I often make pumpkin cookies when I’m in the mood for a pumpkin dessert that’s not cake, and these pumpkin sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting are one of my fall staples.
Made with wholemeal flour and coconut sugar, they have a subtle caramel-like sweetness and a slightly healthier spin compared to classic sugar cookies.
I love the simple cream cheese frosting that is tangy, smooth, and finished with a dusting of cinnamon, although any forsting would work here.
I’m pretty confident that the cookies’ soft texture and perfectly spicy flavors will win you over too!
What You’ll Need
For the cookies, you’ll need wholemeal flour, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, butter, and cinnamon spice.
The frosting comes together with cream cheese, powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla, and just a touch of lemon juice to brighten it up.
For decorating, I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on each cookie, but the sky’s the limit here!
How to Make These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a large bowl – wholemeal flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, cream the softened butter with coconut sugar until light and smooth. Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract, and beat until everything is well blended.
Using an electric hand mixer is easier for this step, but a whisk and some patience work too – just note that your pumpkin mixture won’t come out as perfectly smooth.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form a thick, sticky dough. If it feels too wet, you can sprinkle in a little extra flour until it becomes easier to handle.
Pour a bit of coconut sugar onto a small plate for rolling. Scoop out heaping teaspoonfuls of dough, rolling them into small balls between your hands. Then coat each one lightly in the sugar before placing them on a parchment-lined baking tray about 1 inch apart (you might actually need two trays).
Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a splash of lemon juice until smooth and fluffy. Spread a teaspoon or so over each cookie, then finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon for garnish.
Store your frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge as the frosting will melt at room temperature.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The cookies will come out soft and moist: They stay perfectly tender thanks to the silky pumpkin puree.
- I’ve added a healthier twist by using wholemeal flour and coconut sugar instead of classic ingredients to bring more nutrients and flavors.
- The flavors are perfectly balanced: The slightly tangy cream cheese frosting works beautifully with the soft, sweet cookies.
- The cookies look really pretty and you can decorate them any way you want: A dusting of cinnamon makes them holiday-ready in seconds, but you can use crushed nuts or colorful sugars for garnish as well.
- It’s really quick and simple: If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly recipe, this one’s perfect for you. All you have to do is mix the ingredients, roll the dough into little balls, bake, and frost!
Tips for Success
- Cool cookies completely before adding the frosting, or the icing will melt.
- Adjust cinnamon to taste – you can go heavier for a stronger spice kick or lighter if you’re not a fan of cinnamon, or replace it with pumpkin spice entirely.
- Chill the dough for 20-30 minutes if it’s too sticky to make rolling balls more easy.
- For a smoother finish, pipe the frosting on instead of spreading with a knife.
- Store frosted cookies in the fridge since the cream cheese icing will melt fast at room temperature.
📌 Pumpkin Sugar Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting (Recipe Card)
Ingredients (Makes about 20 cookies)
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2–1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar + extra for rolling
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 small egg
- 1/2–1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4–1 cup powdered sugar
- Dash of vanilla extract
- Splash of lemon juice
- Cinnamon, for garnish
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or whisk
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Spatula or piping bag
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In another bowl, cream butter with coconut sugar. Then, mix in pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a thick, sticky dough. If it feels too sticky, add a little flour. Alternatively, you can chill it in the fridge for around 20 minutes to cool it down.
- Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into small balls (I did it using my hands), coat in coconut sugar, and place on the baking tray.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until tops bounce back when pressed. Cool completely.
- For frosting, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Spread frosting over cooled cookies and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Store your frosted cookies in the fridge in an airtight container.
