These mini fall sugar cookies are soft and chewy on the inside, frosted with a scrumptious buttercream frosting, and topped with festive candy sprinkles. The perfect bite-sized sugar cookie recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Sugar cookies are one of my favorite varieties of cookies to make. They may feel plain and simple, but they’re actually one of the best cookies out there. That classic, sweet, and buttery flavor is perfect for any occasion, and you can really make them pop with icing or frosting. That’s what I do with these mini fall sugar cookies. With classic sugar cookie flavor, buttercream frosting, and festive sprinkles, these are cookies that always have everyone coming back for more.
Fall Sugar Cookies
These delicious fall cookies start with a simple sugar cookie dough made with corn syrup so the cookies bake up extra soft and chewy. I bake them until the edges are set, then let them cool for a few minutes on the pan to finish cooking. Then, I cool them completely and make a simple buttercream frosting. I frost the mini cookies and add candy sprinkles, and then just watch them disappear. That’s all there is to it!
What You’ll Love This Mini Fall Sugar Cookie Recipe
- They are soft and chewy and are perfect for the fall season.
- They’re frosted with a delicious buttercream frosting that complements the soft and chewy dough and elevates the overall taste.
- They are topped with festive fall sprinkles, and these bite-size cookies are perfect for parties, potlucks, or a midday snack.
Fall Sugar Cookie Ingredients
These cookies are made with simple baking ingredients that are either in your kitchen or available with a quick trip to the grocery store.
- Butter: Butter adds rich, buttery flavor to the cookies and makes the creamy base for the buttercream frosting.
- Corn Syrup: Corn syrup makes the cookies extra soft and chewy.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar creamed with butter creates a rich, creamy frosting.
- Orange and Yellow Food Coloring: These combine to give the frosting a classic fall color.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
How to Make Mini Fall Sugar Cookies
These cookies are incredibly easy to make. The cookie dough and buttercream recipes are both simple and only take a few steps. Even beginners can make these with ease.
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Cookie Ingredients
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Then, add the egg, vanilla, and corn syrup and mix until combined.
Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 4: Make the Cookie Dough
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 5: Scoop
Using a ½-inch cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and gently roll them into balls. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet and gently press them down a bit.
Step 6: Bake
Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes. Then, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Make the Frosting
Cream the butter, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing until smooth and creamy.
Step 8: Frost
Frost the cooled cookies with the buttercream frosting. Top with sprinkles and let the frosting set. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Whip the butter and sugar until super creamy for the best cookie texture.
- Mix the cookie dough until just combined and no further. Overmixing creates excess gluten, which will make the cookies hard.
- Remove the cookies as soon as the edges are just a touch golden. Carryover cooking time from the hot baking sheet will finish baking them to perfection.
- Your cookies MUST be fully cooled before frosting, or the frosting will begin to liquefy on contact and slide off of the cookies.
Variations
- Use plain frosting for cookies, which you can serve at any time of year.
- Add different food coloring to the frosting to suit different holidays.
- Change the sprinkles for different holidays, as well.
- Use a large cookie scoop to make full-size cookies.
What to Serve with Bite-Size Sugar Cookies
Like full-size cookies, these mini sugar cookies are perfect with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. You can also serve them alongside your other favorite sweet treats as part of a larger dessert table for parties and gatherings.
Recipe FAQ
Cookies should cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before icing or frosting them. This time frame can be longer for larger cookies. The main thing to remember is that your cookies must be fully cooled before decorating them.
Decorated cookies may or may not need to be refrigerated, depending on what’s used to decorate them. Buttercream frosting, for example, doesn’t need to be refrigerated for the first three days. However, cream cheese frosting should always be refrigerated.
Ice sugar cookies will stay fresh for up to a week. Frosted sugar cookies will stay fresh for up to five days.
That’s a matter of personal preference. There are both crispy and soft sugar cookie recipes.
If your sugar cookies are frosted with buttercream, you can freeze them for up to two months.
How to Store Frosted Sugar Cookies
Store these cookies for up to three days in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerate them for up to a week in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to two months in an airtight, freezer-safe container in single layers separated by parchment paper. Defrost the cookies overnight in the refrigerator.
Try This Delicious Fall Sugar Cookie Recipe Today
These adorable mini fall sugar cookies are as easy to make as they are delicious, and their small size makes them a fun dessert, snack, or addition to any party. Everyone will love the sweet, buttery flavor and cute little size, and you’ll love how easy they are to make. When a recipe is this easy and delicious, you owe it to yourself to give it a try!
More Delicious Fall Desserts You’ll Enjoy
These Apple Pecan Fritter Bites are an easy and delicious apple fritter recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
Fall Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
Buttercream Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Fall candy sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sugar Cookies
- In a large bowl, using an eclectic mixer, cream butter and sugar together until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat egg, vanilla and corn syrup into mixture until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix.
- Using a ½ inch cookie scoop, place rounded cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently press each cookie down a bit.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies sit on the baking sheet for a couple minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, frost cookies.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter, milk and vanilla together. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Frost cookies, then sprinkle with festive holiday sprinkles.
- Let the frosting setup then place cookies in a container for storing and place parchment paper in between the layers.
Notes
Nutrition
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