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Frosted Pumpkin Drop Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese

Pumpkin sugar cookies are soft, warmly spiced drop cookies topped with smooth cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Chill the dough before baking, then frost the cookies once they have cooled completely.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 9 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 189
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Make the cookies
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened, divided (1/2 cup for the cookies and 1/4 cup for the frosting)
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup pumpkin puree canned, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 egg yolk large
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract divided (1 teaspoon for the cookies and 1/2 teaspoon for the frosting)
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt
Make the frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Equipment

  • 2 baking sheets
  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Make the cookies
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the butter and the granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then add to the pumpkin mixture in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry flour remains.
  5. Cover the dough and chill it for 30 minutes.
  6. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon portions and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  7. Bake both sheets at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, swapping their rack positions and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the cookie edges are set and the tops look dry.
  8. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup butter until smooth, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and beat on low until incorporated, then on medium until smooth and spreadable, about 1 minute.
  3. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cookies.

Notes

For tender cookies, mix the flour in only until no dry flour remains. Refrigerate frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 2 months. For a gluten-free swap, use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.