Description
Delight in these festive Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies featuring soft pumpkin-spiced cookies filled with creamy and colorful cream cheese frosting. Perfect for autumn gatherings and Halloween treats, these cookies combine warm spices with tangy-sweet frosting for a comforting seasonal dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Cookies
- 2⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2.5-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- orange food coloring
- black food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until the batter is fully combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up, making it easier to handle.
- Shape Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 1/8 cup (around 2 tablespoons) of dough for each cookie. Optionally, press each cookie gently with the back of a measuring cup to flatten for a more uniform shape.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to achieve desired sweetness and consistency.
- Flavor and Color Frosting: Stir in vanilla extract and milk, then beat until smooth and well combined. Divide the frosting into three portions: leave one plain and color the other two with orange and black food coloring respectively.
- Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Using a pastry bag or a spoon, spread the frosting on the flat side of one cookie. Top with a second cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat until all cookies are assembled.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is important to reduce stickiness and help maintain shape during baking.
- For a vegan version, substitute butter and cream cheese with plant-based alternatives.
- The pumpkin pie spice can be customized to taste or homemade using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant frosting colors without thinning the texture.
- Store assembled sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
