Soft Pumpkin Pie Cookies
These Soft Pumpkin Pie Cookies are like mini bites of fall! They’ve got a soft, buttery sugar cookie base with a creamy, spiced pumpkin pie filling that’s just perfect. The best part? They’re handheld, which makes them super easy to serve for gatherings or as an after-dinner treat. Plus, they’re ready in just over an hour, so you get all the cozy flavors of pumpkin pie without the fuss of making a whole pie. Whether you’re baking for the holidays or just want something sweet and seasonal, these little cookies will hit the spot.
12 Servings
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Crust:
- 1 c 226 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c 200 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2¼ c 270 grams all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 4 ounces 113 grams cream cheese
- ½ c 118 ml canned pumpkin puree
- ½ c 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 12-cup muffin pan. To make life easier later, cut strips of parchment paper long enough to cross the bottom of each muffin cup with the ends hanging over the sides—this creates handy little “slings” that make popping the cookie cups out a breeze.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer if that’s what you’ve got), cream the room-temperature butter and sugar together on medium speed until it’s light, fluffy, and everything’s well blended. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Next, mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until everything’s combined. Now, add the flour and salt and mix just until it all comes together—don’t overdo it!
- Using a large cookie scoop, place about 3 tablespoons of dough into each prepared muffin cup. Press the dough down and up the sides to form little cookie cups.
- Bake the cookie cups for 10 minutes. While they’re in the oven, you can whip up the pumpkin pie filling. After 10 minutes, take the muffin pan out of the oven and use a teaspoon to gently press the sides and bottoms of the cookie cups back into shape, as they might puff up a bit during baking.
- In a clean bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon if that’s your thing), and vanilla extract. Whisk on low until smooth and creamy.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin filling into each partially baked cookie cup. I like using a small cookie scoop here to keep things neat and easy.
- Pop the pan back into the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cookie edges are golden brown and the pumpkin filling has set.
- Let the cookies cool in the muffin pan for about 30 minutes. Then, use those parchment slings to gently lift each cookie cup out of the pan. Let them cool another 30 minutes at room temperature, or if you’re in a hurry, pop them into the fridge to chill. Either way, they’re ready to enjoy!
Notes
Want to make these cookies gluten-free? It’s easy! Just swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Most gluten-free flours work great in this recipe, especially the ones that are 1:1 replacements for regular flour. Just make sure your baking powder and vanilla extract are gluten-free too (most are, but it’s always good to double-check!). Everything else in the recipe—pumpkin puree, cream cheese, sugar—is naturally gluten-free, so you’ll still get that same soft, delicious result without the gluten!