Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cut Out Cookie Recipe

Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cut Out Cookie Recipe tastes like a cozy slice of pumpkin pie wrapped in a buttery sugar cookie with toasty pecan crunch in every bite. This recipe works best for holiday cookie trays, fall bake sales, or anyone who wants a fun cut out cookie that chills, bakes, and cools in about 2 hours total. I test these every year with my kids as “quality control,” which sounds noble but mostly means we eat a lot of cookie scraps.

Why Make This Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cut Out Cookie Recipe at Home

Homemade pecan pumpkin spice cut out cookies taste fresher and richer than store bought dough. Real butter, real pumpkin, and freshly toasted pecans give the cookies a deep nutty flavor that pairs with warm spices and a hint of vanilla.

You also control the sweetness, spice level, and thickness, so the cookies hold their shape and do not puff into mystery blobs. Kids love cutting the shapes, adults love eating them, and everyone loves that cozy pumpkin spice smell in the kitchen.

“These pecan pumpkin spice cut out cookies taste like fall in cookie form, with perfect edges and soft centers that keep everyone reaching for seconds. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You Need

Dry ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
  • Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant, then cool completely.
  • Use pre chopped pecans from the baking aisle to save time, but still toast them for best flavor.

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
  • I like Kerrygold or Plugrá for rich flavor, but any good quality butter works.
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • Use canned Libby’s or a store brand labeled “100% pumpkin.”
  • Blot pumpkin with paper towels if it looks very wet to keep the dough from getting sticky.

Optional icing and decoration

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or maple extract
• Pinch of salt
• Extra finely chopped pecans or sanding sugar for topping
• Gel food coloring if you want fall colors for leaves and pumpkins

Pantry shortcuts and substitutions

• Use pumpkin pie spice blend: Replace cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice with 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice if you keep that in your pantry.
• Nut free version: Skip pecans and add 2 extra tablespoons flour to keep the dough structure.
• Gluten free: Use a cup for cup gluten free baking flour that lists xanthan gum on the label. The cookies stay a little more tender but still cut cleanly.
• Dairy free: Use a good plant based butter stick, not spreadable tub margarine, and use dairy free milk in the icing.

Equipment list

• Large mixing bowl and medium mixing bowl
• Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale if you want super accurate flour measurement
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters in your favorite shapes
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Wire cooling racks
• Small bowls and spoons for icing and decorating

Tips & Mistakes

• Chill the dough at least 1 hour so the cookies hold sharp edges and do not spread.
• Measure flour carefully and avoid packing it; packed flour makes dry, tough cookies.
• Blot pumpkin puree with paper towels if it looks watery, or the dough turns sticky and soft.
• Toast pecans first to deepen flavor; raw pecans taste flat in comparison.
• Keep butter cool and slightly firm; very soft or melted butter leads to greasy, spread out cookies.
• Roll dough between two sheets of parchment to prevent sticking and reduce extra flour.
• Aim for even thickness, about 1/4 inch, so cookies bake at the same rate.
• Work with half the dough at a time and keep the rest in the fridge so it stays firm.
• Pull cookies from the oven when edges look set and centers look slightly soft; they finish on the hot pan.
• Cool cookies completely before icing, or the icing melts and slides off.
• Store iced cookies in a single layer until the icing sets, then stack with parchment between layers.
• Test one cookie first if you use a new cookie cutter shape, and adjust bake time by 1 to 2 minutes if needed.

How to Make Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cut Out Cookie Recipe

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients

Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to a medium bowl. Whisk until the spices look evenly distributed and no streaks remain. Stir in the finely chopped toasted pecans and set the bowl aside.

Step 2: Cream butter and sugars

Place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once to catch any butter clinging to the edges.

Step 3: Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin

Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and mix again until the mixture looks smooth and uniform. The batter might look slightly curdled at first, but it comes together once you add the dry ingredients.

Step 4: Bring the dough together

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears and the dough forms a soft ball. Scrape the bowl and fold the dough a few times with a spatula to catch any dry pockets, but stop as soon as everything looks combined so the cookies stay tender.

Step 5: Chill the dough

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Pat each portion into a flat disc about 1 inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours; longer chill time gives deeper flavor and easier rolling.

Step 6: Roll and cut the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap one disc of dough and place it between two sheets of parchment. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness, turning the parchment occasionally so the dough stays even.

Peel off the top layer of parchment and cut shapes with cookie cutters, pressing straight down and lifting straight up. Transfer the cut out cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Gather the scraps, gently press them together, reroll once, and cut more shapes.

Step 7: Bake the cookies

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Pull the cookies when the edges look set and just start to turn light golden, and the centers look dry on top but still soft. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 8: Mix the icing

Add powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or cream, vanilla or maple extract, and a tiny pinch of salt to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and thick but pourable; add a few drops more milk if it looks too stiff, or a spoonful more powdered sugar if it looks too thin. Divide the icing into small bowls and tint with gel food coloring if you want different colors.

Step 9: Decorate the cookies

Once the cookies cool completely, spoon or pipe icing onto each cookie. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into corners and smooth the surface. Sprinkle extra chopped pecans or sanding sugar on top while the icing still looks wet so it sticks.

Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the icing sets, usually 1 to 2 hours. After the icing firms up, stack the cookies gently or arrange them on a platter. Sneak one for “quality control” and call it research.

Variations I've Tried

I swap pecans for chopped toasted walnuts when I run out of pecans, and the cookies still taste warm and nutty with a slightly stronger flavor. I also tried mini chocolate chips in place of nuts, which gave the cookies a pumpkin spice chocolate chip vibe that kids devour. Maple extract in the icing adds a pancake breakfast twist that pairs nicely with the pumpkin and pecans.

Sometimes I cut the cookies thicker, about 3/8 inch, for softer, almost cake like centers and reduce the bake temperature to 340°F so the bottoms do not over brown. I also like a sugar crust version where I skip icing and press the tops of the cut out cookies into cinnamon sugar before baking. That version travels well in cookie tins and stays crisp longer.

How to Serve Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cut Out Cookie Recipe

Serve pecan pumpkin spice cut out cookies on a big platter with different shapes mixed together so everyone can pick a favorite. Pair them with hot coffee, chai, or a mug of cocoa for a cozy afternoon snack. Pack a few in lunch boxes, wrap some in clear bags with ribbon for teacher gifts, or set out a plate at game night.

These cookies also shine on holiday dessert tables next to pumpkin pie and apple crisp. Kids love to decorate their own cookies, so set up a little icing and sprinkle bar and let them go wild.

How to store

• Store plain, undecorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Store iced cookies in a single layer until the icing sets, then stack with parchment between layers and keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
• Keep the dough wrapped tightly in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking, or freeze the dough discs for up to 2 months.
• Freeze baked, undecorated cookies in a freezer bag with parchment between layers for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.
• Freeze iced cookies on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a container with parchment between layers and store up to 1 month.
• Refresh cookies by warming them on a baking sheet in a 275°F oven for 4 to 6 minutes, then cool briefly before serving so the texture tastes freshly baked.