Cut out cookies that are rich and creamy, with that warmth of pumpkin spice in the dough, and sweetened with a maple cinnamon icing. No eggs required!
Baking and decorating holiday cut out cookies can be a fun and creative activity for families and friends. It’s an excellent way to bond and make memories, especially with children. Everyone can get involved in rolling, cutting, and decorating the cookies with colorful icing, sprinkles, and other festive toppings.
Holiday cut out cookies can also make charming homemade gifts. You can present them in decorative boxes, tins, or bags tied with ribbons. Personalized, hand-decorated cookies can be a thoughtful and heartfelt present for friends, neighbors, teachers, or coworkers during the holiday season.
From years of experience, I understand the frustration of not actually getting what you bargained for with cut-out cookies. You prepare them and cut them out with precision, only to find them come out of the oven looking like puffy clouds. Cute, but not what we’re going for.
Trouble shooting cut-out cookies:
Chill the dough– I cannot help you if you do not follow this step. You’ll want to make sure the butter in the dough has had time to firm up in the fridge (use freezer in a pinch.) You know how room temperature butter is great for spreading on bread? Yeah, well turns out its not so great for making cut-out cookies.
Add flour-Lightly flour the counter/work space you are using to roll dough out on. Add more flour as needed if cookies seem to be falling apart from the transition of counter to baking sheet.
Make them thicker– aim for around 1/4 inch to 3/8ths of an inch. Approximately around the thickness of a straw or the wide end of a chopstick. If they can’t hold up, roll dough out again thicker. Bakery quality cut-out cookies aren’t thin and flimsy, go big or go home.
How to achieve beautiful cut out cookies:
Using a glass mixing bowl (or other microwave safe dish) gently heat the butter and cream just to soften it– not melting. It should be soft enough that you can push a finger through it with no resistance.
Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until whipped. Mix in the vanilla.
While you wait, pick out your favorite cookie cutters, and lightly flour a clean surface. After the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°, and roll dough out onto floured surface in an even layer and cut out desired shapes. Place on parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, until light golden edges and bottoms.
While the cookies cool, prepare the icing. Once the cookies are cold to the touch, dip into the icing and let excess drip off on an angle. Place iced cookies aside to set; they set within 20-30 minutes, just don’t stack them for at least an hour after glazing. Share and enjoy your pumpkin spice cookies!
What I used in the kitchen for this recipe and you should too.
hand mixer– amazon
various cookie cutters -amazon
glass mixing bowls – amazon, also check kohls around the holidays for the deals in conjunction with kohls cash
Pyrex food storage containers– amazon, but Costco usually has great deals when they are in stock
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no cost to you, just like a free Disney travel agent. I’m only here to help!
Easy Cream Cheesy Pumpkin Spice Cut Out Cookies [eggless]
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- various cookie cutters
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 4 oz softened plain cream cheese (1/2 a package/brick)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Maple Cinnamon Icing
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin spice optional
Instructions
Cookies
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter and sugar until well mixed. Stir in vanilla extract until fully combined.
- To the wet ingredients, add flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and a dash of salt. Stir well, until dough comes together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly flour a clean, dry surface, Roll out the dough into an even layer approximately 1/4 inch thick, or thicker. Cut out desired shapes and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Spacing cookies about 1-2 inches from one another. Re-roll extra dough and repeat process, adding flour as needed. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool completely before icing.
Maple Cinnamon icing
- In a shallow but wide dish (4 cup pyrex food storage container works well), combine powdered sugar and hot water, and mix. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup and dash of pumpkin spice. Mix until smooth shiny icing appears.
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