Easy Mini Pumpkin Pie Cookies for Halloween Treat Bags
These easy mini pumpkin pie cookies are soft, spiced, and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Halloween treat bags, they come together in about 30 minutes and taste like a tiny slice of fall.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Orange and green food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, then the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. The mixture may look curdled; that’s normal.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Chill the dough for 10 minutes.
- Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently press each ball down slightly with your palm.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely golden. Do not overbake.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed. Add the vanilla and beat until fluffy. If desired, tint a portion orange and leave a small portion white or green for the stem.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spread a small dollop of orange frosting in the center of each cookie. Add a tiny green dot or line on top to look like a stem.
Notes
Do not skip chilling the dough; it prevents spreading. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. For even baking, rotate baking sheets halfway through. The frosting needs to set before packing in treat bags; refrigerate for 15 minutes to speed up setting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 85
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 3.5
- Carbohydrates: 16
- Fiber: 0.5
- Protein: 1
Keywords: pumpkin cookies, mini pumpkin pie cookies, Halloween cookies, treat bag cookies, pumpkin spice cookies, cream cheese frosting cookies