Pumpkin Streusel Cookies
Pumpkin spice, espresso almond streusel, pumpkin, and cookie butter create a wonderful addition to classic fall baking flavors.
I used to be a fan of carrot cake when I was younger. I loved the mashup up textures and flavors inside a moist spice cake with loads of delicious cream cheese icing draped on top. I’m not sure why I haven’t had carrot cake on my radar, but I have gone without for several years. Possibly too distracted by all the pretty new desserts and flavors I have been tasting since I fully immersed myself in the baking world since 2018.
I have spent countless hours trying and perfecting my pumpkin cookie, cake, and pie recipes this season. After weeks and 5 different batches shared among family and friends, I have landed on my version of a perfect pumpkin cookie.
Check Out My Favorite Stuffed Cookie Recipes Here:
- Vanilla Bean Espresso Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cheesecake Cookies
- Red Velvet Cookies-Stuffed
- Cookie Butter Cheesecake Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
I am a fan of all things pumpkin. A photo of me circa 1997 (maybe 1998) showcases a very young, buck toothed and wide eyed smiling kid, licking a wooden spoon as I show off the first pumpkin pie I made. The beginning of my baking journey. The memory of the silky custard, which was overcooked, and the crust, which was overworked, still brings a happy little smile to my face. Pumpkin desserts for life. Several decades later I am still grinning like a dumb kid every time I bake.
Why I Love This Recipe
Flavor-The base of the pumpkin streusel cookies is brown butter which has a rich toasted nutty flavor. This is the base flavor I am going for with this cookie, rich, toasty, and spiced. I added both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to play up the warm flavor of the cookies. The flavor of the streusel is less sweet and with the espresso powder added, it helps balance out the warm spices and sugar with a bit of bitter. The best flavor combination in my opinion and makes pairing this cookie with coffee even more enjoyable.
The pumpkin puree is pressed between paper towels to remove excess moisture. This serves two purposes: less moisture means a more chewy cookie that isn’t cakey. The cookie has a more concentrated pumpkin flavor. Pumpkins have naturally occurring sugar so I thought it would be a good idea to capitalize on that sweetness by reducing the amount of water in the puree.
Texture– The cookie itself is chewy style cookie with a soft middle. Not cake like but also not very fudgy. The cookie butter filling adds a nice creamy bite to a chewy cookie and compliments the crunchy texture you get on the top and bottom of the cookie. These pumpkin streusel cookies stay soft for days after baking thanks to the pumpkin puree.
The streusel is where this cookie shines texturally. The crunch of the toasted almonds, the chew of the oats, and the crunch of the streusel baked directly onto the cookie create a bakery-style streusel muffin effect. It is addicting if you like desserts that surprise you with a pop of crunchy, soft, and creamy texture in every pumpkin-y bite!
Stuffed or Not? You decide!-I was torn on how to assemble these cookies because I originally wanted to drizzle melted cookie butter on top of the cookie. This proved to be so messy not only to eat but to store as well. So, I went back to my roots and tucked the cookie butter inside. Perfection! There is always the option of omitting the cookie butter entirely of you don’t wan to use it and these cookies will still be just as lovely.
Thanksgiving Cookies-These cookies would be perfect at any time during Thanksgiving week! Whether it’s the star of your dessert table, an addition to a potluck, or a hostess gift, these pumpkin streusel cookies are the best addition to fall baking.
Ingredients You Need:
Espresso Almond Streusel
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Old Fashioned Oats
Carrot Cake Cookies
- Butter-browned and cooled. Please refer to this post on BROWNED BUTTER for tips on browning your butter. This not only adds flavor but reduces the amount of water in the recipe to account for the additional water the pumpkin puree adds. I’m using salted butter in this recipe because I have been loving salted Kerrygold in cookie recipes lately. If using unsalted, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Egg Yolks
- Vanilla Extract
- Pumpkin Puree
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Flour-I used King Arthur all purpose flour for this recipe.
- Baking Soda
Making cookies for a crowd? You can easily double this recipe with great results!
First, Espresso Almond Streusel
I like to make the streusel for the cookie first so that it’s ready to roll when I’m done making the cookie dough.
This is a super easy streusel and takes less than 5 minutes to put together.
Combine room temperature butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, espresso powder, toasted slivered almonds and oats in a bowl. I use my hands to mix and pinch together until the mixture is clumpy and looks like wet sand.
Place the bowl aside while assembling cookie dough.
Cookie Time
The pumpkin puree needs to be drained prior to adding to the cookie dough. Here are my tips on the best way to get the extra liquid out:
- Place 4 paper towels on a dinner plate.
- Measure a 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree in the center of the paper towels on the dinner plate. Take the four edges of the paper towels to “wrap up” the pumpkin. Think of wrapping a Christmas present. You want all the sides to be flat and covered.
- Gently press on the wrapped pumpkin puree. The extra liquid will seep out of the paper towels. Pour off the liquid until very little remains.
- The pumpkin puree should look dry and crumbly and be reduced in quantity by almost half.
- The pumpkin is now ready to use in the cookie dough.
Cookie Dough
In a bowl I combine the room temperature brown butter with  both types of sugar. I mixed this all by hand with a spatula, no need for a stand mixer if you don’t have one. Or, if you are like me, and don’t want to drag it out of the pantry.
Next, add the egg yolks, pumpkin puree, spices, and vanilla. I mix this for a good 2-3 minutes to make sure everything is incorporated . No traces of egg yolk should remain in this mixture.
After the wet ingredients are mixed together, I sift the flour and baking soda and fold into a nice soft dough.
The dough will be fragrant and soft, and is now ready for scooping and filling.
Carrot Cake Cookie Assembly-TWO OPTIONS
Ok so at this point you can either stuff the cookies with cookie butter OR you can scoop them and bake without cookie butter.
Unstuffed Cookies
Taking a two-ounce scoop, or two tablespoons of dough, scoop cookie dough one by one into the bowl of streusel. Make sure to press the streusel into the bottom and sides of dough. When placing the cookie dough on cookie sheet, dome an extra teaspoon of streusel on top of the dough. This will bake into the cookie giving them crunchy edges.
Preheat oven to 375* and place 6-8 cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake these cookies for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be slightly brown and set, do not overbake.
Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack before storing.
Stuffed Pumpkin Streusel Cookies
Using a 3-ounce cookie scoop (or measure out 3 tablespoons of cookie dough for each stuffed cookie) portion out 8-9 rounds of carrot cake cookie dough on a cookie sheet.
You can use gloves during this stage as the pumpkin dough is quite sticky. I take a portion of dough, and make a deep indention in the center of the cookie dough.
Then, I take a 1/2 teaspoon of cookie butter and place in the center of the cookie dough. Using my fingertips, I gently gather the edges of the dough and layer over the center of the filling, closing it in.
I roll the cookie dough very gently between my palms to smooth out the edges then place back into the bowl of streusel.
Make sure to press the streusel into the bottom and sides of dough. When placing the cookie dough on cookie sheet, dome an extra teaspoon of streusel on top of the dough. This will bake into the cookie giving them crunchy edges.
I repeat this process with the remaining cookie dough and filling.
Preheat the oven 375*F and bake 4-6 cookies per parchment lined baking sheet at a time for 12Â minutes. I know the cookies are done because they will be slightly domed, and the edges will be lightly browned.
Next, let the cookie rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool and set for at least an hour. The cookies will still continue to set up and cook after being taken out of the oven. If you eat them while they are still warm, the inside will be very doughy. Which in my opinion is not a bad thing but some don’t care for it.
Notes:
- Cookie dough can be made up to three days in advance. Store covered in fridge and add 2 minutes to baking time if needed.
- Letting the cookie dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days is recommended to allow the flavors to develop. You can bake the same day as well.
- You can freeze this cookie dough for up to 3 month in a tightly sealed bag or container.
- These cookies will stay fresh in a tightly closed container for 5 days after baking.
Enjoy!
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram , Facebook , and Pinterest
Follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
Pumpkin Streusel Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter salted
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup Cookie Butter optional
Espresso Almond Crunch
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant espresso
- 2 tsp cinnamon can also use pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 3 tbsp butter salted
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F
- Brown the butter in a sauce pan. Allow to cool to room temperature before using in the recipe. Can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge to save time.
- Cream butter and both types of sugar in a bowl.
- Using a plate and 4 paper towels, wrap the pumpkin puree into a package and gently press against the plate to remove excess water. The puree should reduce in quantity and have a thick texture.
- Add the drained pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 2 egg yolks, vanilla extract and mix to combine for 2-3 minutes.
- Sift the flour and baking soda on top of the wet mixture and gently fold with a spatula.
- Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop, scoop out a portion of dough.
- Make a well in the center of the dough and fill with half a teaspoon of cookie butter.
- Pinch the well closed making sure the cookie butter is covered.
- Drop stuffed cookie dough into the streusel and coat on all sides. Mound an extra pinch of streusel on top.
- Space cookie 2-3 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Maximum of 6 cookies per baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes. The streusel will be toasted and the cookie very fragrant.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack and enjoy! These cookies will stay fresh in a covered container for 5 days.
Espresso Almond Streusel
- In a bowl combine all of the ingredients.
- The mixture will be very crumbly. Set aside until ready to use.
