Easy Best Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Icing
Soft and chewy pumpkin spice sugar cookies with a simple vanilla icing, perfect for fall gatherings. This easy recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with no chilling required.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional but recommended)
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Orange food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cream the butter and sugar together. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on low speed until just combined.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and black pepper.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- Scoop the dough. Use a cookie scoop to portion out rounded tablespoons of dough. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden and the centers look slightly underdone.
- Cool completely. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. If using food coloring, add it drop by drop until you reach your desired shade.
- Ice the cookies. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies in a back-and-forth motion. Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes before stacking or serving.
Notes
Don’t skip the black pepper—it enhances the spices without making the cookies spicy. If your kitchen is warm, chill the scooped dough for 15 minutes before baking to prevent spreading. For perfectly round cookies, use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently scoot them into circles as soon as they come out of the oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 95
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 0.5
- Protein: 1.5
Keywords: pumpkin spice, sugar cookies, fall cookies, easy cookies, no chill cookies, pumpkin spice sugar cookies, icing