These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are sweet, super soft and chewy with a mild pumpkin flavor throughout. Topped with a maple glaze drizzle, they’re gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily vegan.
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies taste like pumpkin but the flavor is soft and smooth. I do like pumpkin flavor but I’m not one for having it be super aggressive and slapping me in the face. That’s why these cookies are so wonderful.
If you're looking for more sugar cookie recipes try Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, Small Batch Sugar Cookies and Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies.
Reasons To Love These Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan).
- Soft & Chewy- These cookies are the most perfect texture.
- Covered in a Maple Drizzle- The maple glaze helps give added sweetness that blends beautifully with the pumpkin flavors.
- Autumn Flavors- The pumpkin, cinnamon and maple combined remind us of fall!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this one because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy.
- Unsalted Butter or Vegan Baking Sticks- Don’t use melted; the cookies will spread.
- Pure Pumpkin: Gives the cookies lots of moisture since they are egg free. Make sure to use pure pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- Granulated Sugar: These are sugar cookies so there is sugar inside them and also we roll the dough in more sugar!
- Cinnamon- Brings in the sweet yet woodsy flavor.
- Maple Syrup- We use pure grade A maple syrup in the glaze that ties all the flavors in together!
Expert Baking Tips
Use Room Temperature Butter
Using butter that’s room temperature is great when making these cookies.
However, make sure you DO NOT melt the butter.
These cookies have no egg in them and already have a tendency to want to spread out when baking.
If you use melted butter, the cookies will be a giant mess.
Chill The Dough
I know this seems like a step you could skip if you’re in a rush but please don’t.
Cookies without eggs spread way more than cookies with eggs.
If you don’t chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the freezer, the cookies will spread and be flat and thin, especially since this recipe contains pure pumpkin which adds a bunch of moisture.
Reshape the Cookies
If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they comes out of the oven.
Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape or use a large circle cookie cutter.
If using a cookie cutter, place it over the cookies and rotate quickly in a circle.
Making The Glaze
If the glaze appears too watery, add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
If it appears too thick, add more water ¼ teaspoon at a time.
You want the glaze thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to solidify on the cookies.
Step By Step Instructions With Pictures
Here are the steps to make these cookies!
Make The Cookies
Step 1: Whisk Together The Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick with ¾ cup of granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 1 Step 2
Step 3: Combine the Pumpkin and Vanilla
In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and the vanilla until combined.
Step 4: Add the Pumpkin Into The Creamed Butter and Sugar
With the mixer on low speed, beat in the pumpkin and vanilla until combined. The mixture will be slightly chunky and that's normal.
Step 3 Step 4
Step 5: Mix In The Dry Ingredients
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the gluten free flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and combine.
Step 6: Freeze The Dough
The dough will be super sticky, almost like cake batter. Transfer to a bowl and pop the entire bowl uncovered in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Make sure the bowl is freezer safe.
When the dough has 15 minutes left of chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 7: Scoop The Dough
Take the bowl of dough out of the freezer.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough out into 6 scoops. If it is sticking to your hands, get your hands slightly wet.
Step 5 Step 7 Step 8
Step 8: Coat In Sugar
Drop the dough balls one at a time into the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and coat completely.
Step 9: Bake
Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until golden on the bottoms. You can carefully use a cookie spatula to check.
Step 10: Cool
Immediately reshape the cookies into a circle with a spatula when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack.
If the cookies haven't gone down all the way in the center, simply press the centers gently with the spatula and then reshape again.
If you don't let them cool on the baking sheet, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
Make The Glaze
Step 1: Mix The Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of water until combined and smooth.
Step 2: Drizzle The Glaze
Drizzle the maple glaze on top of the cool cookies. If you drizzle it on warm cookies, the glaze with melt. Enjoy!
Step 1 Step 2
How To Make These Cookies Vegan
Follow these simple steps to make sure these cookies are vegan:
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure to use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Read the labels to make sure the pumpkin is not made in a facility with unsafe ingredients.
FAQ
The main way is to chill that dough.
Second, make sure you do NOT grease your baking sheet. Only use parchment paper or a silicone mat with no grease.
Third, use packed cups of flour.
Yes.
There is no egg in these cookies to hold everything together when they're heated in the oven and pumpkin adds another level of moisture.
If you don’t chill the dough, the cookies will spread in the oven into a mess.
If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven.
Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape or use a large circle cookie cutter.
If using a cookie cutter, place it over the cookies and rotate quickly in a circle.
If the cookies didn't go all the way down in the center, simply press them down with the spatula and reshape.
You can make the dough the night before. Keep it in the bowl, wrapped in plastic and place it in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to chill it again, prior to baking.
Yes! You can use a small cookie scoop.
Bake the cookies at the same temperature but for 13 minutes. Reshape as needed. Should make around 12 cookies.
Yes you can but keep in mind the cookies will probably be even sweeter.
I prefer to use pure grade A maple syrup.
Yes. If the cookies are not totally cool, the glaze will run off them completely and the cookies will be a liquidy mess.
Yes. I use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour so ideally you can. Sadly I cannot test the recipe due to celiac disease, but:
- Use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed AP flour (168 grams plus 2 tablespoons)
Storing And Freezing
Storing
If you have any pumpkin sugar cookies left over, once the glaze has hardened, store them in an airtight container or zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the dough of these cookies.
Simply wrap the dough in a disc in plastic wrap then pop it in a zip top bag and freeze.
You can keep the dough frozen for up to 30 days.
Thaw the dough in the fridge the night prior to using.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
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Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @laneandgreyfare if you make my recipes and follow along on Pinterest! Enjoy!!!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For The Cookies
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons gluten free flour blend (I use a 1:1 gf flour with xanthan gum)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (keep ¼ cup separate)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For The Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (I use grade A)
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick and the ¾ cup of granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and the vanilla until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, beat in the pumpkin and vanilla until combined. The mixture will be slightly chunky and that's normal.
- With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add in the gluten free flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and combine.
- The dough will be super sticky, almost like cake batter. Transfer to a bowl and pop the entire bowl uncovered in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.Make sure the bowl is freezer safe.When the dough has 15 minutes left of chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take the bowl of dough out of the freezer. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough out into 6 scoops. If it is sticking to your hands, get your hands slightly wet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar.
- Drop the dough balls one at a time into the sugar and coat completely.
- Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until golden on the bottoms. You can carefully use a cookie spatula to check.
- When the cookies come out of the oven, reshape. Immediately use a spatula to push the cookies back into a circle shape or use a large circle cookie cutter. If using a cookie cutter, place it over the cookies and rotate quickly in a circle.
- Do not take the cookies off the baking sheet for 5 minutes. If you try, they will fall apart. After 5 minutes, transfer cookies to a cooling rack with a baking sheet or wax paper underneath. The next part is a bit messy.
- Let them cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of water until combined and smooth.
- Drizzle the maple glaze on top of the cool cookies. If you drizzle it on warm cookies, the glaze with melt. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storing
Keep extra cookies in an airtight container or in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.Freezing
Wrap raw dough in a disc in plastic wrap and then pop it in a zip top bag. Freeze for up to 30 days. Thaw dough in the fridge the night prior to using.For Smaller Cookies
Use a small cookie scoop and bake at the same temperature for 13 min. Make sure to keep dough in the fridge in between baking the batches.For Vegan
Use non dairy gf flour and vegan baking sticks.For AP Flour
I cannot test this recipe due to celiac disease but these are the changes I would make:- Use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed AP Flour (168 grams plus 2 tablespoons)
John
What a spooky cookie treat for fall!
Lee
Thank you!!!!
Nancy
The directions were very easy to follow. These pumpkin cookies came out amazing. I can not stop eating them. They are that good!
Barbara
If I use salted butter should I leave out the kosher salt? These sound amazing.
Lee
Hi Barbara! Thanks! Yes, leave out the salt if you use salted butter however I would use unsalted if you can. Unsalted butter is fresher and creates a better flavor.In addition, every company adds different amounts of salt in their salted butters. So, you can possibly be adding double the amount of salt recommended. Hope this makes sense!