Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

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Based on my popular 5-star cut out sugar cookie recipe, these pumpkin spice cookies are soft and chewy with the perfect subtle pumpkin spice flavor. The dough is durable and easy to work with making the cookie shape possibilities endless!

Cut out pumpkin and jack-o-lantern sugar cookies on a wire rack with icing and sprinkles.
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Halloween marks the start of the festive holiday season which means celebration is in order and what better way to kick things off than with sugar cookies!

Check out my black cat halloween cookies and bat brownies for more spooky treats!

Pumpkin Spiced Cookies Ingredients and Substitutions

Pumpkin spice sugar cookie ingredients on a baking pan with labels.
  • Pumpkin - Real pumpkin puree is used in these cookies! Make sure the only ingredient on your can is pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling
  • Almond flour - This is the gluten free flour that will create soft tender sugar cookies.
  • Tapioca flour - Cuts the density out of the the almond flour and creates a fluffy pliable dough. If needed, substitute with arrow root starch.
  • Pumpkin spice - You can make your own or buy store-bought.
  • Coconut oil - Make sure it's melted and cooled down. Substitute with avocado oil, olive oil, or other neutral oil.
  • Maple syrup - Used to sweeten the sugar cookie. Swap with honey or agave if needed.

How to Make Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

Step 1 : Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk the eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

Pumpkin spice sugar cookies wet ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2 : Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, pumpkin spice, and baking soda to the bowl and fold with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until a large soft ball of dough forms. It should be pillowy soft and not too sticky.

If it does feel sticky, add another tablespoon of tapioca flour to the dough.

Pumpkin sugar cookies ingredients in a bowl about to be mixed.
Pumpkin spice sugar cookie dough in a bowl about to be rolled out.

Step 3 : Roll out the dough. Lay a piece of parchment paper down on a work surface and sprinkle with extra tapioca flour. I have found the parchment paper to be KEY with gluten-free cookie dough. Roll out the dough to about ½ inch in thickness.

Pumpkin sugar cookie dough rolled out on a marble surface.

Use pumpkin cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the sugar cookie dough. Remove the excess dough around the shapes and transfer the cookies to a prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown.

Jack-o-lantern cookies cut out of pumpkin cookie dough.
Pumpkin cookie dough with pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns cut out.

Step 4 : Prepare the icing. Sift the powdered sugar and pumpkin spice together. Then mix in the honey, almond extract, and water in 1 tablespoon increments until the consistency is that of glue.

Pumpkin spice icing mixed in a bowl.

Step 5 : Decorate. Ahh, the best part! Once the cookies have cooled, it's time to decorate! Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with the icing and pipe designs onto the cookies.

To make a "filled" design, trace the outer edges of the cookie with the icing then "flood" the center with the icing. Use a tooth pick if needed to pull the icing to the edges to fill it all in. I did this with the jack-o-lanterns.

While the icing is somewhat wet, add some sprinkles. If you don't have sprinkles, raw cane sugar or monk fruit work as well!

Pumpkin spice sugar cookies on a rack with icing.

How to Store

Allow the cookies to set completely before storing. The best way to store these is in a single layer on a plate or container with a lid.

Expert Tips

  • Don’t over mix your dough. Once there are no more flour clumps in the batter, give the mixture one more big mix and then it's done.
  • Some rolling tips. Use a generous amount of tapioca flour when handling the dough and a high quality rolling pin. When first rolling out your dough, sprinkle some extra flour on top of the dough and on your surface. Continue to sprinkle as you roll out the dough. I recommend dividing the dough in half as smaller sections are easier to handle. I have a marble rolling pin and absolutely love it! It definitely weighs a couple pounds but the added weight helps roll out the dough nice and smoothly.
  • Finally, if you struggle with transferring the cut out cookie dough to your baking sheet here is a quick tip. Roll out your dough on a piece of parchment paper the size of your baking sheet. Cut your cookies on the sheet and peel off the excess dough around each cut out. Transfer the parchment paper to the baking sheet. And voila! You’ve successfully transferred the cookies to your baking sheet without having to struggle to lift them off your surface.

For more festive fun, check out these recipes:


PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!


Recipe

Overhead view of pumpkin sugar cookies with icing.

Sugar Cookies with Pumpkin Spice

Based on my popular 5-star cut out sugar cookie recipe, these pumpkin spice cookies are soft and chewy with the perfect subtle pumpkin spice flavor. The dough is durable and easy to work with making the cookie shape possibilities endless!
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Icing time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16 Cookies
Calories: 218kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Cookies

  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil - melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups almond flour
  • 1 cup tapioca flour - plus more when rolling out the dough - at least ½ cup
  • ½ tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar - sifted
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • ½ tablespoon honey - swap with maple syrup or agave if needed
  • teaspoon almond extract - optional
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • Sprinkles - optional, I love this all natural sprinkle brand or you can use coarse cane sugar too

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, add the egg, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
    1 egg, ¼ cup pumpkin puree, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Fold in the almond flour, tapioca flour, pumpkin spice baking soda, and sea salt; set aside.
    2 ¼ cups almond flour, 1 cup tapioca flour, ½ tablespoon pumpkin spice, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle some tapioca flour on top. Place the dough on top and sprinkle a little more tapioca flour on top of the dough. Roll dough out to about ½ inch in thickness. Using cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased with oil. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until they turn a golden brown color. Let cool before icing.
  • For the icing, sift the powdered sugar with the pumpkin spice if you haven't already. Then add in the honey, almond extract, and water in 1 tablespoon increments until the icing reaches a glue-like consistency.
    2 cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice, ½ tablespoon honey, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract, 2 tablespoon water
  • Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with the icing and pipe designs on the cookies. While the icing is damp, add sprinkles if desired. Let the cookies set for at least 10 minutes and enjoy!
    Sprinkles

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 611IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
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