There’s just something about soft, chewy pumpkin sugar cookies topped with a swirl of sweet frosting that feels like the essence of fall. These Fall Frosted Sugar Cookies are a cozy twist on pumpkin sugar cookies—lightly spiced, soft in the center, and finished with a fluffy buttercream frosting and festive sprinkles.
If you’re looking for easy fall themed desserts, these cookies are perfect for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving dessert tables, or just a fun baking project at home. They’re one of my favorite pumpkin desserts to bake because they’re easy, pretty, and always a crowd-pleaser.
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Ingredients for Fall Frosted Sugar Cookies
For the Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ to 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg yolk (omit white to balance moisture from pumpkin)
- 1 Tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 teaspoons milk or cream (as needed for consistency)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Fall-themed sprinkles, for decorating
How to Make Fall Frosted Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
In a separate large bowl, cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
Step 2: Chill the dough
Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30–45 minutes. This helps the cookies keep their shape and creates the perfect soft, chewy bite.
Step 3: Scoop and bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place them a couple inches apart. Gently press down the tops to flatten slightly.
Bake for 10–14 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops look just dry. Leave them to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Step 4: Make the buttercream frosting
Beat the softened butter until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing well. Add vanilla and just enough milk to reach a creamy, spreadable consistency.
Step 5: Frost and decorate
Once the cookies are completely cool, frost them generously with buttercream and top them with fall-themed sprinkles to make them festive and fun. I like to use a piping bag with no tip to have more control on my frosting spreading (and to make it pretty), but a butter knife also works.
Store the cookies in the fridge in an airtight container. If stacking, place parchment or wax paper between layers. For best results, let them come to room temperature again before serving.
Pro Tips
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- Chill the dough: Don’t skip the chilling step! It helps the cookies keep their shape and prevents them from spreading too much. Also, make sure to use baking sheets that aren’t still hot from the oven for baking.
- Let them cool on the cookie sheet: I wouldn’t recommend putting these on a wire rack to cool because they’re so cakey. Instead, you can just let them firm up on the cookie sheet, and I would even try to get them off the baking sheet with a spatula, as they’re kind of delicate when they’re fresh-baked.
- Store in the fridge: Store your frosted cookies on a flat surface in the fridge to prevent the frosting from smudging. If you need to stack your cookies on top of one another, place a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between them so your frosting doesn’t get moved around too much. Then, let them thaw to room temperature before serving.
- Use a piping bag for pretty frosting decoration: I like to start in the middle of the cookie and then draw a swirl going out. If you make your frosting really, really thick (I get it; I love frosting too!), please note that you’ll probably need a double batch of frosting. I try to kind of press down on my piping bag so that the frosting spreads while I add it and then I don’t use too much.
FAQs
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes! Pumpkin sugar cookies taste even better the next day once the flavors have had time to develop. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Can I use store-bought frosting?
You can, but homemade buttercream makes these cookies stand out and keeps them in the category of special fall desserts. Homemade buttercream really elevates your desserts to the next level for not too much extra work. However, if you’re in a pinch, then frosting from a can works too.
Do these cookies spread a lot while baking?
In my experience, the amount of time you chill them will indeed relate to how much spread there is. If you chill them for an hour or more, the spread isn’t a ton and you’ll have thick, soft cookies. If you chill them for 30-45 minutes, they’ll spread more, but shouldn’t turn into a puddle or anything. If you don’t chill the dough, I would expect them to spread a lot; maybe even too much.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Absolutely. Freeze them frosted or unfrosted in an airtight container. If freezing frosted cookies, add a layer of parchment between them to keep the frosting neat. Also, note that you may see some condensation on your sprinkles if you defrost frozen cookies. This is normal, and it might cause the color in your sprinkles to bleed a bit, but your cookies will still taste the same.
These Fall Frosted Sugar Cookies are a fun and festive way to enjoy pumpkin desserts. Whether you serve them at a Thanksgiving dessert table, bake them for a fall party, or just make them at home to celebrate the season, they’re sure to be a hit.
Fall Frosted Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice adjust to your tastes
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla
Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanila
- Fall themed sprinkles for decroating
Instructions
Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a separate large bowl, cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
- Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30–45 minutes. This helps the cookies keep their shape and creates the perfect soft, chewy bite.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place them a couple inches apart. Gently press down the tops to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 10–14 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops look just dry. Leave them to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Make Buttercream Frosting and Decorate
- Beat the softened butter until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing well. Add vanilla and just enough milk to reach a creamy, spreadable consistency.
- Put frosting in a piping bag with no tip or a plain, round tip and pipe frosting in a circular swirl on top of each cookie. You can also spread the frosting with a butter knife.
- Top with fall-themed sprinkles
- Store the cookies in the fridge in an airtight container. If stacking, place parchment or wax paper between layers. For best results, let them come to room temperature again before serving.
