Gather up the kids and get ready to make the cutest and EASIEST pumpkin cookies this Halloween! No fancy decorating or piping skills needed - a circle cookie, frosting, and some mini M&M's is all it takes to make these adorable Halloween pumpkin cookies!
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It's no secret that I love making cut out sugar cookies but when it comes to decorating, 9/10 I'm just not in the mood to do fancy decorating.
Piping faces is hard and messy (and definitely not attainable when baking with kids), so when I was trying to think of a way to decorate pumpkin cookie this year, these cute little pumpkins were born! No pumpkin or jack o lantern cookie cutter needed - you can make these with a normal circle cutter, cup, or spice lid! Am I the only one that is obsessed with cute halloween cookies with eyes?
These soft pumpkin cut out cookies are the perfect kid-friendly activity since they can help at every step! Let them cut out the dough, frost, and then give them a bowl of M&M's and mini chocolate chips to decorate the faces. You can even use this same method for ghost or cat cookies!
What You Need to Make Easy Halloween Pumpkin Cookies
- Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Dough (or you could use a pre-packed dough like Pillsbury)
- Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting (or store-bought frosting of choice)
- Orange Food Coloring
- Small circle cookie cutter (I used 2" circle or you can use a spice cap)
- Mini M&M's
- Mini Chocolate Chips (optional, you can also just use M&M's for the eyes but I like the look of the smaller chips)
How to Make Easy Halloween Pumpkin Cookies
Step 1: Cut Out Cookies & Bake
After rolling out your cut out sugar cookie dough (I prefer ½" thick), use a small circle cookie cutter or spice cap to cut out cookies. You can also use a larger circle and normal sized M&M's for a larger version of these!
Tip: To make the perfect cut out sugar cookies, browse my The Ultimate Guide to Cut Out Sugar Cookies before starting!
Step 2: Let Cool Then Frost
Once baked, let cookies cool completely to room temperature before frosting. I used my Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting recipe to frost these (dyed a light orange) but you can use your favorite frosting recipe or store-bought can!
Step 3: Decorate
Once frosted, press on 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes (or M&M's, if preferred), 2 orange mini M&M's for the cheeks, and a brown M&M for the mouth! I like to cut some of the brown M&M's in half to make normal mouths and then mix in some whole M&M's for a more "BOO!" expression!
Tip: When cutting M&M's in half, use a sharp knife and press straight down. You will naturally break some and not get the perfect half-circle, but will get some good ones after a few tries!
Easy Pumpkin Halloween Cookies
Ingredients
- Sugar Cookie Dough
- Frosting dyed orange
- Mini M&M's
- Mini Chocolate Chips optional, you can also use M&M's for eyes
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Instructions
- Cut Out Cookies & BakeAfter rolling out your cut out sugar cookie dough (I prefer ½" thick), use a small circle cookie cutter (around 2.5" in diameter) or spice cap to cut out cookies. You can also use a larger circle and normal sized M&M's for a larger version of these!Tip: To make the perfect cut out sugar cookies, browse my The Ultimate Guide to Cut Out Sugar Cookies before starting!
- Let Cool Then FrostOnce baked, let cookies cool completely to room temperature before frosting. I used my Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting recipe to frost these (dyed a light orange) but you can use your favorite frosting recipe or store-bought can!
- Step 3: DecorateOnce frosted, press on 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes (or M&M's, if preferred), 2 orange mini M&M's for the cheeks, and a brown M&M for the mouth! I like to cut some of the brown M&M's in half to make normal mouths and then mix in some whole M&M's for a more "BOO!" expression!Tip: When cutting M&M's in half, use a sharp knife and press straight down. You will naturally break some and not get the perfect half-circle, but will get some good ones after a few tries!
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
Can I just use M&M's and skip the chocolate chips?
You definitely can! I just use the mini chocolate chips because I think having the smaller eyes make them look cuter and less bug-eyed, but you can definitely skip them!What size cookie cutter did you use?
I used a lid to a spice jar that was about 2.5" in diameter but you can also use any circle cookie cutter or cut (I find that wine/champagne glasses are good sizes for mini sugar cookies like these). You could also use a pumpkin shaped cookies cutter if you have one on hand! You can also use this face technique for other designs like ghosts or black cats! I'm also going to turn these into apple teacher cookies later in the year, as you could do the exact same thing with red frosting!Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
You definitely can! I just use the mini chocolate chips because I think having the smaller eyes make them look cuter and less bug-eyed, but you can definitely skip them!
I used a lid to a spice jar that was about 2.5" in diameter but you can also use any circle cookie cutter or cut (I find that wine/champagne glasses are good sizes for mini sugar cookies like these). You could also use a pumpkin shaped cookies cutter if you have one on hand!
You can also use this face technique for other designs like ghosts or black cats! I'm also going to turn these into apple teacher cookies later in the year, as you could do the exact same thing with red frosting!
I used my easy Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting recipe for these since it's spreadable and easy for kids to help with. For a smoother look, you could also use royal icing or my Easy Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe (which dries faster and is similar to a glaze).
I sure do! Check out my full collection of 10 Easy Halloween Treats!
Anna says
Oh my gosh, they're sooo cute! I wish I had seen this recipe before Halloween. I will definitely make them next time. No doubt, my children will be delighted! By the way, it's a perfect treat for trick-or-treaters :) Thank you so much for sharing such a marvelous recipe!
I'd like to add that I fell in love with your blog when I scrolled it. So many cute treats for kids. I love them all! I added some recipes and crafts to my bookmarks. They're useful!
So, keep it up! I wish you many new ideas in 2020 and a Happy New Year!
Melissa says
Aww thank you so much! This comment totally made my day. I really appreciate your support, Anna!