Pumpkin Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling
These soft Pumpkin Thumbprint Cookies are filled with creamy cream cheese frosting and warm pumpkin spice for an easy and delicious fall dessert.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
You'll need:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Filling
You'll need:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pumpkin pie spice for topping
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, kosher salt, and baking powder.
- Set the dry ingredients aside while you prepare the pumpkin cookie dough.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugars
- Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the ingredients together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- This usually takes about 2–3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the Wet Ingredients
- Beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture until combined.
- Add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until incorporated.
- The mixture may look slightly different from traditional cookie dough because of the moisture in the pumpkin. That's completely normal.
Step 5: Make the Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.
- Mix just until everything is combined and a soft cookie dough forms.
- Avoid overmixing once you've added the flour.
Step 6: Scoop the Cookies
- Using a mini cookie or ice cream scoop, scoop portions of cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheets.
- Leave approximately 2 inches between each cookie to give them room to spread.
Step 7: Partially Bake the Cookies
- Place the cookies in your preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven.
Step 8: Create the Thumbprints
- While the cookies are still warm, use the back of a tablespoon to gently press an indentation into the center of each cookie.
- Be careful not to press completely through the cookie.
- Return the cookies to the oven and bake for approximately 7 additional minutes, or until the cookies are set and lightly golden around the edges.
Step 9: Cool
- Remove the cookies from the oven.
- If any of the indentations puffed up while baking, gently press them down again with the back of your tablespoon while the cookies are still warm.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for several minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the cream cheese filling.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- While the pumpkin cookies cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- Add the softened butter and cream cheese to a medium mixing bowl.
- Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Continue beating until the filling is completely smooth and fluffy.
- Transfer the cream cheese filling to a disposable piping bag.
- You can snip off the end of the piping bag or use a decorative piping tip if you'd like the centers to look extra pretty.
- Fill the Pumpkin Thumbprint Cookies
- Once your cookies are completely cool, pipe the cream cheese filling into the indentation in the center of each cookie.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
- And that's it! Your pumpkin thumbprint cookies are ready to enjoy.