These pumpkin pie cookie cups take everything we love about pumpkin pie and turn it into a cozy little two-bite treat that'll satisfy any pumpkin pie craving. From the buttery cinnamon sugar cookie cup to the spiced pumpkin pie filling and whipped cream topping, it's the mini dessert that I'll be baking all season long!
If every year on Thanksgiving you sink your teeth into a delicious bite of pumpkin pie, remember how much you love pumpkin pie, and then wonder why you only enjoy a slice once a year on Thanksgiving, then these pumpkin pie cookies are for you!
Sure they're the perfect little handheld dessert that's guaranteed to be a hit at Thanksgiving. But the best thing about pumpkin pie cookie cups is that they let me savor a bite of pumpkin pie whenever I want without having to fuss with pie crust or wait for an entire pie to bake.
Bake these pumpkin pie cookies the next time you're craving a cozy fall treat!
And if spice cookies are your thing, you'll want to check out my frosted pumpkin cookies, chewy chai snickerdoodles, and molasses crinkle cookies, too.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
There are lots of reasons to fall in love with these pumpkin pie cookie cups:
- Two Treats in One - You get a soft, buttery sugar cookie AND a creamy, spiced pumpkin pie filling all in one bite!
- No Pie Crust Needed - We don't fear pie crust here (this easy pie crust recipe is a breeze to make), but it's still nice to be able to enjoy a bite of pumpkin pie without having to roll out crust!
- Real Pumpkin Pie Filling - I made the pumpkin pie filling for these cookies the exact same way that I would make filling for a pumpkin pie, just on a smaller scale. The filling uses pure pumpkin purée, egg, cream, and spices for a rich and delicious pumpkin custard filling.
- Easy to Share - Because they're made in a mini muffin pan, these pumpkin pie cookies are perfectly portioned for sharing at any fall gathering or holiday party.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Pumpkin Purée- Make sure you're grabbing canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling already has sugar and spices added in, and this recipe has its own perfectly balanced spice blend. I used Libby's 100% pumpkin canned purée.
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Cloves - Cinnamon adds a hint of fall flavor to the sugar cookie dough, and all three spices are used to flavor the pumpkin pie filling.
Egg Yolks - Using just the yolks instead of whole eggs gives the cookie cups a richer flavor and a softer, more tender texture. And save those egg whites! I have a whole guide on what to bake with egg whites if you need some inspiration.
Heavy Whipping Cream - Heavy whipping cream is used to add richness to the pumpkin pie filling and also to make the whipped cream topping.
Cream of Tartar - Adding a tiny bit of cream of tartar to the whipped cream helps to stabilize it, so that it holds its piped shape nicely and doesn't weep.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a whisk and mixing bowl), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, for mixing the cookie dough and the whipped cream.
- A mini muffin pan, for baking the sugar cookie cups.
- A small (1 Tablespoon) size cookie scoop, for evenly portioning the cookie dough. This is optional but helpful.
- A piping bag and a small star piping tip (I used Wilton #32), for piping the whipped cream onto the cookies after baking. This is optional if you're okay with spooning a little bit of whipped cream on top of each cookie.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the sugar cookie dough. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat to combine.
Step 3: Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Scoop 1 Tablespoon of chilled cookie dough, roll into a ball using your hands, and place into a greased mini muffin pan.
Step 5: Bake the cookie cups at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or just until lightly golden. Immediately use the back side of a teaspoon to press down the centers of each cookie, forming a cup. Let cool slightly.
Step 6: Make the pumpkin pie filling. Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add egg and vanilla, whisking to combine. Add pumpkin purée and heavy whipping cream and whisk to combine.
Step 7: Scoop about 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie filling into each sugar cookie cup.
Step 8: Return the pan to the oven and bake the cookies with filling for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Step 9: Make the whipped cream topping. Whisk together sugar and cream of tartar. Add heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form.
Step 10: Add the whipped cream topping to a piping bag fitted with a small open start tip and pipe a dollop onto the top of each cookie.
Allison's Top Tips
To cut down on dishes, mix the pumpkin pie filling in the same bowl you used to whisk the flour mixture for the cookie dough.
Be sure not to overfill the cookie cups with pie filling so they don't overflow onto the edges when they bake. Each cookie cup should be filled just to its inner rim.
To easily remove the cookie cups from the pan, slide a cake tester or small knife between the edge of the cookie and the side of the pan and lift gently upward. The cookie cup should pop up out of the pan. Taking the cookies out of the pan before they've cooled completely is helpful.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Because of the pumpkin pie custard filling, these cookies should be stored in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. The cookies will soften slightly the longer they are stored.
For the best flavor, let the cookies sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Freezing: These cookies can also be sealed in an airtight container and frozen for up to one month. Defrost the cookies in the fridge before eating.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Cookie Cups
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Mini muffin pan
- Small (1 Tablespoon) cookie scoop (optional)
- Piping bag (optional)
- Small star piping tip (Wilton #32) (optional)
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Cups:
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅝ cup (124 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- ⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (142 grams) pumpkin purée
- 2 ½ Tablespoons (35 grams) heavy whipping cream
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 ½ teaspoons (3.5 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- ¼ cup (57 grams) heavy whipping cream chilled
Instructions
Make the sugar cookie cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda, ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat the butter on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and cream the sugar with the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, ⅝ cup (124 grams) granulated sugar
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat to combine.2 large egg yolks, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, being careful not to over mix. The dough should be moistened throughout but still a bit crumbly.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball using your hands, and place a cookie dough ball into each greased well of the mini muffin pan. You should have 24 balls of dough.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until lightly golden.
- Immediately upon removing the muffin pan from the oven, use the back side of a teaspoon measuring spoon to press down the centers of each cookie, forming a cup. Let the cookie cups cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes while you prepare the pumpkin pie filling.
Make the pumpkin pie filling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon, 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 pinch ground cloves
- Add egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- Add pumpkin purée and heavy whipping cream and whisk to combine.⅔ cup (142 grams) pumpkin purée, 2 ½ Tablespoons (35 grams) heavy whipping cream
Assemble and bake the cookie cups.
- Scoop about 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie filling into each slightly cooled sugar cookie cup. The cookie cups should be just filled to the inner rim, and you may end up with a little bit of leftover filling. Do not overfill the cups.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookie cups cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream topping.
- When the cookie cups have cooled completely, make the whipped cream topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and cream of tartar.1 ½ teaspoons (3.5 grams) confectioners' sugar, 1 pinch cream of tartar
- Add heavy whipping cream and beat the mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.¼ cup (57 grams) heavy whipping cream
Top the cookie cups.
- Add the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip and pipe a dollop onto the top of each cookie cup.
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