Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup pumpkin butter
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Caramel “Pie Crust” Frosting:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½–2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in pumpkin butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until smooth.
- Mix in baking powder, then gradually add flour until dough comes together.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set but centers are still soft. Cool on wire racks.
- For frosting: In a saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and cream over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens (2–3 minutes).
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, then gradually whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth and spreadable.
- Frost cooled cookies with the caramel mixture and let set before serving.
Notes
Do not substitute pumpkin purée for pumpkin butter—it will make the dough too wet.
If dough feels too soft, chill for 20 minutes before baking.
Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost cookies while the caramel is warm.
For gluten-free cookies, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Cookies are tasty unfrosted, but the caramel frosting gives them a pie-like richness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–12 minutes per batch
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
