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Pumpkin Thumbprint Cookies

Pumpkin thumbprint cookies with pumpkin spice shortbread and a creamy center—baked until golden and filled after cooling for clean, defined thumbprints. The cinnamon-sugar coating adds a warm, slightly crisp outer edge.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chill time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 9 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 110
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin shortbread cookies
  • 2 cup flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 0.67 cup sugar
  • 0.25 cup pumpkin (blotted dry)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For cream cheese filling (choose one)
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.33 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 cup thick caramel sauce Use in place of cream cheese filling, if desired.
For rolling
  • cinnamon sugar Use enough to roll the cookie dough balls.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the pumpkin shortbread dough
  1. Beat the softened butter and sugar until smooth, then beat in the blotted-dry pumpkin and vanilla until combined.
  2. Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tsp cinnamon until just incorporated.
  3. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes so it firms up for shaping.
Shape and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line sheet pans for easy baking.
  2. Roll the dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls, then coat each in cinnamon sugar.
  3. Place the balls on the sheet pan and press a deep thumbprint into the center of each cookie.
  4. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges look set and the cookies turn golden.
Cool and fill
  1. Cool the cookies completely so the thumbprint centers hold their shape.
  2. Fill each cooled thumbprint with the cream cheese mixture or spoon in thick caramel sauce, then let stand briefly so the filling settles.

Notes

For clean thumbprints, make the indent while the dough is cold, and avoid overbaking—start checking at 12 minutes. Store airtight in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freeze unfilled cookies up to 2 months, then thaw and fill after cooling. For a dairy-free option, swap the cream cheese filling with a thick dairy-free cream cheese alternative using the same quantities.