I absolutely love pumpkin pie, so I wanted to come up with a pumpkin pie cookie, and not just a “pumpkin spice” cookie. There are tons of pumpkin spice cookie recipes out there, and I wanted to incorporate pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin spice emulsion, but also have the distinct pumpkin flavor. But adding certain things, like pumpkin puree, into a cookies can make them spread, shrink, or come out misshapen and blobby. I did a google search and stumbled across some recipes that suggested squeezing all of the moisture our of the puree before adding it into your dough.
So I took some pumpkin puree and pressed it between some paper towels, and then some more paper towels, and some more, aaaaaand some more, until no more moisture could be squeezed out. I ended up with pumpkin puree that was about the same consistency of play-doh. Half a cup of puree was reduced to about two tablespoons of pumpkin play-doh.
I used my little ball of pumpkin play-doh in my recipe, and they came out of the oven tasting just like I would want a pumpkin pie cookie to taste, but they were all lopsided and weird looking. So I tried it again, and squeezed even more moisture out of the puree. I added more flour! I added less puree. Maybe it would work with no egg? Or less butter? Maybe browning the butter would work! 7 recipe variations later, and they still wouldn’t keep their shape.
They tasted amazing though, and I figured I could just release the recipe for slice-and-bake cookies, and let y’all know they don’t work as decorated cookies.
Clearly I do my best thinking when I’m unconscious, because I woke up weeks later with an idea. Dehydrated pumpkin!!! Was that even a thing? I grabbed my phone and saw that dehydrated pumpkin powder is, indeed, a thing. Mostly as a nutritional supplement for dogs, but I found some for baking purposes. I immediately ordered some, and two-day-shipping later, we were in business!
IT WORKED! Using dehydrated pumpkin powder kept the dough from shrinking up during baking, and they still taste like pumpkin pie.
I’m including both recipes, since they both taste amazing. One is using canned pumpkin puree, if you don’t need your cookies to keep their shape. The other is for a “no-spread” dough that you can use for decorated cookies that will keep their shape. So if you want to make some decorated cookies that both look AND taste like pumpkin pie, tah-dah!
If you are using my canned pumpkin puree recipe, you just need to take a minute or two, and squeeze the moisture out. Measure out your puree and scoop it onto like 5-6 stacked paper towels. Fold over the paper towels and press down to squeeze some moisture out. Then move the puree onto a dry part of the paper towels, and repeat. At this point, transfer the puree onto some new paper towels, and repeat until no more moisture is being absorbed. At this point you should have your pumpkin play-doh.
If you would like more info on my preferred ingredient brands, tips and tricks, FAQs, and a little cookie science, I cover all of that in my No-Spread Lemon Shortbread Sugar Cookie Recipe.
Are these technically shortbread or sugar cookies?
They’re kind of both. It’s fine to call these either “decorated sugar cookies” or “decorated shortbread cookies.” But I’m going to refer to any of my cookie recipes that can used as a base for cookie decorating as “shortbread sugar cookies.”
Shortbread Cookies
- 2 parts flour to 1 part fat
- No eggs
- No leavening agent
- Dense and crispy
Sugar Cookies
- 3 parts flour to 2 parts fat
- Contains eggs
- Contains a leavening agent
- Light and Chewy
All of my shortbread sugar cookie recipes don’t rise or spread, can be used for cookie decorating, have egg, but no leavening agent, and have a 2 ¼ parts flour to 1 part fat. Which makes them fall somewhere between a shortbread and a sugar cookie. They’re both shortbread and sugar cookies, and neither shortbread or sugar cookies, at the same time. They’re Shrodinger’s cookies!
All of my shortbread sugar cookie recipes can be used for slice-and-bake cookies as well!
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Pumpkin Pie No-Spread Shortbread Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- cling wrap
- cookie cutters
- large knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice emulsion
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tablespoons dehydrated pumpkin powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, and dehydrated pumpkin powder) together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
- Add egg, extract, and emulsion, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
- Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
- Knead, roll, cut out cookies, and return to fridge or freezer until firm. Leave a couple inches between cookies.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to fully cool on cookie sheet before handling.
Notes
- The reason for adding 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dough is to prevent your cookies from shrinking or spreading during baking.
- If making slice-and-bake cookies, split dough in half, roll into logs, wrap tightly in cling wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate before slicing and baking.
Nutrition
Pumpkin Pie Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- paper towels
- cling wrap
- large knife
- cookie cutters (if using)
- rolling pin (if making cut-out cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup pumpkin puree moisture removed
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice emulsion
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Remove as much moisture from pumpkin puree as possible by pressing between paper towels until it can hold its shape if squeezed into a ball, and set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice) together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
- Add egg, extract, emulsion, and pumpkin puree and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
- If making cut-out cookies: turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours). If making slice-and-bake cookie: divide dough in half, roll into logs, and wrap tightly in cling wrap or wax/parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm.
- If making cut out cookies: knead, roll, cut out cookies, and return to fridge or freezer until firm. Leave a couple inches between cookies. If making slice-and-bake cookies: slice ¼” cookies.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to darken.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet.
Notes
- This recipe will make about 15 3″ cut-out cookies, or 30 slice-and-bake cookies.
- The reason for adding 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dough is to prevent your cookies from shrinking or spreading during baking.
- Remove as much moisture as possible from pumpkin puree.
- If making slice-and-bake cookies, split dough in half, roll into logs, wrap tightly in cling wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate before slicing and baking.
Hi! Do you store the pumpkin pie cookies with dehydrated pumpkin the same way you do your original shortbread cookie? Also, do they also last 4 weeks at room temp in an air tight container?
Yes, all of my shortbread sugar cookies can be stored per directions for my lemon shortbread sugar cookies.
4 weeks in an airtight container at room temp. 3 months frozen.
I made this following your freeze-dried banana shortbread recipe and I thought it was amazing. However, one must be careful with consuming too many given the application for dogs, which I learned the hard way. I suggest reducing freeze-dried pumpkin by half. In later batches, I incorporated instant coffee for a pumpkin spice latte cookie.
Oh, Dear Reader, I have been giggling since I read your comment 🤣🤣🤣 Sorry/not sorry. Pumpkin is, indeed, high in fiber, and can act as a laxative. I’d ask how many you ate, but that seems rude 😂 I’ve updated my recipe, based on your suggestion, and my apologies to your tummy. Do love the pumpkin spice latte idea!