Name: Pumpkin Sugar Cookies (Crisp Edges, Soft Centers)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: All-purpose flour — 260 g (2 cups + 1 tbsp); Baking powder — 2 g (1/2 tsp); Baking soda — 2 g (1/2 tsp); Fine salt — 3 g (1/2 tsp); Ground cinnamon — 4 g (1 1/2 tsp); Ground ginger — 1 g (1/2 tsp); Ground nutmeg — 0.5 g (1/4 tsp); Ground cloves — 0.3 g (1/8 tsp); Unsalted butter, softened — 115 g (1/2 cup/1 stick); Granulated sugar — 150 g (3/4 cup); Pumpkin purée (not pie filling) — 120 g (1/2 cup); Large egg, room temperature — 50 g (1 egg); Pure vanilla extract — 5 ml (1 tsp); Demerara or turbinado sugar — 60 g (1/4 cup), for rolling

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Pumpkin purée might sound more at home in a pie or latte, but stirred into a simple sugar cookie, it adds moisture, a subtle sweetness, and a gorgeous autumnal hue, without making the dough heavy or greasy. This recipe from Sarah at Bake My Sweet is designed for home bakers who want a cookie that’s crispy at the edges, soft and cake‑y in the middle, and bursting with warm spice. No mixer? No problem. This dough is easy to mix by hand, and you’ll get better texture control. Pro tip: Chill the dough at least 2 hours (overnight is better), it sharpens every spice note and keeps cookies from spreading too thin. Expect a tray of thick, caramel‑glazed cookies with a hint of cinnamon-clove warmth and zero pumpkin mush.

Pumpkin brings three superpowers: moisture, natural sweetness, and acidity. When you bake with pumpkin purée, its high water content and pectin help the cookies stay tender while preventing dryness. The natural sugars in pumpkin let you dial back refined sugar without losing chew. And pumpkin’s gentle acidity balances baking soda, ensuring even lift without a bitter aftertaste. The spice blend—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves—is both traditional and essential: their essential oils bloom during baking, rounding out pumpkin’s subtle flavor. Chilling the dough hydrates the flour and relaxes gluten, so cookies bake thicker and hold their crackled tops. Finally, rolling the dough balls in turbinado sugar before baking creates a shatter-crisp, caramelized shell. All this, and you don’t need a stand mixer—just a bowl, a whisk, and a little patience.

Ingredients: Weight, Volume, & Purpose

All-purpose flour — 260 g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) — Structure, chew
Baking powder — 1/2 tsp (2 g) — Lift
Baking soda — 1/2 tsp (2 g) — Spread, rise
Fine salt — 1/2 tsp (3 g) — Flavor balance
Ground cinnamon — 1 1/2 tsp (4 g) — Spice
Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (1 g) — Warmth
Ground nutmeg — 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) — Depth
Ground cloves — 1/8 tsp (0.3 g) — Complexity
Unsalted butter, softened — 115 g (1/2 cup / 1 stick) — Richness, structure
Granulated sugar — 150 g (3/4 cup) — Sweetness, moisture
Pumpkin purée (not pie mix) — 120 g (1/2 cup) — Moisture, color, flavor
Egg, large, room temp — 50 g (1 large) — Binding, lift
Pure vanilla extract — 1 tsp (5 ml) — Flavor
Demerara or turbinado sugar — 60 g (1/4 cup) — Rolling, crunch

India substitution notes: Use Amul butter or homemade white butter. If pumpkin purée is unavailable, roast and purée any orange-fleshed squash or kaddu. For egg-free, see Dietary Swaps.

Equipment

Required: Mixing bowl, whisk, rubber spatula, digital scale, 2 baking sheets, parchment paper, oven (OTG or conventional), oven thermometer, cooling rack
Nice-to-have: Dough scoop (3 tbsp/40 mm), kitchen timer, sieve for flour/spice sifting, offset spatula for lifting

Step-by-Step Instructions with Visual Cues

Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients

Action: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Time: 1 minute
Visual cue: Mixture looks uniform and speckled with spice—no lumps.

Pro tip: Sift if your spices are clumpy. Don’t skip the salt—it sharpens every flavor.

Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugar

Action: Beat softened butter and granulated sugar by hand (or with electric mixer) until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes.
Time: 3–4 minutes
Visual cue: Butter clings to the whisk but is pale and airy—no gritty bits.

Did you know? Rubbing a pinch between your fingers should feel smooth, not sandy.

Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients

Action: Beat in egg, pumpkin purée, and vanilla until just combined.
Time: 1–2 minutes
Visual cue: Mixture looks glossy and slightly curdled—that’s okay.

Avoid this: Overmixing creates gluten—this dough should stay soft and slightly sticky.

Step 4: Combine Dry & Wet

Action: Stir in dry ingredients with a spatula until just incorporated.
Time: 1 minute
Visual cue: Dough is thick, orange-tinted, and holds its shape. Scrape the bowl well.

Step 5: Chill Dough

Action: Cover dough and chill 2–24 hours (overnight best).
Time: 2–24 hours
Visual cue: Dough firms up but stays scoopable. If too hard, let sit 5–10 minutes.

Testing note: Skipping the chill led to flat, greasy cookies. Chilling is non-negotiable.

Step 6: Preheat & Prep

Action: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) with a rack in the center. Line baking sheets.
Time: 20 minutes
Visual cue: Oven thermometer reads 180°C (350°F)—no hotter.

Step 7: Shape & Dust

Action: Scoop dough into 3-tbsp (40 g) balls, roll in demerara sugar, space 5 cm (2″) apart.
Time: 10 minutes
Visual cue: Dough balls are craggy, sugar-coated, and hold their shape.

Pro tip: Roll gently—don’t compact the dough.

Step 8: Bake

Action: Bake 12–14 minutes, 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway.
Time: 12–14 minutes
Visual cue: Edges are set, centers are puffed but soft. They’ll firm as they cool.

Doneness test: Press the center gently—it should spring back slightly. Edges will be golden, centers pale orange.

Testing note: Pushing past 14 minutes dried out the centers. Start checking at 12 minutes.

Step 9: Cool & Enjoy

Action: Let cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Time: 5 minutes
Visual cue: Cookies are fragile when hot, firm up as they cool.

Troubleshooting: Common Failures & Fixes

Problem: Cookies spread too thin
Cause: Dough too warm or under-chilled; too much baking soda or not enough flour.
Fix: Chill dough overnight. Re-calibrate your scale. Check baking soda is 1/2 tsp (2 g).

Problem: Centers are dry/gummy
Cause: Overbaked; pumpkin too watery.
Fix: Use thick, canned purée; bake less time; check oven temp.

Problem: Edges burnt before centers set
Cause: Oven too hot; dark sheets.
Fix: Use light pans; bake at 170°C (340°F); check oven temp.

Problem: No spice flavor
Cause: Spices stale or under-measured.
Fix: Freshly grind spices; don’t skimp on cinnamon.

Problem: Cookies stick to sheet
Cause: No parchment or tray too hot.
Fix: Always use parchment; let trays cool between batches.

Substitutions & Variations

Dietary Swaps

Egg-free: Replace egg with 60 g (1/4 cup) unsweetened applesauce or banana purée + 1/2 tsp extra baking powder. Texture will be cakier.
Dairy-free: Swap butter for 120 ml (1/2 cup) coconut oil (solid). Coconut flavor may come through.
Gluten-free: Use 260 g (scant 2 cups) 1:1 GF flour blend. Texture will be more delicate.

Flavor Variations

Citrus: Add 1 tsp orange or lemon zest to dough.
Chocolate chip: Fold in 100 g (2/3 cup) callets or chips.
Nuts: Add 60 g (1/2 cup) toasted pecans or walnuts—crunchy, nutty finish.

Scaling

6-inch batch: Halve all ingredients. Bake 10–12 minutes.
Jumbo cookies: Double scoop size (80 g), bake 16–18 minutes.

Storage, Make-Ahead & Freezing

Counter: 3 days in an airtight tin.
Fridge: Not needed; butter may weep.
Freezer: Dough balls keep 3 months; baked cookies 1 month. Thaw dough overnight in fridge; bake as directed. Re-crisp baked cookies at 150°C (300°F) for 3 minutes.

What not to freeze: Frosted/glazed cookies, ice after thawing.

Serving & Pairing

Serve with a glass of cold milk or hot chai. Pair with cream cheese frosting for a fall twist, or sandwich with vanilla ice cream for a decadent treat. Balance the spice with a tart cranberry compote.

Internal Recommendations from Bake My Sweet

Spiced Pumpkin Loaf – A tender, sliceable cousin
Brown Butter Frosting – Elevate your cookie sandwiches
Maple Glaze Recipe – Quick drizzle for extra flair
How to Roast and Purée Pumpkin – DIY purée guide
Cookie Science: Why Chill Dough? – Deep dive

FAQs

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?
Yes, but roast and purée it first—raw pumpkin is too watery. Squeeze out excess moisture in a cheesecloth.

Why did my cookies turn cakey?
Too much pumpkin, under-chilled dough, or overmixing. Use 120 g purée maximum, chill well, mix gently.

Can I halve or double the recipe?
Yes, but bake in batches to avoid crowding. Adjust scoop size and bake time if making jumbos/minis.

Best sugar for rolling?
Demerara or turbinado for crunch; granulated works, but won’t caramelize as much.

Can I bake in an air fryer?
Yes, at 160°C (320°F) for 8–10 minutes. Don’t overload the basket.

How to fix too-salty dough?
Make another batch, leave out salt, and blend. No way to remove excess salt once mixed.

Notes from My Kitchen (First-Hand Testing Log)

Batch 1: Skipped chilling—cookies spread, lacked depth, tasted bland. Adjusted: mandatory overnight chill.

Batch 2: Used too much purée (150 g)—centers gummy, edges burnt. Adjusted to 120 g.

Batch 3: Tried brown butter—flavor was complex, but cookies spread more. Stuck with regular butter for structure.

Batch 4: Swapped cinnamon for garam masala—unexpectedly good, but lost the classic profile.

Batch 5: Baked at 190°C; edges burned. Lowered to 180°C—perfect caramelization.

Final Batch: Overnight chill, 120 g purée, 180°C bake. Crisp edges, soft centers, bold spice.

Nutrition & Disclaimer

Per cookie (1 of 18): ~130 kcal, 7 g fat, 16 g carbs, 1 g protein, 8 g sugar
These values are estimates. Adjust for brands and portion size. Follow food-safety guidelines for dairy and eggs. Donate extra cookies to a friend—they’re best within 48 hours.