Cookies & BarsNo. 9020 · The 2026 edition
Pumpkin Cut-Out Cookies
Soft, buttery pumpkin cut-out cookies with creamy orange frosting—perfect for Halloween baking!
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at iheartnaptime.net.
These pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies are soft and flavorful, made with sour cream and a hint of almond. After chilling, the dough is rolled, cut, and baked until just golden. Finish with a homemade orange buttercream for a festive treat.
Ingredients
Directions
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup room-temperature butter and 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 room-temperature eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, and 1 cup sour cream until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baker's mat or parchment paper, roll out the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. If the dough is sticky, dust with an additional ¼ to ½ cup flour. Cut into shapes using floured pumpkin cookie cutters.
- Place cutouts on baking sheets and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden. Be careful not to overbake. Let cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat ¾ cup butter, 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add orange food coloring until the desired shade is reached.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, frost them with the orange buttercream.