No chill pumpkin patch sugar cookies with pumpkins in the center are made with pumpkin spice, are super soft, and perfect for sharing!
After testing several versions of these, I finally found the perfect one. It’s a soft pumpkin cookie texture with powdered sugar rolled on the outside, like a pumpkin crinkle cookie! I also have a biscoff filled chocolate crinkle cookie but these are easier since they aren’t filled with anything, just a candy pumpkin in the middle.
I love to make pumpkin spice sugar cookies in the fall! They’re super easy to make and you don’t have to wait for them to cool down before putting the pumpkins in the center like you do with peanut butter blossom bars.
We’re proudly team candy pumpkin and candy corn, and we love to put them on desserts like these soft pumpkin sugar cookies and easy pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Taste: A soft sugar cookie with pumpkin spice that’s super soft.
- Ease: Mixing the cookies, rolling in powdered sugar, and baking! Maybe a half step above beginner level. NO CHILLING required!
- Time: About 15 minutes to make the cookie dough and roll them in powdered sugar, then 8-10 minutes to bake each batch of cookies.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Sugar – I use brown sugar for flavor, white sugar to reduce the moisture content in the cookies, and powdered sugar for the outsides of the cookies.
- Pumpkin candy – available during the fall in American grocery stores or online.
- Cornstarch – I use this to help stabilize the dough enough to scoop it without chilling it first. It doesn’t dilute the flavor of the pumpkin cookies as much as more flour would.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- You can also put chocolate kisses or another candy in the middle. Yum! Just make sure the cookies have cooled a little before putting chocolate on so it doesn’t melt.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. In a mixing bowl, mix together softened butter, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Cream together until well combined, about 2 minutes. (You can use an electric mixer or do it by hand.)
- Step 2. Add in egg and vanilla, mix well for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Step 3. Add in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice and mix well.
- Step 4. Add in flour, baking powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined and there are no flour pockets left. Dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Step 5. Scoop dough balls right into shallow dish of powdered sugar, and place on parchment paper or silicon mat lined baking sheet.
- Step 6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until cookies are puffy and cracked. Place candy pumpkins in the center of each cookie while they’re hot/warm. Can be right out of the oven.
TIP: Store lightly covered for up to 3 days at room temperature. Airtight containers can make the pumpkin candies sticky from the moisture of the cookies.
📌 Troubleshooting
- Cookies spreading: butter in dough too melted or not enough flour.
- Soggy bottoms when using pumpkin puree: bake 1-2 minutes longer or at a higher temperature.
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
Make ahead: you can easily make the dough 1-2 days ahead and refrigerate it pre-scooped or in a bowl. Just let it sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes to help soften it before scooping.
Freeze: If frozen after being baked and thawed, the candy may become sticky and weepy. The best option is to freeze the raw individual cookie dough balls covered in sugar and then bake the day of serving.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe is for soft cookies, but as long as the ingredients are weight and cookies are baked properly they should not be soggy.
Not in this recipe! You can bake the cookies right away. Yee haw!
🎃 Delicious Fall Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip
Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ star rating and a comment below the recipe card, I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers.
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📝 Printable Recipe
Sugar Cookies with Pumpkins
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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1 Mixing Bowl
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1 rubber spatula
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1 baking pan
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parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 36 pumpkin candies
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Prepare 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper or baking spray.
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In a mixing bowl, mix together ½ cup salted butter, 1 cup white granulated sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar. Cream together until well combined, about 2 minutes. (You can use an electric mixer or do it by hand.)
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Add in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla, mix well for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
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Add in 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon allspice and mix well.
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Add in 2½ cups all purpose flour,3 Tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon baking soda . Mix until just combined and there are no flour pockets left. Dough will be very soft and sticky.
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Scoop dough balls using a 1.5 Tablespoon scoop right into shallow dish of powdered sugar, and place on parchment paper or silicon mat lined baking sheet.
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Bake for 10-11 minutes, until cookies are puffy and cracked. Place a candy pumpkin in the center of each cookie while they’re hot/warm. Can be right out of the oven.
Notes
After the first day the pumpkins may become a bit sticky from the moisture of the cookies if stored in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.