Are you in need of an easy, delicious dessert that’s perfect for Christmas dinner? Well, look no further. I have the perfect recipe for you! With soft, warm pumpkin goodness and the optional brown sugar icing that melts in your mouth, this recipe is beloved by my own family, and I’m sure it’ll be the same with yours! You may need two people to help, as the icing cools and hardens quickly, but spreads best when warm.

Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients

• 1 Cup Pumpkin (I use canned)
• 1 Cup Butter (softened)
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups Flour
• ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Brown Sugar Icing Ingredients

• ¼ Cup Butter
• ⅔ Cup Brown Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 ¼ Cups Powdered/Confectioners sugar

Pumpkin Cookies

(Makes approximately 36 cookies)

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll save that for when you’re scooping the dough onto the cookie sheets.
2. In an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy
3. Cream pumpkin into the mix as well
4. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt
5. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. If you don’t have anything to sift with, simply mix the ingredients together with a fork. Works just as well.
6. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in small intervals to reduce mess. Mix only until just combined.
7. Place dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet by the tablespoon.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a nice deep orange color.

Brown Sugar Icing

This step is optional. Some people don’t like the icing, so even if you end up a few cookies short, there’ll definitely be someone to eat them! Do NOT start the icing until all the cookies are out of the oven!

1. For the icing, add the butter, milk, vanilla, and brown sugar into a medium saucepan.
2. Allow it to boil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. If you aren’t sure if it’s done yet, let the mixture boil longer. Better to have it too thick rather than too thin!
3. Add your powdered sugar and stir.
4. Beat the icing with an electric mixer. It should be a soupy consistency and should be able to drip at least a bit. If the icing is too thick, add a few more tablespoons of milk. If it’s too thin, allow the icing to cool slightly. Not too much, though!
5. This part is the hardest part, because you’ll need to act quickly! Spoon the icing onto the finished cookies. Be careful because the icing may be hot!
6. Serve and enjoy!