Every year, when the air gets that first crisp chill, I start to crave these Pumpkin Pie Cookies, soft, spiced little treats that taste just like a cozy slice of pie. They bring back warm memories of my son when he was just a little fellow, always wanting to “help” me bake for Thanksgiving.
Of course, his tiny hands and a big, delicate pie crust weren’t always the best mix! So I came up with this easy Fall Baked Goods Recipe, a special project just for us. He loved rolling the dough, and his favorite part was pressing the little “pie shell” indents with a spoon.
Years later, these are still one of my favorite Fun Thanksgiving Desserts to make. And I’ll tell you a secret… they’re always the first Thanksgiving cookies to disappear from the dessert table! 💛
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Pie Cookies (“Mini Pie” Bites) 💛
Tastes Just Like Pumpkin Pie: This is the best part! You get the rich, buttery “crust” flavor from the tender Pumpkin Shortbread Cookie and the creamy, perfectly spiced “filling” from our easy no-bake center. It’s the perfect little bite, just like a mini pumpkin pie!
A “No-Fuss” Foolproof Filling: My favorite part! The delicious filling is no-bake (made with cream cheese and pumpkin puree). This means you never have to worry about soggy cookie bottoms, a cracked filling, or wondering if it’s “set” in the oven. It’s perfectly creamy every time.
So Fun to Make (and Eat!): These are the perfect Fall Cookies Recipe to make with your family. They’re adorable, easy for little hands to help with, and look so impressive on any holiday dessert platter.
The Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert: You can bake the cookie “shells” days in advance and fill them right before serving. It’s the ultimate make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert, easy, stress-free, and absolutely delicious.
Helpful Kitchen Tools for Making Pumpkin Pie Cookies
These simple kitchen tools make baking Pumpkin Pie Cookies easy, fun, and perfectly mess-free every time. You truly don’t need any fancy, professional equipment; your kitchen already has almost everything you need! But over the years, I’ve found a few little “secret weapons” that make these cookies turn out perfectly every single time.
Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held): This is one I really recommend. For the cookie dough, it helps blend that cold butter into the flour, and for the filling, it’s the best way to get your cream cheese perfectly smooth and lump-free. A good old-fashioned wooden spoon works, but a mixer makes it “Ellie-proof!”
Cookie Scoop (1 Tablespoon Size): My secret to evenly sized cookies every time! When your cookies are the same size, they bake perfectly evenly, no underbaked centers or over-browned edges. A simple soup spoon works too, but a cookie scoop makes it so fast and neat.
A Rounded Measuring Spoon: This is our magic “pie-making” tool! I use the back of my metal ½ teaspoon or 1 teaspoon measuring spoon to press that perfect little “well” into the cookie dough. The rounded shape makes a lovely “mini pie crust” indent.
Piping Bag (Optional but Helpful!): You can absolutely use a spoon or small spatula to fill your cookies, but if you want that beautiful, professional bakery look, a simple piping bag (or even a Ziploc bag with one tiny corner snipped off) is the secret! It makes filling so neat and satisfying.
💛 If you love cozy Fall baking ideas, make sure to save this post on Pinterest so you can try it later!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Pumpkin Pie Cookies (with Cream Cheese Filling)
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these cozy, bakery-style Pumpkin Pie Cookies from the buttery shortbread crust to the silky no-bake pumpkin pie filling.
For the Pumpkin Shortbread “Crust” Cookies:
- Unsalted Butter – 1 cup (2 sticks): Keep it cold, straight from the fridge. Cut into ½-inch cubes. This is the secret to a tender, “short” cookie that tastes just like pie crust!
- All-Purpose Flour – 2 cups
- Powdered Sugar – ⅔ cup: Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar makes the cookies perfectly tender and melt-in-your-mouth soft.
- Canned Pumpkin Purée – ¼ cup: Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin (not pie filling).
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – 1½ teaspoons
- Vanilla Extract – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
💡 Ellie’s Critical Tip: You must blot your pumpkin purée! I’ll show you how in the step-by-step instructions, but this quick trick removes extra moisture so your cookies stay crisp, not cakey.
For the No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- Cream Cheese – 8 oz (1 block): Room temperature and soft no lumps allowed!
- Canned Pumpkin Purée – ½ cup (blotted dry)
- Powdered Sugar – 1 cup, sifted: Keeps your filling silky smooth.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – 1½ teaspoons
- Vanilla Extract – ½ teaspoon
For the “Whipped Cream” Dollop (Optional Garnish):
- A spoonful of vanilla frosting (store-bought is totally fine!)
- Or a little swirl of freshly whipped cream
- Use a piping bag with a small star tip for that perfect bakery look ✨
Step-by-Step Instructions
Part 1: Making the Pumpkin Shortbread “Crust”
First, we’ll make our buttery, tender cookie “crusts.”
Blot Your Pumpkin! This is my most important, “can’t-skip” tip! Take your 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree and spread it in a thin layer on a plate lined with two paper towels. Place two more paper towels on top and press down gently. Let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much water the towels soak up!
Ellie’s Tip: Pumpkin puree has a lot of water, which is the enemy of a crisp shortbread cookie! Blotting it ensures we get all that wonderful pumpkin flavor, but our cookies will be tender and crisp, not soft and cakey.
Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or in your stand mixer), beat the cold, cubed butter and the 2/3 cup of powdered sugar on medium-low speed. Mix just until it’s combined and looks like a crumbly paste. We don’t want to whip in a lot of air, or the cookies will spread.
Add Flavor: Add your 1/4 cup of blotted pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until they are just barely combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate, small bowl, whisk together your 2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add this all at once to your butter mixture. Mix on the lowest speed possible until a stiff, crumbly dough begins to form. It might look a little dry at first, but it will come together.
Chill the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and use your hands to press it together into a flat disk. Wrap it tightly.
Ellie’s Tip: You must chill this dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). This is the second secret to a perfect, no-spread shortbread cookie! Cold dough holds its shape in the oven.
Part 2: Baking the Cookie Shells
Preheat & Prep: When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This is a must for shortbread, as it keeps the bottoms from browning too quickly!
Scoop & Roll: Remove your cold dough from the fridge. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop (or a regular spoon) to portion the dough, then roll it between your hands into smooth, neat balls. Place them about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
Make the Indent: Now for the fun part! Take a rounded 1/2-teaspoon or 1-teaspoon measuring spoon and dip it in a little flour (to prevent sticking). Press the back of the spoon firmly into the center of each dough ball to create a deep, wide “well.”
Bake: Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. The edges will be just set, and the bottoms will be a very pale golden. We don’t want these to get dark!
Re-Press the Indent! This is my other “secret” tip! The little wells will have puffed up during baking. As soon as you take the baking sheets out of the oven, immediately and gently use the same measuring spoon to press those indents down again. This makes sure you have plenty of room for our delicious filling.
Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. You must let them cool all the way before filling.
Part 3: Making the Foolproof Filling & Assembly
Beat Cream Cheese: In a clean, medium-sized bowl, use your electric mixer to beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium speed until it is perfectly smooth and creamy, with no lumps at all.
Ellie’s Tip: Your cream cheese must be soft! If it’s even a little bit cold, your filling will have little lumps in it.
Add Ingredients: Add your 1/2 cup of blotted pumpkin puree (don’t forget to blot this, too!), 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat on medium-low speed until everything is combined and the filling is light, smooth, and fluffy.
Fill the Cookies: Transfer your lovely pumpkin filling to a piping bag with a round or star tip (or just use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe a generous swirl of filling into the little “well” of each cooled cookie shell. You can also just use a small spoon for a more rustic, homemade look!
Garnish (Optional): If you’re feeling fancy, top each “pie” with a tiny star of vanilla frosting or a very small dollop of whipped cream right before serving.
Chill to Set: Place the filled cookies on a platter or in a container and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This helps the filling set up perfectly.
Ellie’s Top Tips for Perfect Cookies
Here are my four “non-negotiable” rules for perfect Pumpkin Pie Cookies every single time.
Tip 1: The “Blot Your Pumpkin” Secret
I know I’ve said it twice, so this is the third and most important time! You must blot your pumpkin puree (for both the cookies and the filling) with paper towels. Pumpkin has a ton of water, which will ruin the texture of your treats. Blotting removes the water but keeps all the cozy pumpkin flavor. This is the #1 secret to success!
Tip 2: The “Double Indent” Trick
Your little cookie “wells” will puff up in the oven. It’s just what they do! To make sure you have a nice, deep space for all that delicious filling, you have to do the “double indent.”
- Press the indent in before you bake.
- Press it down again the very moment they come out of the oven. This is the only way to get that perfect “mini pie shell” shape!
Tip 3: The “Cold Dough” Rule
This cookie dough is a shortbread, and the rule for shortbread is cold dough, always! Chilling the dough for at least one hour is not optional. It’s what keeps the butter firm, so your cookies hold their beautiful round shape instead of spreading into flat, sad pancakes in the oven.
Tip 4: The “Room Temp” Filling Rule
This one is for your filling! For that perfectly smooth, creamy, lump-free texture, your cream cheese must be perfectly soft and at room temperature. Even slightly cold cream cheese will leave tiny little lumps in your filling. I just set my block of cream cheese on the counter an hour or two before I start.
Common Questions (FAQ)
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! This is one of the best things about this Fall Cookies Recipe. You can make the cookie dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the raw dough disk for up to 2 months! Just let it thaw in the fridge overnight before you plan to roll and bake it.
Why did my cookies spread out flat?
Oh, this is a common little baking hiccup! It almost always means one of two things:
- Your dough wasn’t cold enough. That chilling step (at least 1 hour!) is so important. Cold dough holds its shape.
- You over-creamed your butter and sugar. For shortbread, we just want to combine the butter and sugar (it will look like a paste). If you beat it for a long time, like for a cake, you whip in too much air. That air expands in the oven, and poof, your cookies spread flat.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?
You can… but I’ll be honest, this is one of the few times I truly recommend the store-bought canned pumpkin (like Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin). It’s very thick and has a really consistent amount of moisture. If you want to use your own homemade puree, you must strain it through a cheesecloth (or a few layers of paper towels) overnight in the fridge and then blot it very, very well. It just has so much extra water that can make your cookies and filling a bit runny.
The Sweetest Little Bite of Fall
I just love seeing these little Pumpkin Pie Cookies on a dessert platter. They look so happy and festive, and they are always such a wonderful surprise!
More than just a classic slice of pie, these little cookies are a bite of pure fun. They are the perfect, easy Fall Baked Goods Recipe to bring to a party, to share with a neighbor, or just to make with your family on a cozy afternoon.
I do hope you’ll give them a try. There’s just so much joy in them, from the moment you press those little indents to the very last, delicious bite.
If you make them, please come back and leave me a comment below! I would just love to hear your own baking memories and how you liked them.
For more cozy fall recipes, don’t miss my Thanksgiving Recipes Collection. It’s full of creamy, comforting dishes just like this one.
And, of course, if you want to save this fun idea for your Thanksgiving table, please pin it to your favorite board on Pinterest!
Happy baking!
Print
Pumpkin Pie Cookies: Easy No-Bake Filling!
These are the perfect Pumpkin Pie Cookies and one of my favorite Fall Themed Cookies! They taste just like a miniature pumpkin pie, with a buttery, tender Pumpkin Shortbread Cookie for the “crust” and a rich, creamy, no-bake pumpkin pie filling. They are a Fun Thanksgiving Dessert that’s so easy to make, and you can even make the parts ahead of time!
- Total Time: 2 hours 14 minutes
- Yield: 30
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Shortbread “Crust” Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, COLD and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 8 oz (1 block) cream cheese, at ROOM TEMPERATURE
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Garnish: Vanilla frosting or fresh whipped cream
Instructions
Make the Cookie “Crusts”:
- Blot the Pumpkin (Do not skip!): Spread 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree on a paper towel-lined plate. Cover with another paper towel and press gently. Let it sit for 5 minutes to remove excess water.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the COLD butter cubes and 2/3 cup powdered sugar on low speed just until it forms a crumbly paste. (Do not over-beat!)
- Add Flavor: Add the 1/4 cup blotted pumpkin and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix on low until just combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and mix on the lowest speed until a stiff dough forms.
- Chill Dough (Essential!): Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
Bake the Shells:
- Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop & Indent: Roll the cold dough into 1-tablespoon-sized balls. Place them 2 inches apart. Dip the back of a rounded 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon in flour and press a deep “well” into the center of each ball.
- Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are just set.
- The “Double Indent” Trick: The wells will have puffed up. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, immediately and gently use the same spoon to re-press the indents.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before moving.
Make the Filling & Assemble:
- Blot the Pumpkin: Blot the 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree for the filling, just like in Step 1.
- Beat Cream Cheese: In a clean bowl, beat the ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is perfectly smooth and has no lumps.
- Add Ingredients: Add the 1/2 cup blotted pumpkin, 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat on low speed until it’s light, fluffy, and fully combined.
- Fill: Transfer the filling to a piping bag (or use a small spoon) and fill the “well” of each completely cooled cookie.
- Garnish & Chill: Garnish with a tiny dollop of frosting “whipped cream” (optional). Chill the finished cookies in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the filling set.
Notes
- Blot Your Pumpkin!: This is my #1 secret for this recipe. You must blot the pumpkin for both the cookies and the filling. It removes excess water and prevents a cakey cookie or a runny filling.
- Temperature is Key: For the best shortbread “crust,” your butter must be cold. For the smoothest, lump-free filling, your cream cheese must be at room temperature.
- The “Double Indent”: Don’t forget to press the indents into the cookies again the moment they come out of the oven! This is the only way to make sure you have enough room for the filling.
- Storage (Important!): Because the filling is made with cream cheese, these cookies MUST be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They are delicious cold and will last for 4-5 days.
- Make-Ahead: You can bake the cookie “shells” up to 3 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Just fill them before you’re ready to serve!
- Prep Time: 30
- Chill Time: 90
- Cook Time: 14
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
3 thoughts on “Pumpkin Pie Cookies: Easy No-Bake Filling!”