes, or until the edges are just set. Do not wait for the cookies to become golden brown.
- Remove from the oven. If desired, immediately use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently reshape each cookie into a perfect circle. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the buttercream. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt until smooth. Add the heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a smooth, pipeable consistency.
- Add orange food coloring and mix until you reach your desired pumpkin-orange color.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag. Pipe thick vertical lines across each completely cooled cookie, following the rounded shape of the cookie to create pumpkin ridges.
- Working one cookie at a time, generously sprinkle the freshly piped buttercream with orange sanding sugar until completely coated. Gently shake off the excess.
- Press one semisweet chocolate chip, pointed side down, into the top of each pumpkin to create the stem.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Card Summary
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies start with my viral soft frosted sugar cookie recipe and are topped with orange vanilla buttercream, sparkling sanding sugar and a chocolate chip stem. They’re soft, chewy and surprisingly simple to decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving or any fall celebration.
If you actually used the smaller scoop for the batch pictured, I would change the final card to approximately 20 cookies / 8–9 minutes rather than 12 large / 10–11 minutes. The base recipe supports both sizes, so I don’t want to choose which one you filmed without you confirming it. My Messy Kitchen