Go Back

Spooky Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

These festive pumpkin sugar cookies are soft and tender with a subtly spiced flavor, perfect for Halloween. The dough is rolled out and cut into spooky shapes, then baked until golden around the edges. Once cooled, they’re ready to be decorated with colorful icing and edible embellishments for a fun, seasonal treat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree canned or homemade
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Rolling pin

Method
 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, blending until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined and a soft dough forms.
  5. Divide the dough in half, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten and firm up.
  6. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Remove one dough portion from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to about 0.5 cm thickness, smoothing out any cracks.
  8. Use spooky-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the dough, pressing firmly to ensure clean edges.
  9. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them slightly apart to allow for expansion.
  10. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
  11. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Notes

Ensure cookies are fully cooled before decorating to prevent smudging. For a vegan version, substitute butter with coconut oil and omit the egg if using, or add a flaxseed egg as an alternative.