Mini Pumpkin Pies in Cookie Form!
I have a secret to tell you. I don’t love pumpkin pie. Mostly because I don’t want to fuss with a full pie shell, slicing it, and dealing with leftovers.
But I still love the flavors! And being a self-proclaimed cookie recipe expert, I had to turn classic pumpkin pie into a handheld, adorable cookie that’s so much easier to make than pie.
I experimented with several cookie bases and pumpkin fillings until I landed on these cookies: they bring the same spiced pumpkin-filling goodness in a mini (but flavorful) way.
They hold up well for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or cozy weekend bakes with the family.
Expert Tips from the Testing Process
I tested and tweaked 4 batches of these cookies until I got them just right. They have to be worthy of a Thanksgiving table if they’re making it into my Thanksgiving dessert recipes. Here are my top tips!
- Roll the dough into smooth balls and press a well. They don’t spread much so the way they go into the oven is likely what the cookie dough “crust” will look like.
- Press a deep enough well in the center to hold the pie filling. About 1/2 -inch ensures you get enough pumpkin filling.
- Don’t over bake them. The cookies themselves won’t brown much. You’ll know they’re done with the center of the pumpkin pie filling doesn’t jiggle. And they’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Don’t forget to decorate and garnish! The whipped cream and cinnamon sugar makes them irresistible. I rolled out a small portion of the dough and baked them into cutouts to add fall flair.
Key Ingredients For the Best Pumpkin Pie Flavor
For the Cookie
- Butter + vegetable (or avocado) oil: The butter adds flavor & the oil keeps them tender and soft.
- Full-fat sour cream: Adds moisture and tang.
- Egg + vanilla: Use room temperature eggs to help with even mixing.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness and structure.
- Baking powder, salt, cinnamon: Leavening and essential warming spices.
- All-purpose flour: A larger volume than many drop-cookie recipes because we don’t want the dough to spread much.
For the Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling): Using purée ensures you control the flavor and texture.
- Light brown sugar + pumpkin pie spice: Gives that unmistakable pumpkin-pie-in-a-cookie flavor.
- Cornstarch: Helps the filling set and thicken.
- Half & half or heavy cream: Adds creaminess and richness!
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Cookies
You want a dough that holds shape and forms a well without collapsing or spreading to hold all the spiced filling, and that’s exactly what these Pumpkin Pie Cookies do! They look and taste like mini pumpkin pies!
Step 1. Mix Wet Ingredients: Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the oil with the mixer running on low. Add the sour cream, egg, and vanilla and beat again.
Step 2. Add Dry Ingredients: Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then beat into the wet ingredients.
Step 3. Scoop and Shape Dough: Use 1/4 cup to scoop the dough. Roll into a ball and press the back of a Tbsp into the center to create a well.
Step 4. Make the Pumpkin Pie Filling: Whisk the pie filling ingredients in a bowl.
Step 5. Fill the Cookie Dough: Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the wells of cookie dough almost to the top.
Step 6. Bake. Bake the cookies until the sides are set oven for 12-14 minutes, until the pumpkin filling no longer jiggles in the center.
Variations to Customize Your Holiday Table
- Gluten-Free Version: Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend (I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Flour).
- Smaller cookies: Make “mini” 2-Tbsp dough rounds and adjust bake time to about 9-11 minutes.
- Toppings: Whipped cream + cinnamon sugar (classic), salted caramel, chopped or pecans.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezer Tips
- Store/bake 1-2 days in advance: Bake cookies, cool completely, and pipe whipped cream right before serving.
- Freeze for up to 3 months: After baking and cooling, flash freeze in a single layer for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temp then top with whipped cream and serve.
- Freeze cookie dough: Scoop and roll cookie dough balls. Flash freeze on a baking sheet and transfer to a bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge then press with a spoon, fill with pie filling, and bake.
Servings: 15 cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Cream the butter (2 min): To a large bowl with an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
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Add the wet ingredients (3 min): With the mixer running on low, pour in the oil and mix until combined. Add the sour cream, egg, and vanilla extract and mix on medium-low speed until combined. It’s ok if it’s somewhat lumpy.
1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup full-fat sour cream, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Whisk dry ingredients (2 min): In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flour. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients until combined.
1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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Shape the cookies (3 min): Using a 1/4 cup (or a very large cookie scoop), scoop and roll the dough into smooth balls and place on the prepared baking sheet 3 inches apart. Use the back of a Tablespoon to create a well in to center of the cookie dough. These cookies don’t spread much so how they look going into the oven is what they’ll look like. I like to make sure my edges are as smooth as possible.
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Prepare the filling (5 min): In a large bowl, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until combined and smooth.
1/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/4 cup half and half, 1 large egg
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Fill the cookies (3 min): Pour the pumpkin pie filling into each cookie dough well almost all the way to the top. I like to use a small liquid measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring.
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Bake the cookies (12-14 min): Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until the pumpkin filling is set and no longer jiggles in the center when you nudge it. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. You can transfer them to the fridge until they’re ready to decorate and serve (I prefer to serve them chilled, but room temp works too).
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Decorate and serve (5 min): Pipe whipped cream in a back-and-forth motion on one half of the cookies and dust with cinnamon sugar.
Storage: store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days (if no whipped topping) and up to 5 days in the fridge.. Stoup to 5 days, especially if topped with cream. In freezer: up to 3 months when well sealed.
Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months: After baking and cooling, flash freeze in a single layer for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temp then top with whipped cream and serve.
Freeze cookie dough: Scoop and roll cookie dough balls. Flash freeze on a baking sheet and transfer to a bag and freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then press with a spoon, fill with pie filling, and bake.
More topping ideas: chopped pecans, salted caramel, ice cream.
Homemade whipped cream: beat or whip 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla with an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
Leaf cutout cookies: I scooped out 1-2 scoops of dough, rolled them on parchment paper and used leaf cookie cutters to cut them into shapes and baked them for 8-9 minutes. They held their shape well!
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 241mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 967IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs
Pumpkin-pie cookies are designed to mimic the flavor, structure, and look of pumpkin pie. They have a distinct filling and a cookie base shaped to hold it (like this recipe!). Regular pumpkin cookies use pumpkin purée in the dough itself (no separate filling).
No you can’t because canned pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar, spices, and usually stabilizers. Use plain pumpkin purée to control the flavor and structure.
At room temperature: up to 3 days in an airtight container (if no whipped topping). In fridge: up to 5 days, especially if topped with cream.
