Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are absolutely amazing! Deliciously soft sugar cookies, full of pumpkin fall flavor! This easy pumpkin cookies recipe is bound to become a family favorite!
This is a pumpkin cookie recipe that you all have really enjoyed, so I thought I would add a video to it and update the photos. The post was written in September 2015 and the photos were just updated August 2017.
This week marked the five year anniversary of Elliot’s death.
What is so weird/tricky/frustrating/maddening about grief is that you don’t really know how or when it will strike. Four years ago, when we should have been celebrating Elliot’s first birthday, everyone was bracing for us to struggle through September 9th, the first anniversary of his death. But it was September 1st, when we should have been taking pictures of him shoving cake in his mouth, that really floored me.
And this year while I was really anticipating Elliot’s birthday to be rough, it was the anniversary of his death that was hard.
I have never really talked about his death publicly. Probably because we had to make the unbearable decision to take him off life support, and I know that that is controversial. We did so with a lot of counsel from his doctors. And when I say counsel, I mean I asked them what they would do if it was their own child and watched their eyes fill with tears at the mere thought. They made it very clear to us that our options were very limited, and were so kind in helping us come to a decision.
I will never forget watching Gavin say goodbye to Elliot . . . though he didn’t entirely understand what that meant.
I will never forget Elliot squeezing my finger and second guessing myself and having his nurses reassure me that this was common in patients with only lower brain functioning.
And I will never forget Nathan and I promising Elliot that we would never look at this life as a tragedy. So many people have asked me how I possibly made it through losing a child, and honestly the answer to that question is a work in progress. But what I come back to over and over and over is that moment when I was holding him and he was taking his last breaths and he was all unhooked from machines and I was promising him that I would not let his death be a black mark on my life.
Just before school started this fall, and I promise this relates, Quinn drew a picture of me with something giant. I asked her what it was and she said it was me . . . sad because I missed her because she was at school and with a giant sandwich.
She gets me. I’m an emotional eater. Lol!
So . . . . I made these cookies on the anniversary of Elliot’s death this year. The foundation of these cookies are these perfect sugar cookies that I made 7.2 million times while my mom was dying. They are my ultimate comfort food. Scratch that. The cookie dough for these cookies is my ultimate comfort food.
I had had a conversation with Cathy just a few days before making these pumpkin sugar cookies and she mentioned these cookies, and the ratio she used of pumpkin and eggs to make the perfect cookie. She was dead on! I used it to make the pumpkin sugar cookies and it resulted in what might be the best damn cookie I’ve ever eaten. I’m not kidding.
So I’m not going to say that these soft pumpkin cookies fixed the anniversary of Elliot’s death. But if I’m being 100% honest, they totally did make it a little easier.
WATCH ME MAKE THESE PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar + more for rolling
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 14 TBSPS unsalted butter 1 3/4 stick at room temperature
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- With your mixer on medium, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg yolk, then vanilla, then pumpkin until well combined.
- Slowly mix in the flour mixture until well combined, with your mixer set to low. Scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and refrigerate the cookie dough for 20 minutes.
- Roll the dough into one inch sized balls. Roll in sugar. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or silicon mat and press down slightly. Space the cookies about two inches apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking. (I baked mine in three batches)
- Let cool on the pan for about two minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
did you make this
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Other Great Pumpkin Recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ellen Bishop says
I found this recipe about six years ago and I am continuously asked to make them again and again each year. No other recipe compares. I wouldn’t change a thing. You can taste the “extra love” that’s in the recipe…
Thank you so much, Ellen! This comment made my day.
JoBob says
These pumpkins sugar cookies are awesome. I originally wanted to make them as a treat for my 15 week old puppy. I wanted something soft and a little sweet that was easy for him to chew. Turns out he loves them and so do the adults! I made them a little smaller than one inch and they turned out just fine – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. This is a recipe that I will make over and over again. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your story and your recipe.
I’m so glad both you and your sweet pup like them!
Jennifer says
I’ve made these twice since October. They are my mom’s new favorite. Thank you for this beautiful recipe! Absolutely perfect! 🫶🏼
I’m so glad that you love them as much as me!
Jennifer Vega says
Just wanted to say I have been making these for a few years now and they are my mom’s favorite so thank you!!! They turn out so yummy every time. The only change I make is I roll them in cinnamon sugar. Chefs kiss and a BIG mama hug to you. 🫶🏼
Thank you, Jennifer!
Mia says
Can you freeze the cookie dough overnight or for multiple hours and they’ll still be good when you bake them?
Yes! I love freezing dough in individual cookie sizes. They can go straight from frozen to the oven with only adding on a bit of cooking time (sometimes less than a minute).
Sally says
Is it ok to use salted butter?
Yes, but then you will want to eliminate the salt from the recipe.
Faith says
These do not taste like sugar cookies. These taste like flour cookies or something. The texture is good and they’re fluffy but they didn’t taste like sugar cookies. I used exact measurements except for I only had 1 tsp of vanilla extract left. Maybe it needs more sugar or something?
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy these. That hasn’t been my experience with these at all. I think they are pretty spot on for a sugar cookie that tastes like pumpkin.
TY says
Ive followed dozens and dozens and dozens of recipies from online but this is definitely one of the worst… Ive tried twice, both batchew ends up as a sloppy mess i was unable to even roll into balls was so sticky i tried adjusting the measurements afterwards and didnt help
I’m so sorry you’ve had such a terrible experience with this recipe. I wish I could tell you what was happening in your kitchen, but without me being there it’s really hard to know. If I had to guess I would ask: 1. Is it possible you are using pumpkin pie filling instead of puree? They aren’t the same and they will act differently in a recipe. 2. Is the butter too soft? What you’re describing sounds like too much liquid, and too soft butter would explain that.
All of that said, this is a well tested recipe that has had many many readers make it with great results. Again, I’m sorry you are having this experience, I know how frustrating it can be.
Annette says
This recipe is simply delicious. The cookies came out tender and not too sweet. I rolled them in cinnamon sugar for extra goodness. Wonderful recipe. It’s a keeper and is my new favorite!!!
I’m so glad you like them!
Sam says
These cookies are amazing! I used pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon because we love pumpkin over here! The texture and the taste are so good! This will be my go to fall cookie!
I’m so glad you like these as much as I do!