Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Recipe
You’ll love being able to make this Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights recipe right at home whenever the craving strikes.
Recreate the soft molasses cookies, sweet pumpkin filling, and nostalgic fall flavor everyone remembers.
This homemade fall recipe is surprisingly easy to make with pantry staples and are perfect for parties, Halloween dessert trays, or an afternoon treat with coffee.
This copycat version is the next best thing — and many readers think it’s even better than the original.
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Why You’ll Love These Homemade Pumpkin Delights
- Taste just like the Little Debbie original
- Great when stores sell out
- Fun Halloween baking project
- Soft molasses cookies with creamy pumpkin filling
- Freeze well for later
What Do Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Taste Like?
- Soft, chewy molasses cookies with warm fall spices in every bite.
- Filled with a smooth, sweet pumpkin-flavored cream that’s rich without being overpowering.
- A hint of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves gives them their classic autumn flavor.
- Similar to a soft gingerbread sandwich cookie with a creamy seasonal filling.
- The homemade version has a fresher taste and softer texture than the packaged snack cakes.
- Perfect with a cup of coffee, hot apple cider, or a glass of cold milk.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Delights
- Start by mixing butter, sugar, egg, and molasses, then add in a blend of flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger to form a soft dough.
- Chill the dough to prevent spreading while you prep the pumpkin butter filling—made by simmering pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, and thickened apple juice.
- Roll out the chilled dough, cut pumpkin-shaped cookies, and carve jack-o’-lantern faces into half of them.
- Add the filling, but don’t overfill: Use about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of filling—too much and it may leak out the sides.
- Top with the cut-outs, and gently seal the edges using your fingers or the back of a fork to press the edges together lightly so the filling stays inside.
- Bake at 350°F for 12–14 minutes until golden, then cool before enjoying these festive fall treats!
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
- Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
- Save or share this recipe on Pinterest!
Yes. Bake the cookies a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container. The flavor actually improves after the filling has had time to set.
Absolutely! Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Yes. Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights are a limited-time fall snack that typically returns to stores in late summer and remains available through the fall while supplies last.
If you’re loving this flavorful fall dessert recipe, be sure to check out these great ideas too—perfect for using up leftover ingredients and diving into cozy seasonal flavors!
- Discover clever and delicious ideas for what to do with leftover pumpkin pie filling so nothing goes to waste.
- These 2 ingredient pumpkin cookies are the easiest way to satisfy your fall sweet tooth in a hurry.
- From breads to no-bake treats, you’ll love exploring these cozy and crowd-pleasing pumpkin recipes.
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Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 12 tbsp butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ginger
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 ¼ cups flour
For the Pumpkin Filling:
- 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ginger
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add in the egg and molasses and mix for about a minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Add flour 1 tbsp at a time if needed.
- To prevent your cookie dough from spreading too much while baking, chill your dough for 30-60 minutes.
- To prepare the pumpkin butter, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar and spices in a small saucepan.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the apple juice. Whisk into the pumpkin mixture and cook on low to bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then let it cool.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut out cookie shapes using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter.
- Place half of the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut out a jack o lantern face pumpkin – eyes and a mouth – on the half of the cookies.
- Spoon a small amount of pumpkin filling, about 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp, onto the center of each cookie.
- Place the cut-out cookies over the filling-topped cookies, pressing the edges together gently to seal.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookie part was wayy too wet. I had to add a lot of flour to compensate and make it even hold up at all. I used the recipe for 24 and still had a lot of extra filling and cookie parts. I must say it is truly delicious but the recipe amounts are definitely not accurate unless I was supposed to make the dough the day b4 and refrigerate.
Hello, thanks for your feedback. I haven’t had that issue before. 2 1/4 cups of flour is already a lot that is used, how much more did you use?! Also, yes you are supposed to chill the dough for 30-60 minutes.
Hello,
I was wondering if I should use melted or soft room temp butter.
Softened butter – Enjoy!