Pumpkin Pie Cookies – Texanerin Baking

These pumpkin pie cookies combine the rich flavors of pumpkin pie with a sugar cookie’s soft, chewy texture. They’re bite-sized treats that are a must-try for fall gatherings or Thanksgiving celebrations. They can be made with all-purpose or gluten-free flour.

This has been a bad month for me. Working hasn’t really been a possibility. I have loads of Thanksgiving recipes and photos ready to share, so I’m going to try to get as many posted as possible before next Thursday.

I recently posted these Pecan Pie Cookies, which share the same sugar cookie base. So if you want, you can make half of the filling for both recipes and then have 12 of each type.

Or just double the dough portion of the recipe and freeze any leftovers, which I think is an even better idea. 🙂

If you’ve already read the pecan pie cookie post, there’s really no need to read this one. Only the filling is different, and to make that, all you do is mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these pumpkin pie cookie cups.

For measurements and instructions, scroll to the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

For the cookie base

For the filling

Homemade vs. canned pumpkin puree

To ensure consistent results in my pumpkin recipes, especially baked goods, I typically use canned pumpkin puree.

Canned pumpkin has a uniform texture and moisture level, which is critical for baking. Homemade puree can vary depending on the type of pumpkin used, how it’s cooked, and how well it’s drained.

Homemade pumpkin puree often contains excess water, even if strained, which can make baked goods too wet or lead to a denser crumb. But if you want to use homemade puree anyway, I have this post on How to Make Pumpkin Puree.

And if you’re looking for the best-tasting canned pumpkin puree check this list from Tasting Table. I had no idea they differed so much!

Make your own pumpkin spice

If you don’t have any store-bought pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can easily make it by mixing the ingredients below.

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

That’ll give you enough for this recipe and this tasty Pumpkin Smoothie. You only need half a 15-ounce (425-gram) can of pumpkin puree for these pumpkin pie cookies, so you’ll need something to make with the other half of the can.

This No-bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie uses exactly half a can of pumpkin and is also perfect for Thanksgiving, so that’d be my choice.

How to make the cookies

I tested these mini pumpkin pie cookies in eight different ways (I said the same in the pecan pie cookies! I made them 16 times total 😂) to find the quickest method that still yields pretty cookies.

I compared chilling the dough versus not chilling it, as well as cooking down the pumpkin puree the same way I did in my Crustless Pumpkin Pie.

Chilling the dough was necessary, but luckily, cooking the filling a bit first didn’t make a big difference. So that’s one fewer step to worry about.

I also tested filling the unbaked cookie dough with the pumpkin pie filling and baking everything together in one step. Those came out terribly.

Another test involved skipping the cooling step for the cookie bases and filling them immediately after removing them from the oven. Also not very good.

And there were several other variations. Every step in the recipe is there for a reason – to ensure your cookies turn out just like mine.

Tips

These tips are included in the recipe, but they’re worth highlighting again because they really make a big difference.

• Chill the dough – chilling helps the dough hold its shape and ensures even baking.
• Don’t overfill the crusts – filling beyond the edges can cause the filling to overflow.
• Let the cookies cool completely – this makes it easier to remove them from the pan without breaking.

How to make ahead

The dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a Ziploc, and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

You can also make the filling a day or two in advance and keep it refrigerated. I might have kept mine even longer, and it was fine. But don’t take it too far because there are eggs in there.

How to store these cookies

Once baked, these pumpkin pie cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

If you want to freeze them, let the cookies cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer.

Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Thaw them in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours and add whipped cream before serving.

These pumpkin pie cookies store well, but wait to add the whipped cream until you’re ready to serve.

Decorate

I piped the whipped cream onto the cookies using a star tip for a decorative touch.

You can also sprinkle extra pumpkin pie spice over the whipped cream or add Maple Walnuts or Candied Pecans to add texture.

Gluten-free option

For the gluten-free version, I used King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. The result was perfect! Nobody knew they were gluten-free.

If you only have Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, it would likely work but might result in a slightly sandier texture. I can’t say for sure without trying.

Flours like oat, coconut, almond, or similar alternatives won’t work for these cookies. You’ll need a flour specifically designed as a direct substitute for all-purpose flour.

More pumpkin recipes

I hope you’ll enjoy these pumpkin pie cookies! If you make them, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks! 🙂

❀

• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 24 min
• Ready in: 2 h
• Yield: 24

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• 2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour, white whole wheat or or for gluten-free, use King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup (102 grams) vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large (50 grams, out of shell) egg, room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (212 grams / half a 15-ounce can) canned pumpkin puree
• 5 tablespoons (63 grams) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large (50 grams, out of shell) egg, room temp
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream

To decorate:

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream

Directions

Make the cookie bases:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In another large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat together the butter, oil and granulated sugar until well blended.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
4. Gradually beat in the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. The dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a Ziploc, and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
5. Grease 24 cavities of two standard muffin pans.
6. Roll the dough into twenty-four 27-gram balls. Place one in the center of one of the cavities and squish down to create a little crust that you’re going to fill. You don’t need to create a thin pie crust kind of shell.
7. Chill for 30 minutes or freeze for 15. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C) and place a baking sheet large enough for your muffin pans in the lower third section of your oven.
8. Place the cold muffin pans on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until nicely browned. The bottom won’t brown as nicely as the sides, but that’s normal.
9. Remove from the oven, press them down with your fingers or a spoon to make a more defined indentation where the filling will go.
10. Let cool for at least 15 minutes on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling and lower the temp to 350 °F (175 °C).

Make the filling:

11. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.
12. Spoon 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of filling into the mostly cooled crusts. Do not fill it over the edges of the crust.
13. Bake for 12 minutes.
14. Let cool completely in the pans and then remove by running a sharp knife around the edges. I was actually able to remove them after only about 10-15 minutes, but to be on the safe side, I think it’s best if they cool completely (about an hour) before trying to remove them.

Decorate:

15. In a small or medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the heavy cream. Start on low so it doesn’t fly everywhere, and gradually increase the speed to high. Continue beating until you have stiff peaks. But don’t overmix, or it’ll break down into butter.
16. Pipe on the whipped cream using a star tip.

How to store:

17. Once cooled, these pumpkin pie cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
18. If you want to freeze them, let the cookies cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe by Texanerin Baking | www.texanerin.com