Last updated on August 26th, 2025 at 09:12 pm
If you love pumpkin desserts with cream cheese, these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are cozy, cute and delicious. The cookies themselves are soft and chewy with just the right amount of pumpkin spice flavor. But the real magic is the tangy cream cheese frosting. It pairs perfectly with the pumpkin sugar cookies and makes every bite taste like the best of fall.
Whether you’re baking for a fall party, prepping a Friendsgiving dessert table, or just looking for a pumpkin dessert that feels extra special, these cookies are an absolute must. Let’s get baking!
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
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 Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2-2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 teaspoons milk or cream (as needed for consistency)
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice).
In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.
Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla until combined.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Step 2: Chill the dough
Because pumpkin adds extra moisture, chilling the dough for about 30–45 minutes helps the cookies hold their shape and gives them that perfect chewy texture.
Step 3: Scoop and bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and 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. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet so they firm up.
Step 4: Make the frosting
Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, then add vanilla and just enough milk or cream to reach a spreadable consistency.
Step 5: Frost and finish
Once your cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on top. If you’re feeling festive, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or crushed pecans.
Store the frosted cookies in the fridge in a single layer, or with parchment paper between layers if stacking. They also freeze well when stored in an airtight container. Allow them to come to room temperature again before serving.
Pro Tips
- 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. 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.
- Don’t add too much liquid to your frosting: Cream cheese frosting is a bit tricky. You can add a teaspoon or so of milk if you think your frosting is too thick, but cream cheese frosting quickly goes from thick to far too watery if you add a lot of milk.
FAQs
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes! Pumpkin sugar cookies actually taste even better the next day once the flavors have had time to blend. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Can I use canned frosting instead?
Technically yes, but homemade cream cheese frosting is what makes these cookies stand out among other pumpkin desserts. I’m a big believer in “the frosting makes the dessert” and that homemade frosting will always taste 10x better than canned frosting.
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 make them smaller or bigger?
For sure! For mini pumpkin cookies, check at 8 minutes when baking. For larger ones, bake closer to 13–14 minutes.
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are one of those pumpkin desserts you’ll come back to every fall. They’re cozy, comforting, and just the right mix of classic and festive. Perfect for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving dessert tables, or simply treating yourself to something seasonal.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
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
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup pumpkin
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tsp milk or cream to adjust consistency
Instructions
Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice).
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla until combined.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
- Chill the dough for at least 30–45 minutes to help the cookies hold their shape.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and 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. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet so they firm up.
Make the Frosting and Decorate
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, then add vanilla and just enough milk or cream to reach a spreadable consistency.
- Once your cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on top. If you’re feeling festive, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or crushed pecans.
- Store the frosted cookies in the fridge in a single layer, or with parchment paper between layers if stacking. They also freeze well when stored in an airtight container. Allow them to come to room temperature again before serving.
