Pumpkin Spice Linzer Cookies

These Pumpkin Spice Linzer Cookies are filled with pumpkin cinnamon buttercream and are the perfect pumpkin-shaped fall cookie!

I never want to sit in a car ever again. Ever. OK, that's not totally true because I've obvi got places to go and people to see, but after driving alllll the way from Boston to Richmond, VA, and back again, my butt hurts.

Other than not having to be behind the wheel, the only thing that can make a 12-hour car ride semi bearable is cookies.

That's why I always try to remember a simple rule: Always keep a Tupperware of cookies in the front seat. For drive-time emergencies and all that.

You can consider this recipe major follow-through from my post back in June when I made Lavender Lemon Cookies and said, "Come fall, I’m already planning to make little pumpkin linzer cookies with a cinnamon pumpkin butter filling. You can hold me to that." I literally said that.

And I also literally have not stopped thinking of pumpkin linzer cookies since June. And now I'm here to deliver.

🍪What are linzer cookies?

Firs thing first, do you know what a linzer cookie is? If you've never had them homemade, you may know the ones with raspberry jam in the red bag from Pepperidge Farm. They've been around forever!

In any event, linzer cookies are a traditional Austrian pastry that is often associated with Christmas and holiday baking. It is named after the Austrian city of "Linz."

The cookies are characterized by their two-layer sandwich-like structure, where a sweet and crumbly almond-based dough is used for both the top and bottom layers, and a small cutout window in the top layer reveals a jam or fruit preserves filling underneath.

Of course, you can make linzer cookies any time of year and Halloween linzer cookies are just as good as Christmas ones! You can also fill them with anything you want.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

If you're as excited about pumpkin season as I am, you're going to love that these cookies are both packed with pumpkin flavor and look absolutely adorable.

But even better? They're super easy to make! I don't make a lot of "cute" baked goods because they never seem to actually come out cute for me, so if I can make these cute cookies, you can, too!

🗒 Ingredients

There are two components to these cookies- the cookie dough and the pumpkin cinnamon buttercream. Here's everything you need (but be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and recipe instructions):

• Unsalted butter
• Pumpkin puree
• Granulated sugar
• Large egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Almond flour
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Salt

And here's everything you need for the pumpkin cinnamon buttercream:

• Unsalted butter
• Pumpkin puree
• Ground cinnamon
• Confectioners' sugar

🎃 How to make pumpkin spice linzer cookies

The pumpkin cookie dough comes together quickly and after chilling it, it's pretty easy to roll out and cut into shapes. Since these are pumpkin spice linzer cookies, I highly recommend making them in the shape of pumpkins, but if you wanted to make a more traditional linzer cookie shape or a ghost or a heart, anything goes.

I got a set of three pumpkin cookie cutters on Amazon, which aren't available anymore, but this set of pumpkin cookie cutters should work, too.

The dough does need to chill for a bit before you cut out the shapes and then the shapes need to chill again once they're on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

While the cookies are baking, you can make the super easy filling. Which just happens to be a super pumpkin-y pumpkin buttercream with cinnamon that I would have eaten with a spoon if I didn't have cookies to make.

But instead, I diligently filled my pumpkin-shaped cookies and waited until all twelve were complete before licking the bowl clean.

And then I allowed myself one cookie and I allowed Chris one cookie, before packing up the rest of the pumpkin spice linzer cookies for our road trip. But omg they were good. They had the perfect amount of crunch and the best intensity of pumpkin spice flavor.

I almost has to ask Chris to hide the cookies from me before we left on our trip. But I knew that instead of hiding them, he'd probably just eat them all. Between the two of us, we probably require some sort of childproof cookie jar (that's gotta exist, right??).

And guess what? I then idiotically packed the Tupperware full of cookies in the very back of the car, under a giant bag of dog treats. But that's OK because it meant that when we got to Chris's family's house, we still had a full Tupperware to share with everyone.

And I was much happier sharing these pumpkin spice linzer cookies with family than sitting in a car stuffing my face with them while singing "Satisfied" from Hamilton with powdered sugar covering my face.

⏲️ How to store

These pumpkin linzers should be stored in an airtight container. If you're going to stack the cookies, place a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between layers.

They should be fine at room temperature for a couple days, but if you want to keep them longer or it's really hot where you are, I recommend putting them in the fridge due to the filling.

🍂 More fall cookies

I love eating cookies year-round, but there's something extra satisfying and comforting about a batch of cookies in the fall. Here are some more of my favorite recipes:

For a Christmas linzer cookie recipe, check out these Reindeer Linzer Cookies!

You better believe I'll be making these pumpkin linzer cookies again before the season is over. But for now, I'm starting to plan my holiday linzer cookie recipe.. I'm thinking either candy cane or cranberry, but will obviously update you soon!

What are your favorite road trip snacks?

If you're looking for more fun pumpkin treats, be sure to check out my Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Eggnog Danish.

📖 Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Linzer Cookies

These Pumpkin Spice Linzer Cookies are filled with pumpkin cinnamon buttercream and are the only cookie you'll need this fall!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Eclectic

Keyword: Fall Desserts, Linzer Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Dough Chill Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Makes: 1 dozen cookies

Author: Sues

Ingredients

• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp, all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup almond flour
• 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buttercream

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together butter, pumpkin puree, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
• Divide dough in half and pat each half into a disc. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge until firm, about 1 hour.
• On a floured surface, sprinkle a dusting of flour over one dough disc (leave second disc of dough in fridge) and roll dough out to be about ¼"-thick. Cut out cookies with a medium or large cookie cutter (2½" is recommended) and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Be sure to re-roll and dough scraps to cut out as many cookies as you can. Place cookie sheet in fridge for about 30 minutes and take second dough disc out.
• Roll second dough disk out to be about ¼"-thick and cut shapes with same cookie cutter. Transfer these to a second parchment paper-lined baking sheet and use your smallest cookie cutter to make a cutout in the center of each. Place this cookie sheet in fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake both sheets of cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spread about 1 teaspoon of pumpkin cinnamon buttercream into the center. Top with the sugar-dusted cookies.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat together butter and pumpkin puree until fully combined.
• Add cinnamon and 1 cup confectioners' sugar and beat on low-speed until combined. Add second cup of confectioners' sugar and blend until combined.

Notes

Cookie recipe adapted from King Arthur.

Useful Products

Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin Cookie Cutters

Cookie Sheets

Parchment Paper

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

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