Nothing says fall quite like pumpkin spice. Pair that warm, cozy flavor with a buttery shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth, and you have the perfect bite-sized treat for the season. These Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookie Bites are an easy fall cookie recipe that’s easy to make and are even easier to eat! They’re perfect for snacking, gifting or adding to your holiday dessert board.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies
- No chilling required. Just mix, shape and bake. No waiting for the dough to chill.
- Perfect for snacking. These bites are the perfect grab and go treat.
- Great for gifting. Package in a jar or tin for a sweet and thoughtful homemade gift.
- Allergy-friendly options. Make these allergy-friendlier with gluten-free, dairy-free and/or sugar-free baking swaps.
Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why)
All-Purpose Flour: flour provides structure and holds the cookies together.
Brown Sugar: adds sweetness with a hint of molasses flavor.
Pumpkin Spice: make your own pumpkin spice or use store-bought pumpkin pie spice blend.
Vanilla: a splash of vanilla adds warmth and enhances the pumpkin spice flavor.
Butter: butter gives the shortbread its signature richness and texture. Salted butter can be used since there is no salt in this recipe but unsalted works as well.
Pumpkin Spice Sugar: a blend of sugar and pumpkin spice adds flavor, sweetness and “sparkle” to the baked cookie bites.
Helpful Baking Tools
Cookie Sheet: line a cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: use measuring cups for the flour and sugar. Use measuring spoons for the pumpkin spice and vanilla. Or, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.
Mixing Bowls: use a mixing bowl to combine ingredients together.
Whisk/Spatula: use a whisk to mix ingredients together and a spatula to scrape down the bowl.
Mixer: use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and incorporate all other ingredients.
Pastry Mat, Knives or Scraper: keep counter tops clean with a pastry mat; use a small paring knife or bench scraper to cut the dough. Young bakers can use kid-safe nylon knives.
Cooling Rack: place cookies on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making Shortbread Bites
These buttery cookies may be small but they’re big on pumpkin spice flavor. Follow these tips for the best texture and taste.
- Don’t skip the extract. Not only does the extract provide flavor, it adds a small amount of liquid to help hold the dough together.
- Make smaller logs. Since the dough is a bit crumbly, small logs are easier to roll or shape.
- Cut evenly. Make uniform cuts to ensure even baking and a consistent look to your cookies.
- Coat before baking. Rolling each cookie in the pumpkin spice sugar adds more flavor along with an irresistible crunch.
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookie Bites
These shortbread bites are simple to make and bake up beautifully every time. To make, follow these steps, making sure to check the recipe card for detailed instructions, including exact ingredient measurements used.
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cream butter; add dry ingredients and vanilla; mix together.
3. Dough will look like sand but holds when pressed together.
4. Use hands to roll dough and form into logs.
5. Slice into ¼” pieces and roll into a ball.
6. Toss in pumpkin spice sugar mixture.
7. Press cookies with a glass to flatten to ¼” thick.
8. Bake; cool completely before storing.
Shortbread Variations and Allergy-Friendly Substitutions
These shortbread bites are easy to customize, whether it’s creating a new flavor or making swaps for your allergy needs.
- Change Spice Flavor: try apple pie spice, chai spice or gingerbread spice for different seasonal flavors.
- Make It Chocolate: replace ¼ cup of flour with cocoa powder and omit the pumpkin spice for a plain chocolate shortbread.
- Add Ins: mix in mini chocolate chips or cut up dried fruit, butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips and add to the dough.
- Different Extracts: use maple, cake batter or peppermint extract for a new flavor twist.
Allergy-Friendly Substitutions
If avoiding a certain allergen, consider the following substitutions. I suggest trying one swap at a time to ensure the best results.
- Dairy-Free: replace butter with plant-based sticks (avoid tub-style spreads).
- Gluten-Free: replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, like Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten-Free Flour, for a one-to-one swap.
- Sugar-Free: use a sugar-free brown sugar substitute, like Swerve Brown, for a one-to-one replacement.
Storing Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookie Bites
These pumpkin spice shortbread cookie bites are easy to make ahead and store beautifully, making them perfect for holiday baking or gifting.
- At room temperature. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze the dough. Wrap unbaked logs tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 1–2 hours until slightly firm but easy to slice.
- Freeze baked cookies. Arrange baked cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze for 1–2 hours until solid. Once frozen, transfer cookies to an airtight container or freezer bag and store for up to 2 months.
- Thaw frozen dough or cookies. To thaw, remove the dough or cookies from the freezer and leave them in their container or bag at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Keeping them covered while thawing helps prevent condensation from forming on the cookies. Once thawed, enjoy or bake as directed.
Make-Ahead Tip: Bake a batch or two early in the season and freeze them for holiday gatherings or last-minute gifts. They’ll taste freshly baked once thawed and are always a welcome homemade treat!
Ways to Serve Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookie Bites
With the holiday season around the corner, these mini cookie bites are a nice addition to any dessert table or hostess gift!
- Add cookies onto a holiday dessert board or cookie tray.
- Wrap a dozen cookie bites in small bags for party favors or classroom treats.
- Gift in Thanksgiving containers, holiday containers, or clear jars for teachers or neighbors.
- Keep a bowl within reach for easy fall snacking or as an addition to your holiday dessert table.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
If you love these Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookie Bites, you may enjoy these other fall favorites too! Try making a batch of crunchy, flavorful Pumpkin Biscotti. They’re perfect for dunking into your morning coffee. For a classic Thanksgiving dessert, you can’t go wrong with a traditional Pumpkin Pie. And if you love the warm aroma of fall spices, mix up a jar of homemade pumpkin spice to use in all your seasonal baking. If you make any of these recipes, consider leaving a rating or comment to share how they turned out!
Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookie Bites
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cup (153g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (52g) brown sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp (2g) pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup (48g) pumpkin spice sugar mix (2 tsp spice plus 1/4 sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Mix flour, brown sugar and pumpkin spice in a medium-sized bowl.
- Cream the butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and vanilla. Mix everything together. The dough will resemble coarse sand and will be crumbly but should hold together when pressed.
- Form the dough into four balls, then carefully take each ball and roll/shape it into a log. Once logs are formed, cut into ¼” thick slices.
- Roll slices into small balls, then coat in the pumpkin spice/sugar mixture.
- Place cookies on a cookie sheet and flatten to about ¼” thick using a small glass.
- Bake at 325℉ for 15-20 minutes or until firm and golden brown.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Store in a container or freezer for longer storage.
Notes
- Dairy-Free: replace butter with plant-based sticks (avoid tub-style spreads).
- Gluten-Free: replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend for a one-to-one replacement.
- Sugar-Free: use a sugar-free brown sugar substitute for a one-to-one replacement.
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