Easy Royal Icing Pumpkin Cookies

A simple recipe for cut-out frosted pumpkin sugar cookies with the perfect finishing glaze!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Refrigeration Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings cookies

Calories 227kcal

Author Amee

For the cookies:
1 cup unsalted, butter at room temperature 2 sticks
2/3 cup sugar
1 whole egg
2 tsp vanilla extract can use 1/2 almond extract & 1/2 vanilla
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour sifted (don't skip the sifting!), plus more for dusting the work surface
1/2 tsp salt
For the Icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp milk I always add a bit more until the texture is right, if you use food coloring then you can use a little less extra milk
A few drops of food coloring optional
*Icing should be thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon but smooth enough to be spreadable.

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed.
Add in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt, then stir into the butter mixture with the mixer on low.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut into your desired shapes with cookie cutters.
Place the cookies on the prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn golden, but not brown.
These cookies are supposed to not look done when you take them out, but they should be firm and set.
They will have a soft texture when cooled if they do not bake too long.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool while you prepare the icing.
To make the icing, sift the sugar into a bowl, add the milk and food coloring (if using) and stir.
If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.
If mixture is too thin, add a little more sugar.
This is simple to adjust to get the right consistency.
Spread icing on cookies when they are completely cooled. The icing will set when they are completely dry.

Icing Tips:

Don’t skip sifting the sugar! To achieve a smooth royal icing texture, there mustn’t be any lumps!

The icing should be thick enough to spread easily with a knife and harden to a smooth finish. I always add a bit more milk to get the texture just right.

Add food coloring drop by drop until the desired color is achieved. Gel or paste colors work well without altering the icing consistency.

Give the icing a few hours to fully set and harden before stacking and storing the cookies to avoid smudging.

If decorating with more than one frosting color, allow the first color to dry before applying a second color so the colors do not bleed.

*See post for more helpful cookie tips!