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Copycat Vegan Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Copycat vegan pumpkin sugar cookies with a soft, pillowy texture and a tangy orange cream cheese-style frosting. Baked until the edges just set, then cooled completely before frosting for clean swirls.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookies
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), softened
  • 0.5 cup coconut oil, solid
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp plant milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Vegan cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz vegan cream cheese
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • orange food coloring
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment. Use two sheets if needed so the cookies bake in an even batch.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until the spices are evenly distributed with no streaks of seasoning.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Beat the softened vegan butter and solid coconut oil with the granulated sugar until creamy. The mixture should look lighter and smoother as you beat.
Add pumpkin and flavor
  1. Add pumpkin puree, plant milk, and vanilla extract to the creamy mixture. Mix just until combined and the batter looks uniformly orange-tinted.
Combine into soft dough
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms. Stop when no dry flour remains; the dough will look pillowy and slightly sticky.
Portion and shape
  1. Scoop the dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls and press them slightly flat. Keep spacing on the sheet so the cookies spread without merging.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges just set. The centers should still look slightly soft rather than fully dry.
Cool completely
  1. Cool the cookies completely before frosting. Let them cool fully so the frosting doesn’t melt or slide.
Make and add frosting
  1. Beat the vegan cream cheese frosting ingredients (vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, orange food coloring, and vanilla) until smooth. Stop when the frosting is thick enough to hold swirls.
Finish
  1. Frost generously on top of the cooled cookies and add sprinkles. The goal is bold coverage with visible orange swirls over each cookie.

Notes

Pro tip: If your coconut oil looks grainy or the dough feels too firm, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes so it scoops cleanly. Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; freezer-free for best texture after frosting. For a lower-sugar option, use a powdered sugar substitute for the frosting while keeping the cookie base the same.