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Soft Iced Pumpkin Chai Sugar Cookies

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These soft iced pumpkin chai sugar cookies are a happy accident turned into the most-requested fall recipe. With a warm chai spice blend and a creamy cream cheese icing, they are the perfect easy treat for any autumn gathering.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/2 cup (120g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
  • 2 teaspoons chai masala spice blend
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, sifted if desired
  • 2 ounces (56g) cream cheese, softened
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk (whole milk preferred)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of cinnamon for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy—about 3 to 4 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
  3. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until just combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled; that’s normal.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, chai masala, and cinnamon.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Pour about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl for rolling.
  7. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion out rounded balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each). Roll each ball between your palms until smooth, then roll in the sugar until completely coated. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops are crackled but still soft in the center. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. While cookies cool, make the icing: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and pourable. If too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
  10. Once cookies are completely cool, drizzle or spread the icing over the tops. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon while the icing is still wet.
  11. Let the icing set at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t overmix the dough. Use a kitchen scale for accurate flour measurement. Make your own chai masala blend: 1 tbsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds. Watch baking time closely; start checking at 10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before icing.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin chai sugar cookies, soft iced pumpkin cookies, fall cookie recipe, easy pumpkin cookies, chai spice cookies

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/soft-iced-pumpkin-chai-sugar-cookies-best-easy-fall-recipe/