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Pumpkin Pudding Cookies (Episode 3: The Great Pumpkin Cake Series)

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 27 mini cookies (or 13 normal size
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Fall Baking

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 170 g ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 100 g ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 75 g ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 60 g ¼ cup pumpkin purée after draining 10 minutes
  • 18 g 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 10 g 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 96 g 1 box / 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)
  • 250 g 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 g ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 g ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 3 g ¾ tsp fine sea salt
  • 4 g 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-Spice Sugar (for rolling)
  • 60 g ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ginger
  • ⅛ tsp allspice

Equipment

  • Hand or stand mixer for creaming butters and sugars
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • Cookie sheet
  • Parchment paper or silicone mat
  • Kitchen scale for accuracy
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

Cream Butter + Sugars
  1. Beat 170 g softened butter (¾ cup) with
  2. 100 g brown sugar (½ cup) and 75 g granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
  3. for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients
  1. Mix in
  2. 60 g drained pumpkin (¼ cup),
  3. 1 egg yolk (18 g),
  4. and 10 g vanilla (2 tsp).
  5. Beat 30 seconds until glossy.
Add Pudding Mix
  1. Beat in 96 g vanilla pudding mix (dry) just until combined.
Add Dry Ingredients
  1. Whisk together:
  2. 250 g flour (2 cups)
  3. 3 g baking soda (½ tsp)
  4. 1 g baking powder (¼ tsp)
  5. 3 g salt (¾ tsp)
  6. 4 g pumpkin spice (1½ tsp)
  7. Add to bowl in two additions; mix until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms.
Shape + Coat
  1. Scoop 20 g (≈ 1 Tbsp) portions. (Or 40g (≈ 2 Tbsp) portions.
  2. Roll into a smooth ball, then roll in pumpkin-spice sugar.
Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
  2. Bake 10–12 minutes until tops look matte and edges are just set.
  3. Let cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

The Pumpkin Rule:
  • Always measure the 60 g of pumpkin after draining.
  • If you don’t drain, cookies will:
– spread more
– bake cakey
– develop gummy centers
Underbake slightly for softness:
  • Pull cookies when the centers look slightly underdone — they finish baking on the hot sheet.



Storage

  • Room Temp: 3–4 days in an airtight container.  
  • Freeze Baked Cookies: Up to 2 months (layer with parchment).  
  • Rewarm: 10 seconds in the microwave for that fresh-baked texture.  
  • Freeze the Dough: Scoop, freeze on a tray, then bag — bake from frozen +2 minutes.