Pumpkin Pie Cookies
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If a soft and chewy sugar cookie and a pumpkin pie had a baby, it would be one of these Pumpkin Pie Cookies. Weird analogy? I can’t help it! It’s the best way to describe these little delicacies.
If you’ve been around Kroll’s Korner for bit you might remember my Apple Pie Cookies or my Pecan Pie Cookies from years past. Well, I decided they needed a new little sibling! 😂 Enter: these Pumpkin Pie Cookies!
I had so much fun making these cookies for my 2024 Holiday Cookie Series and I’m just *obsessed* with how they turned out.
The soft and chewy sugar cookie base is the perfect stand-in for the traditional pumpkin pie crust. Then you cover it with a delicious pumpkin pie filling that tastes warm and comforting, but isn’t too overpowering on spices. That’s topped with *my* favorite part of these Pumpkin Pie Cookies: the crumbly, buttery streusel topping.
Bake those babies up and then finish them off with your powdered sugar based glaze, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, and a dollop of whipped cream and *voila*! Delicious, pumpkin pie goodness in the palm of your hands! I promise you, they’ll be the hit of your holiday parties!
Speaking of holiday parties, if you’re looking for more festive desserts to try, check out my Pumpkin Pie Bars, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip, or Cranberry Bliss Bars for some of my family faves.
Or if cookies are more your jam, you can’t go wrong with my Brown Butter Caramel Snickerdoodles, Maple Cookies, or my Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cookies. 🍪
- The Obvious: I mean, it’s pumpkin pie in cookie form… need I say more?
- Soft and Chewy: The cookie base has a soft and chewy texture that’s just as good (dare I say better?!) as any bakery cookie.
- Fun and Festive: These aren’t any plain Jane cookies! You’ll wow your guests with how adorable and unique these Pumpkin Pie Cookies are.
- Minimal Spices: I don’t know about you, but isn’t it so annoying when you have a million spice canisters that you use for ONE recipe, maybe once a year? Not these cookies! You just need a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
- Ultra Tasty: While you don’t need to buy the whole spice aisle, these Pumpkin Pie Cookies are still packed with warm Fall flavors.
Ingredient Notes
(For the full list of ingredients and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Cold Butter: We’re using cold butter for the cookie dough. Not melted, not room temperature. Cold butter straight from the fridge. This helps make the firm, dense texture of the sugar cookies.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract: While the almond extract is technically optional, I really love the extra *yum* it adds to the taste of these cookies.
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk: The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and helps binds the dough.
- Milk: After mixing your dough, if it feels a bit dry or crumbly, add a splash of milk to help hydrate the dough.
- 100% pumpkin puree, blotted: Make sure you’re buying pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Blot the puree by pressing paper towels on it until they’re not absorbing much liquid.
- Other ingredients needed: all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar, and cornstarch.
Step by Step Directions
(This is a condensed run-down of how to make these cookies. For the full recipe instructions, make sure to scroll down to the recipe card below)
Follow the detailed instructions in the recipe card below to make the cookie dough. If the dough seems dry, add a splash of milk.
Roll baby, roll!
Divide the dough in half (it’s easier to roll it in two halves rather than in one big slab!). Use a rolling pin to roll out each half of the dough until ~⅜ inch thick. Then freeze the dough until cold (~20-30 minutes).
Prepare the pumpkin filling and crumble topping
Whisk together the pumpkin filling ingredients until smooth. In a separate bowl, stir together all the crumble topping ingredients until the dough comes together.
Add the delicious toppings
Enjoy these little beauties!
If you think it looks cute, add a little dollop of piped whipped cream on top of each cookie too! Enjoy!! 😋
Tips for Success
- Measure ingredients properly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife instead of scooping the flour with your measuring cup. Too much flour will make take away from the soft & chewy texture of the cookies.
- Don’t over-bake: the cookies will become dry!
- Blot the pumpkin: Measure the ¾ cup of pumpkin AFTER the moisture is blotted out. I’ve found this is basically the contents (post-blotting) of 1, 15 oz. can. Blotting to remove the extra moisture helps to ensure the pumpkin pie filling doesn’t get too runny or mess up the texture of the sugar cookie when baking.
Can I use raw pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree?
I haven’t tested it out personally, but I am sure it can be done if you want to make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
Can I use canned pumpkin pie mix instead of 100% pumpkin puree?
I don’t recommend it. Canned pumpkin pie mix has added sugar and spices, which will alter the flavor and texture of the filling on these Pumpkin Pie Cookies.
Why do I need to blot the pumpkin puree?
Blotting the puree removes excess moisture, which helps prevent the filling from becoming too runny and ensures the cookies bake properly.
What should I do if my dough seems too dry?
Add a splash of milk until the dough comes together.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think substituting the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour should work fine. If you try it, I’d love if you’d leave a comment below with how it went for you!
Storage & Freezing
- I recommend keeping these at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days (without the whipped cream garnish), refrigerating for up to 1 week, or freezing for up to 2 months.
- You can freeze the sugar cookie dough for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes (If using salted butter, don't add extra salt)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 2-4 tsp. milk (if needed)
For the Pumpkin Filling:
- ¾ cup 100% pumpkin puree, blotted (Measure ¾ cup AFTER moisture is blotted out, which is basically 1, 15 oz. can. I used paper towels to blot.)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch pumpkin pie spice (Not too much because it makes the pumpkin look dark and weird.)
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
- ¾ tsp. salt
For the Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tbsp. whole milk (or half & half)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or clear vanilla extract)
Optional for Garnish:
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- whipped cream
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), add the powdered sugar and salt to the bowl and mix to combine.1 cup powdered sugar, ½ tsp. salt
- Add the cold butter pieces and beat on low to start, then increase the speed. Beat until the butter and sugar form almost like a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- Add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and almond extract (if using).1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, ¼ tsp. almond extract
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix just until combined. If the dough seems dry, add a splash of milk.2¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 2-4 tsp. milk
- Divide the dough in half.
- Place each half of dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top of each half of dough.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each half of dough between the 2 sheets of parchment until ~⅜ inch thick. (Tip: ⅜ inch thick is right in between ¼ and ½ inch thick.) I like them a little thick, so they have a nice chew!
- Then, freeze the dough until cold (20-30 minutes or longer if needed).
Prepare the Pumpkin Filling:
- Meanwhile, mix together the pumpkin filling ingredients until smooth. (Or you can use a hand mixer if you prefer.)¾ cup 100% pumpkin puree, blotted, ½ cup granulated sugar, Pinch pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp. cornstarch, Pinch kosher salt, 1 tsp. vanilla
Prepare the Crumble Topping:
- In a bowl, stir together all the crumble topping ingredients until the dough comes together. You should be able to pinch it between your fingertips and it stays together. If not, add a little more melted butter.1 cup flour, 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 6 Tbsp. butter, melted, ¾ tsp. salt
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 2 ½ inch circular cookie cutter, cut the cookies into circles.
- Spread some of the pumpkin filling on each cookie, spreading it all the way to the edges of the cookie.
- Top with a generous amount of the streusel crumble topping. Don’t be shy!
- Bake for ~9-11 minutes or until you can start to see the edges begin to brown and the crumble looks a little golden. Careful not to over-bake.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for a couple minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
Finish with Toppings:
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze.2 cups powdered sugar, 2-4 tbsp. whole milk (or half & half), 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or clear vanilla extract)
- Sprinkle a little of the cinnamon-sugar topping on top of the streusel, and then drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.
- (Optional) You can add a little dollop of piped whipped cream on top of the cookies too, if you're extra, like me!whipped cream
Video
Notes
- I recommend keeping these at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days (without the whipped cream garnish), refrigerating for up to 1 week, or freezing for up to 2 months.
- You can freeze the sugar cookie dough for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This recipe is a total winner! The cookie base is absolutely out of this world—it reminded me of a buttery shortbread cookie. Cue the drooling! The pumpkin filling was rich and delicious, and the crumble topping? An instant hit! My husband loved it so much he ended up eating the leftovers straight from the bowl with a spoon.
The only hiccup I had was dealing with the moisture in the pumpkin. Blotting it with paper towels took a little longer than I anticipated, but the end result was well worth the effort.
Thank you so much Rebecca! Blotting the pumpkin does take a bit of paper towels to get a majority of it out. But so glad you enjoyed them & thank you for making them!
So yummy! Almost tasted like pumpkin butter!
They look great!! thank you soo much 🙂
Made these for Thanksgiving and they were a hit. The different layers gave it depth. I wanted to slather on extra pumpkin topping but ran out lol so may have to make some extra next go around.
they’re so cute & perfect, thank you so much!
Love this recipe! Definitely got me into the fall spirit.
they look fab! thank you so much 🙂
yay! thank you 🙂
Sorry my picture is separate from my comment. I can’t seem to get them posted together.😊
they look sooo perfect!! thank you Lisa! 🙂
These cookies are amazing!
I shared them with family, friends & coworkers & everyone flipped. Everyone kept saying it was the best cookie they’ve ever eaten.
I did make my cookies the lazy way by scooping out 1/2 Tbsp of dough, rolling it
in a ball & flattened it with a glass to the thickness
you recommended. It made
18 – 2 1/2″ cookies.
What a fun fall cookie recipe.🍁
Thanks for sharing!😊
I am so glad they were a hit!! love the method you used 🙂 thank you!
I made these cookies while traveling in my RV, so please don’t laugh at the paper plates. 🙂
This recipe rocks! It taste just like a pumpkin pie. The texture is amazing. The flavors are amazing and it’s a super fun way to make a pumpkin themed cookie. The ingredients, and all the stuff do take a little bit of time so don’t think these are similar to a drop cookie where you can mixed and baked quickly. But if you have the time to do this, it is definitely worth it! I only marked off one star because of the time it took from start to finish, Otherwise, the recipe was delicious!
They are a more time consuming cookie compared to other recipes, but I am so happy you gave them a try. they look amazing, thank you!
So yummy and beautiful!! I left off the cinnamon sugar because I figured it didn’t need it, and it was delicious without. I made them for my dorm, and I caught multiple guys furtively sneaking back for seconds (and even thirds!) All the girls commented on how pretty they were, and I thought the tenderness of the cookie dough and the mix of textures was spot-on. Crowd-pleasing recipe for sure!
I am obsessed! You nailed it, glad everyone loved them!! thank you 🙂
These were so fun to make and delicious! They really are like mini pumpkin pies!
omg they are soo perfect!! thank you so much for making them and leaving a photo in the review, I always love to see how the creations turned out 🤗
These turned out amazing!
omg sooo cute!! thank you! 🙂
the pumpkin shaped cookie cutter, ADORABLE!