These cake-like Pumpkin Pecan Sugar Cookies make the perfect Fall afternoon snack. They're not overly sweet and perfect for dunking!
Do you prefer your cookies to be crunchy or soft? For me, it depends. If I've just finished my meal at a restaurant and want a little something sweet afterward, I love the crunchiness of biscotti.
If I'm at home, I prefer softer, chewier cookies to snack on with a cup of herbal tea.
Being that it's 'pumpkin everything season', I wanted to try out a new cookie recipe to make for Thanksgiving this year. And what tastes better in the fall than pumpkin and pecans, right?
So I tweaked my favorite sugar cookie recipe and came up with these soft and chewy Pumpkin Pecan Sugar Cookies.
I know I've said it before, but I'm not a big dessert/sweets person because I don't like food that is overly sweet. My favorite snack is popcorn, but every now and then when the sweet tooth fairy strikes, I prefer cookies or something baked with apples like this one.
These Pumpkin Pecan Sugar Cookies were so soft and moist, they were more like a cake than a cookie and my family was picking at them for days; especially since I had the plate next to our Keurig machine. Who could resist having a cookie with a cup of coffee or tea?
How do you make pumpkin sugar cookies?
This recipe is super simple to make too and because I'm not what I like to call a "follow the rules" baker, I use salted butter and one bowl to mix everything in.
You'll need softened butter, confectionary sugar, egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and pecans.
Start by adding your butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin to a large bowl; then mix well until combined. Next, add your dry ingredients and pecans; then mix with a spoon until your dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F; then using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons), scoop the dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet 2-inches apart. If your pan is not nonstick, spray with cooking spray or line with either parchment paper or silpat mat.
I got 28 cookies out of this dough. Press down on the dough slightly, then bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned and the centers have puffed up.
These Pumpkin Pecan Sugar Cookies are going to go perfectly for dessert with our Thanksgiving this year. Of course, I'll have our other favorite desserts as well, but after eating all of that food (we eat so many courses I can barely move!), something a little lighter and less sweet is just right. ~Enjoy!
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Pumpkin Pecan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 c. Salted Butter, softened
- 1 ½ c. Confectionary Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ½ c. Pure Pumpkin Puree
- 2 ½ c. All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
- ½ c. Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Combine the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin in a large bowl; mix well.
- Next, add the remaining ingredients and mix until the dough is formed; then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet using a medium scoop (approx. 1 ½ tbsp.) 2-inches apart; then press down on the tops to even out the dough. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are light brown and the tops have puffed up.
Notes
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Chuck says
These pumpkin pecan sugar cookies look and sound awesome, I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies so I'm going to have to give these a try.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thanks Chuck, I hope you enjoy them!