These Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies topped with colorful buttercream swirl frosting are my new favorite treat to serve up every Halloween!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies With Buttercream Swirl Frosting
I don’t know about you, but I look forward to all the fun and sweet treats I can make for the holidays and really, the holidays start as soon as leaves begin to fall from the trees.
I am so excited about these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies because not only are they adorable, they are so yummy!
They are perfect for making for Halloween parties, school parties, a bake sale and even as gifts to give to neighbors and friends. It is a sweet cookie the whole family will enjoy.
I am sure this will become one of your new favorite Halloween cookie recipes!
Want more pumpkin recipes? Check out our Pumpkin Cookie Recipe, Pumpkin Crepes filled with pumpkin flavor, and our Instant Pot Pumpkin Butter.
What You Need To Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies With Buttercream Swirl Frosting
For The Pumpkin Sugar Cookies:
- Butter – softened
- Pure Cane Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Egg
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Orange Food Coloring Gel
For The Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Butter – softened
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Lime Green Food Coloring Gel
- Purple Food Coloring Gel
- Black Food Coloring Gel
- Star Tip and Piping Bag
How many servings does this recipe make?
This exact recipe makes about 40 cookies depending on how large you make them.
Can I use store bought frosting?
Absolutely! If you want to skip making your own frosting, I highly recommend the Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker Whipped Frosting to give it that fluffy texture. You can then divide it, add food coloring and place into piping bags to continue on with making these cookies.
How can I store leftovers?
For best results, you will need to store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Be careful to keep away from heat or moisture and don’t allow the buttercream to get to room temperature as it can cause the buttercream to melt.
How To Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookies With Buttercream Swirl Frosting
In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the Whisk attachment, add the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice Syrup, and Egg, and blend until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Baking Powder, and stir well to blend. Add the Flour a little at a time and mix on low to blend, until all the Flour is added. Remove the Whisk attachment, and use the paddle attachment. Continue to blend the sugar Cookie dough until it’s completely blended and a smooth ball starts to form.
Add several drops (4 or 5 to start) of the Orange food coloring Gel, and blend into the dough. If the color is not bright enough, add a couple more drops of the Orange Food Coloring Gel, and blend again, and continue until you get the desired color. Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed.
Line two cookie sheets with Parchment paper, and roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1 inch balls, and place the balls on the Parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or just until the cookies start to turn a light golden brown around the edges. About half way through baking the cookies, check the oven, and the cookies may have started to crack a little.
Take a flat bottom glass, dip it in Sugar before lightly applying to each cookie – smash the cookies very gently, and slightly, making them a little flatter, and spread out a little more. This will give the cookies the crinkle look.
When the cookies are done, remove baking sheet from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling, make the Frosting.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese, and blend to combine. Add the Powdered sugar a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the Frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Divide the Frosting evenly into two bowls. Measure 2 Tablespoons of Icing out of each bowl, and add to a third bowl; this will be for the Black icing.
Add a few drops of the Green Food Coloring Gel, and stir to blend until the Frosting is bright lime green. If the Frosting thinned a bit add a Tablespoon of Powdered Sugar, and stir to blend.
In the other bowl, add a few drops of the Purple Food Coloring Gel, and stir to blend. If the Frosting thinned a little, add a Tablespoon of Powdered Sugar, and stir well to blend.
In the third bowl, add a small amount of Black Food Coloring Gel, and stir until blended.
Using Plastic wrap (Glad wrap) tear off a piece about 10 inches wide, and place the Frosting length-wise in the middle of the plastic wrap; it will look like a long ribbon of Frosting. Do this for the Green, Purple, and Black Frosting, placing the Black frosting in the center.
Then, roll the plastic wrap around the Frosting, making sure to keep it long, or length-wise like a long ribbon.
Snip the end off of the Plastic wrap, on one end only, and place it in a Pastry bag with the large Star Tip.
Pipe the Frosting onto the cookies, using a swirl, and bring it up to a point.
Allow the Frosting to set or firm up a bit, about 30 minutes.
Serve, and Enjoy!
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies With Buttercream Swirl Frosting
Ingredients
For The Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- 2 Sticks of Butter – softened
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
- 1 Teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- 1 Egg
- 3 cups of Flour
- 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
- Orange Food Coloring Gel
For The Buttercream Frosting
- 4 Tablespoons of Butter – softened
- 4 ounces of Cream Cheese
- 4 cups of Powdered Sugar
- Lime Green Food Coloring Gel
- Purple Food Coloring Gel
- Black Food Coloring Gel
Instructions
For The Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the Whisk attachment, add the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice Syrup, and Egg, and blend until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Baking Powder, and stir well to blend. Add the Flour a little at a time and mix on low to blend, until all the Flour is added. Remove the Whisk attachment, and use the paddle. Continue to blend the Cookie dough until it’s completely blended and a smooth ball starts to form.
- Add several drops (4 or 5 to start) of the Orange food coloring Gel, and blend into the dough. If the color is not bright enough, add a couple more drops of the Orange Food Coloring Gel, and blend again, and continue until you get the desired color. Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed.
- Line two cookie sheets with Parchment paper, and roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1 inch balls, and place the balls on the Parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or just until the cookies start to turn a light golden brown around the edges. About half way through baking the cookies, check the oven, and the cookies may have started to crack a little.
- Take a flat bottom glass, dip it in Sugar before lightly applying to each cookie – smash the cookies very gently, and slightly, making them a little flatter, and spread out a little more. This will give the cookies the crinkle look.
- When the cookies are done, remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling, make the Frosting.
For The Buttercream Frosting
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese, and blend to combine. Add the Powdered sugar a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the Frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Divide the Frosting evenly into two bowls. Measure 2 Tablespoons of Icing out of each bowl, and add to a third bowl; this will be for the Black icing.
- Add a few drops of the Green Food Coloring Gel, and stir to blend until the Frosting is bright lime green. If the Frosting thinned a bit add a Tablespoon of Powdered Sugar, and stir to blend.
- In the other bowl, add a few drops of the Purple Food Coloring Gel, and stir to blend. If the Frosting thinned a little, add a Tablespoon of Powdered Sugar, and stir well to blend.
- In the third bowl, add a small amount of Black Food Coloring Gel, and stir until blended.
- Using Plastic wrap (Glad wrap) tear off a piece about 10 inches wide, and place the Frosting length-wise in the middle of the plastic wrap; it will look like a long ribbon of Frosting. Do this for the Green, Purple, and Black Frosting, placing the Black frosting in the center.
- Then, roll the plastic wrap around the Frosting, making sure to keep it long, or length-wise like a long ribbon.
- Snip the end off of the Plastic wrap, on one end only, and place it in a Pastry bag with the large Star Tip.
- Pipe the Frosting onto the cookies, using a swirl, and bring it up to a point.
- Allow the Frosting to set or firm up a bit, about 30 minutes.
- Serve, and Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.