These pumpkin cut-out cookies are a fall twist on a classic sugar cookie! Use pumpkin cookie cutters to cut the soft sugar cookies into shapes then decorate with icing.
Love cute and easy Halloween recipes? Make witch hat cookies, Halloween sugar cookies or spider cookies, too!
Table of Contents
Why I Love These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Cute and festive: This variation of my soft sugar cookies are an easy Halloween dessert cut into pumpkin shapes and perfect for fall.
- Versatile: Just like my Halloween Oreo balls, the pumpkin shape makes them a great Halloween cookie recipe or to serve on a Thanksgiving dessert table.
Tips and Variations
- Cookie cutter shape: I used a pumpkin cookie cutter but you could just use a round cookie cutter or any other Halloween shape you like.
- Icing: I love to tint my buttercream frosting orange, but you can use sugar cookie icing or royal icing if you prefer.
- Fall flavor boost: A maple cream cheese frosting would add a fall flavor especially if you add some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to it!
- Chill dough: To prevent spread, chill dough at least 2 hours before rolling out and baking. For even better results, chill cookies after shaping into pumpkins.
- Food coloring: A gel food coloring will add the best vibrant color to dye the frosting.
How to Make Pumpkin Cut-Out Cookies
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs, vanilla, almond extract and sour cream and mix together until combined. Whisk dry ingredients separately, then slowly combine flour mixture with wet ingredients.
Split dough in two, wrap plastic wrap then refrigerator up to 2 hours. Using a rolling pin, roll out chilled dough on a baker’s mat. Cut with floured pumpkin cookie cutters then bake on parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 350°F for 8-9 minutes.
Combine frosting ingredients. When cookies are cooled completely, frost and decorate the pumpkin-cut cookies as desired. I like to use a green writing gel for the pumpkin stem.
Love easy Halloween recipes? Make Halloween punch, Halloween cake pops or easy Halloween Rice Krispie treats, too!
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Pumpkin Cut-Out Cookies
Equipment
- Pumpkin Cookie Cutters
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1 cup butter , at room temp
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs , at room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- ¾ cup butter
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- orange food coloring
Instructions
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup butter and 1 3/4 cups sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1 cup sour cream and mix together until combined.
- Mix dry ingredients and add to wet: In a separate bowl, mix together 5 1/2 cups flour,1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Chill dough: Split dough in two and place in saran wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Roll and cut out dough: Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on a baker's mat or parchment paper. Add another 1/4 – 1/2 cup flour if dough is still sticky. Cut with floured pumpkin cookie cutters.
- Bake cookies: Bake for 8-9 minutes, until bottoms are barely golden. Be very careful to not over bake. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 2 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool.
- Make buttercream: For the buttercream, combine 3/4 cups butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add orange food coloring until you reach desired color.
- Frost cookies: Once cookies are cooled, frost pumpkin cookies with orange frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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Categorized as: American, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Frosted Cookies, Halloween, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Reader Favorites
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
What a fun idea to have a cookie decorating party!
I made these for a football party and it was just such a perfect treat with a fall theme! They were so good.
So happy you enjoyed them!
These cookies were the most perfect activity for my kids to make, and they were delicious!
So glad everyone enjoyed them and had fun making them!
So cute! We loved making these for a fall themed party!
So glad you enjoyed them!