Skip the pumpkin puree and get the same cozy flavor in cookie form. This pumpkin spice shortbread relies on a simple pumpkin pie spice blend for all of its warmth, and the food processor does most of the work.
Why You Will Love the Pumpkin Spice Shortbread
- No Puree Needed. You get all the cozy pumpkin pie flavor from the spice blend alone, with none of the moisture pumpkin puree would add to the dough.
- Food Processor Easy. The dough comes together in one processor bowl, so there is no creaming butter by hand.
- Make Ahead Friendly. The dough keeps in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer for up to a week, so you can bake whenever you want fresh cookies.
- Classic Shortbread Texture. Skipping the puree keeps the dough dry enough to hold that traditional buttery, crumbly shortbread bite.
- Customizable Finish. Dip them in caramel, drizzle with icing, or leave them plain, since the base cookie takes well to any finishing touch.
Ingredients for the Pumpkin Pie Shortbread
- Unsalted butter gives the shortbread its rich flavor and that classic melt in your mouth texture.
- Sugar sweetens the dough just enough without overwhelming the spice.
- All purpose flour provides the structure that holds the dough together once chilled and rolled.
- Pumpkin pie spice is where all of the cozy, pie like flavor comes from, since there is no actual pumpkin puree in this dough.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
- 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
- Yield is about 5 tablespoons
Making the Best Pumpkin Spice Shortbread
- Place the sugar and butter into a food processor and pulse until well combined, scraping down the sides occasionally.
- Add the pumpkin pie spice and the flour, then blend until the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Press it into a rough square, then wrap and roll it, still in the plastic wrap, into a half inch thick square.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Place the chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Set quarter inch square dowels on either side of the dough and roll it out to an even quarter inch thickness.
- Cut the dough into rounds or your preferred shape and place the pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill the cut pieces for about 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, rotating the baking tray halfway through the baking time.
Rolling Out the Pumpkin Shortbread
I use ¼ inch square dowels as guides to roll out the dough. Once the dough has chilled, place the dough in between pieces of parchment. Place the dowels on top of the parchment and roll out the dough.
Tips for Making the Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor a couple of times while blending, since butter and flour tend to collect there and stay unmixed otherwise.
- Keep the cut pieces cold right up until they go in the oven. Warm dough spreads and loses its shape, so if your kitchen runs warm, chill the cut shapes closer to 15 minutes instead of 10.
- Use quarter inch dowels on both sides of the dough when rolling. This keeps every cookie the same thickness, so they all bake through at the same rate.
Troubleshooting Your Shortbread
- Cookies spread out or lost their shape while baking. The dough or the cut pieces were most likely not cold enough going into the oven. Chill the cut shapes a bit longer, especially if your kitchen runs warm.
- Dough will not hold together in the food processor. Pulse a bit longer or scrape down the sides more often, since flour or butter stuck to the bowl walls will not incorporate evenly.
- Cookies came out tough instead of tender. This usually means the dough was overblended, which develops the flour and works against the classic shortbread crumb.
Variations for the Pumpkin Pie Cookies
These pumpkin shortbread cookies would be great dipped in either white or dark chocolate or with a simple vanilla icing. You could also cover them with a sprinkle of sugar or with toffee bits.
If you like my pumpkin spice shortbread, please try some of my other cookie recipes.
These cookies make a great ending to a city chicken dinner.
FAQ's:
This recipe gets its flavor from a simple pumpkin pie spice mix, which includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, giving the cookies a warm and cozy flavor. It is also the same spice mixture used in pumpkin pie.
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Yes, the dough can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge. For longer storage, you can freeze the dough for up to a week.
Chilling the dough is crucial because it helps the butter solidify, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking and results in a better texture.
A great tip is to use guides when rolling out the dough. Two ¼ inch square dowels (or similar sticks) placed on either side of the dough will ensure an even thickness as you roll.
Yes, you can easily substitute the pumpkin spice mix. A chai spice blend is a delicious alternative that also adds a cozy, warm flavor to the shortbread cookies.
Recipe
Easy Buttery Pumpkin Spice Shortbread
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
Equipment
- 1 Food processor To blend cookie dough, pasta dough, mix sauces, and chop other ingredients.
- Parchment paper So the dough does not stick to the rolling surface and to line the baking sheet.
- Baking sheet Aluminum baking sheets work best for controlling browning ore than darker baking sheets
- ¼ inch square dowels For rolling out the dough to ¼ inch thickness.
- 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter I have found that this is the best size for the cookies.
Method
- Place sugar and butter into a food processor and pulse until well combined.
- Add flour and pumpkin pie spice then pulse until mixture holds together.
- Place the dough mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap with a little room to roll it out into a ½ inch thick square.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough to ¼ inch. Cut cookies out and chill before baking for about 10 minutes. See notes
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, rotating the baking tray midway through the baking time.
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