Description
These Pumpkin Pie Cookies feature a buttery graham cracker cookie base filled with creamy, spiced pumpkin custard. They taste exactly like mini pumpkin pies and are perfect for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving dessert tables, or anytime you’re craving pumpkin pie in cookie form!
Ingredients
Cookie Base
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
Pumpkin Filling
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon evaporated milk (or heavy cream)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Substitution Notes:
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can use crushed gingersnaps for extra spice, or even vanilla wafer crumbs for a sweeter base.
- Evaporated milk: Heavy cream or half-and-half work perfectly here.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Make your own with ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and a pinch each of nutmeg and cloves.
Instructions
Turn oven to 350°F and put parchment on a baking sheet. Forgot parchment one time and had to throw the whole pan of cookies in the trash because I couldn’t get them off without destroying them.
Beat butter and both sugars together for maybe two minutes until it looks fluffy and lighter colored. Add egg and vanilla and keep mixing until everything’s smooth and combined.
Throw in flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low just until the white flour disappears. Overmixing makes them tough and chewy in a bad way. Dough feels sandy from the crackers.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Space them out on the sheet because they spread some. Push your thumb or a spoon into the middle to make a big dent. Go really deep but leave cookie around the sides to hold filling.
Bake for 5 minutes and take them out. They look basically raw and that’s correct. You’re setting the structure so the holes don’t disappear when you add wet filling.
While cookies are pre-baking, whisk all the filling ingredients in a bowl until totally smooth. Lumps will show up in the final cookies and look nasty.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into each cookie hole. Looks like not enough but trust me. Filling puffs while baking and too much makes a disaster. Back in the oven for 9-11 minutes. Edges should be brown, filling should look mostly set but maybe wobble slightly in the very center.
Leave them alone on the pan for 5 minutes. Move them too fast and filling runs everywhere and you’ll want to cry. Transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Usually sneak one at the 15 minute mark even though they’re still warmish.
Notes
- Chill your dough for 30 minutes if it feels too soft to work with. This makes rolling and shaping so much easier.
- Use a ¼ measuring cup to make the divots — it creates a perfectly round, uniform well every time.
- Don’t overbake the filling. It should still have a slight jiggle in the center when you pull them out. It will continue to set as it cools, and you want that creamy custard texture, not a dry, cracked filling.
- Make your divots right after they come out of the pre-bake if they’ve puffed up at all. Just gently press them down again while they’re still warm.
- Add a pinch of extra cinnamon to the cookie dough itself if you want even more spice throughout.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14–16 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American