Description
Celebrate Halloween with these festive Jack-O’-Lantern Sandwich Cookies featuring pumpkin-spiced sugar cookies filled with creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting. Perfectly soft and flavorful, these cookies are shaped like pumpkins with carved faces for a spooky yet sweet treat ideal for fall gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined. This creates the base for the spiced cookie dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is creamy and smooth. This step adds air and sweetness to your dough.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then add pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. These ingredients add moisture and flavor depth to the dough.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, beating just until the dough comes together. Overmixing can make cookies tough, so mix gently.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap or cover them, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Chilling firms the dough for easier handling and better cookie shape.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface and working with one disc at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place them on the prepared sheets. Re-roll scraps to cut additional cookies.
- Freeze Cookies: Freeze the cut cookies for 15 minutes before baking. This helps them maintain shape during baking.
- Cut Faces: Remove cookies from freezer. Using a paring knife, carefully cut out jack-o’-lantern faces on half of the cookies. If dough softens, freeze again before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are set but not browned. Let them cool completely on wire racks.
- Prepare Frosting: While cookies bake and cool, beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt, and mix until creamy.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Flip the solid pumpkin-shaped cookies (without faces) over and spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting. Top each with a face-cut cookie to complete the jack-o’-lantern look and gently press to sandwich together.
Notes
- Ensure dough is well chilled before rolling to prevent spreading and help cookies hold shape.
- If dough or cookies become too soft while working, place back in fridge or freezer briefly.
- Use a sharp paring knife to carefully cut face details for clean, precise jack-o’-lantern designs.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Allow assembled sandwich cookies to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
