You’ll love these piped pumpkin shortbread cookies — buttery, crisp, and shaped like little pumpkins. They melt in your mouth and look festive for fall, just like the classic cookies sold in tins.
If you enjoy shortbread variations, try other simple favorites like frosted fudge shortbread, chocolate-dipped shortbread hearts, or our easy 3-ingredient pumpkin cookies.
I have a soft spot for those buttery Danish-style cookies in tins, especially the ones piped into pretty swirls. These piped pumpkin shortbread cookies use the same idea: a simple, rich shortbread dough that’s piped and tinted to look like tiny pumpkins. They are quick to make and perfect for holiday cookie trays or fall gatherings.
Why I Like This Recipe
- Customizable. The cookies are shaped like pumpkins rather than flavored with pumpkin spice, so you can add pumpkin spice or other flavorings if you prefer. This recipe uses vanilla and almond extract for a classic shortbread flavor.
- Buttery and crisp. The texture is crisp and rich, with a buttery shortbread bite that holds its shape when piped and bakes up evenly.
- Fun to shape. Piping the dough with a large star tip creates the swirled pumpkin effect. A round tip works well for the little stems. A piping bag makes the process easy and fast.
- Bright and festive. A few drops of orange and green food coloring make the cookies pop on any dessert table.
Tips and Tricks
- Choose large open tips. Use a large open star tip for the pumpkin body and a large round tip for the stem. Small or intricate tips will clog because the dough is thicker than frosting.
- Apply firm pressure when piping. The dough is denser than a typical frosting, so you’ll need to squeeze a bit harder to push it through the tip.
- Don’t worry about rough edges. If the shapes look a little uneven when you pull the tip away, they will soften and smooth slightly during baking.
- Pipe on parchment. Use parchment-lined baking sheets and space the cookies about 2 inches apart so they bake evenly.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter depending on preference; this recipe was developed with salted butter.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar gives these cookies a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture compared to granulated sugar.
- Vanilla and almond extract: These two extracts provide classic flavor — swap or omit as you like.
- All-purpose flour
- Milk: A few tablespoons to bring the dough together; the dough may look crumbly at first but will come together when pressed.
- Orange food coloring for the pumpkin color
- Green food coloring for the stems
Supplies:
- Large star piping tip (about 1/2″ or wider) for the pumpkin shape
- Large round piping tip for the stems
- Piping bags or disposable pastry bags
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and full instructions.
How to Make Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk as needed and mix until the dough comes together. It may appear crumbly at first; scrape the bowl and press the dough together with a spatula.
Step 2: Remove about 1/3 cup of dough and set it aside for the stems. Tint the remaining dough with orange food coloring, adding a few drops at a time and mixing until you reach the desired hue. Tint the reserved 1/3 cup with green food coloring for the stems.
Step 3: Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and fill it with the orange dough. Fit a second bag with a round tip and fill it with the green dough. Pipe each cookie in an oval or rounded shape on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Step 4: Pipe a small stem on each pumpkin with the green dough using the round tip. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until they are lightly golden at the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet — they will crisp up as they cool.
This recipe yields approximately 18 pumpkin cookies. No need to transfer to a cooling rack; they firm up nicely on the parchment-lined sheet.
Pumpkin Shortbread FAQs
Danish butter cookies and shortbread are similar in texture and richness. Traditional shortbread is made with butter, sugar, and flour. These piped pumpkin cookies are closer to Danish butter cookies because they include milk and extracts, giving a slightly different texture and flavor, but both are buttery and tender.
Use larger open tips — a star tip for the pumpkin shape and a round tip for the stems. Open, wide tips allow the thick dough to pass through easily. If the tip is too small, the dough will be difficult to pipe.
More Fall Recipes To Make
Iced Molasses Cookies-
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
-
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
-
Reese’s Pumpkin Bites
Made this recipe and loved it? Please leave a star rating and a comment — and share a photo with friends so others can try these festive cookies!
Piped Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- Orange food coloring
- Green food coloring
Supplies
- Large star piping tip (about 1/2″ wide)
- Large round piping tip for stems
- Piping bags
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and mix until combined.
- Add 3–4 tablespoons milk and mix. The dough may look crumbly but will come together when pressed.
- Scrape the bowl and press the dough together with a spatula.
- Remove 1/3 cup of dough and set aside for stems.
- Tint the remaining dough orange, adding a few drops of food coloring at a time until you reach the desired shade.
- Tint the reserved 1/3 cup of dough green for the stems.
- Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and fill with orange dough. Fit a second bag with a round tip and fill with green dough.
- Pipe oval pumpkin shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Pipe a small stem on each pumpkin using the green dough.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Let cool completely on the baking sheet to crisp.
Notes
This recipe makes about 18 cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Tips:
- Use large, open piping tips so the dough can pass through easily.
- The dough is thicker than typical frosting; apply steady pressure while piping.
- Cookies will smooth slightly during baking, so small imperfections are fine.
- Cookies are crispest when completely cooled and eaten cold.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 16 g |
Protein: 2 g |
Fat: 10 g |
Saturated Fat: 7 g