Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

When the holiday season arrives, few cookies make quite the statement that a perfectly tender shortbread does. While most biscuits rely on moisture and egg for their rise, this autumnal shortbread leans into the power of butter — an incredibly generous amount of it. All that richness carries the warm, aromatic notes of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg through every bite, delivering a deep, lingering spice flavor that truly fills the room.

The addition of cornstarch is the quiet revelation in this recipe. Because cornstarch does not develop gluten the way all-purpose flour does, blending the two together creates a softer, more delicate dough. This is exactly how you achieve that signature "melt-away" quality — a cookie so tender it practically dissolves on the tongue, serving as the perfect canvas for seasonal spices and festive decorative sugars.

Shaping and Decorating

Shaping these cookies with care makes a real difference. Using a cookie scoop for uniform portions and then pressing each ball flat with the tines of a fork creates a pretty, ridged surface that catches every bit of festive sanding sugar. Those ridges also help the cookies bake more evenly, preventing the edges from browning too quickly before the center has fully set.

Baking at a gentle 300 degrees is a deliberate choice for this butter-rich dough. The lower temperature keeps the butter from melting out too fast, allowing the cookie to set slowly into a stable, tender crumb. The result is a pale, elegant finish — a beautifully neutral canvas that makes vibrant seasonal sprinkles and spiced sugars pop with festive color.

Jorj Morgan

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

Rich, buttery shortbread meets the quintessential warmth of autumn spices in this delightful confection. Finished with a dazzling coat of spiced sanding sugar and festive sprinkles, each ridged biscuit offers a comforting crunch and elegant presentation.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 48 cookies

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the Shortbread Dry Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

For the Shortbread Wet Ingredients

• 3 pounds unsalted butter at room temperature (12 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

The Decorative Finish

• Sanding sugar Apple Pie Spiced or similar
• Festive sprinkles

Method

 

Make the Dough

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line several heavy baking sheets with professional parchment paper.
2. In a large vessel, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves to ensure the spices are evenly distributed.
3. Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar together until the mixture is light, aerated, and smooth.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low speed until a soft, cohesive dough forms.

Shape the Cookies

1. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, portion the dough into round balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
2. Use the tines of a silver fork to gently flatten each ball into a uniform circle, creating a ridged texture on the surface.
3. Apply a generous coating of spiced sanding sugar and decorative sprinkles to each cookie before baking.

Bake & Cool

1. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch and the bottom edges just begin to show a faint golden hue, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Allow the cookies to stabilize on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a stainless steel wire rack to cool completely.