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Copycat Pillsbury Pumpkin Cookies

Copycat Pillsbury pumpkin cookies with thick, soft slice-and-bake rounds and orange sprinkles. Buttery pumpkin dough is chilled for easy slicing, then baked at 350°F and finished with a quick cream cheese frosting swirl.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
refrigerating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 22 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie dough
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 lb unsalted butter, softened
  • 1.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.333 cup pumpkin puree (blotted very dry)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • Orange and black sprinkles for decorating
Cream cheese frosting
  • 6 oz cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the cookie dough
  1. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then add the blotted very-dry pumpkin puree, the egg, and the vanilla and mix until smooth.
  2. In a separate addition, fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until the dough is firm enough to slice.
  3. Roll the dough into a log, wrap it in parchment, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Slice, bake, and frost
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Slice the chilled dough log into 1/2-inch rounds and arrange them on a sheet pan.
  3. Add orange and black sprinkles on top of the rounds before baking, then bake for 10-12 minutes until just set.
  4. Cool the cookies completely so the frosting won’t melt.
  5. Beat the cream cheese and 2 tbsp butter until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla until you have a thick frosting.
  6. Frost the cooled cookies with the cream cheese frosting and decorate with any remaining sprinkles.

Notes

For the thick “pre-sliced-style” texture, be sure the pumpkin puree is blotted very dry before mixing—extra moisture makes the dough softer and harder to slice. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (frosted cookies are best kept chilled); freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months and thaw, then frost. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduce butter in the frosting by 1 tbsp while keeping the powdered sugar amount the same.