Sink your teeth into the magic of Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies, where soft pumpkin spice dough meets molten caramel centers. These cozy treats are fall in every bite.
Each bite bursts with gooey caramel wrapped in warmly spiced pumpkin cookie, rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunch. It’s everything autumnal desserts should be—rich, nostalgic, and utterly irresistible.
Star Ingredients in These Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin purée – The heart of the cookie, it brings moisture, richness, and a signature fall flavor that’s impossible to miss.
- Brown sugar – Adds depth and chewiness, enhancing the warm spices and caramel tones beautifully.
- Ground cinnamon – Bold and aromatic, this spice anchors the pumpkin flavor and gives the cookies their unmistakable fall profile.
- All-purpose flour – Gives structure to the soft, thick dough that surrounds each gooey center.
- Caramel candies – Rolos, Kraft, or Dove — whichever you choose, they melt into a rich, chocolatey caramel surprise that makes every cookie magical.
How to Make Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies: A Quick Overview
Start by creaming the butter, pumpkin, and sugars until smooth. Blend in the egg yolk, vanilla, and cozy spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. Slowly incorporate the flour to form a rich, spiced dough.
Chill the dough slightly before shaping, then wrap caramel candies between two small dough balls. Roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar for that signature sparkle and crunch. Chill again to keep them thick and gooey when baked.
Bake until golden, and let them cool to firm up around the molten centers. The result? Soft cookies with a surprise burst of caramel in every bite.
Recipe Tips & Sweet Ideas to Make Them Even Better
For best texture, make sure to chill the dough not once but twice—before and after filling—to prevent the cookies from spreading too thin. Choose soft caramels that melt easily, like Rolos or Dove chocolates, to get that gooey pull when you break one open.
Want a flavor twist? Add a pinch of espresso powder to the dough for a subtle mocha edge, or sprinkle flaky sea salt over each cookie before baking to elevate the sweet-salty contrast. For those craving crunch, chopped pecans or walnuts folded into the dough add a satisfying texture.
Leftover Cookies? Here’s How to Keep Them Gooey & Fresh
Keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days to maintain their softness. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a single layer before transferring to a sealed bag or container—they’ll keep for up to a month.
To reheat, microwave one cookie for about 10–15 seconds to revive the gooey caramel center without drying out the cookie. It’s like they were freshly baked all over again.
Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup 150g packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar (for dough)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ cups 217g all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- ⅓ cup 81g pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for rolling
- About 20 soft caramel candies Werther’s, Kraft, Rolo, or Dove
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and granulated sugar; blend until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue mixing until incorporated. Sprinkle in baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, mixing thoroughly and scraping down the bowl as needed. Gradually add the flour and blend until a cohesive dough is formed.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Arrange them closely together as they will be chilled, not baked yet. Chill for about 30 minutes or until firm but pliable.
- Flatten two dough balls slightly, encase a caramel candy between them, and roll into a single, smooth sphere. In a small bowl, mix the remaining granulated sugar with the ground cinnamon for rolling. Coat each filled dough ball in this mixture and return to the baking sheet. Chill for at least another hour to set.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Space the cookies evenly across two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the tops lose their gloss and the edges begin to brown. Allow cookies to cool fully on the pan before removing.
