Brown Sugar Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies
- Sam
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 17
The days are getting colder, the leaves are turning, and autumn is officially here — which means it’s time for warming, comforting bakes. These Brown Sugar Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies are buttery, delicately crisp, and rolled in a crunchy cinnamon-sugar crust. With the cosy flavours of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, they capture everything we love about pumpkin spice season — no pumpkin purée required!
Why you’ll love these cookies
Perfect autumn flavours – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice bring all the cosy pumpkin spice vibes.
Crunch and chew – Using light brown sugar adds moisture, giving the cookies a subtle chew to balance the classic shortbread-style crunch.
Make-ahead friendly – The dough is rolled into logs and chilled, meaning you can slice and bake whenever the craving strikes.
Beautifully simple – No fancy equipment, just a few pantry staples and warming spices.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
170g (¾ cup) baking block, softened to room temperature
200g (1 cup) light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
280g (2¼ cups) plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
For the coating:
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
Stir in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture until incorporated. The mixture will be crumbly and will form when gathered together by hand (a bit like kinetic sand). Please do not stress about this.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each into a sausage shape about 5cm (2 inches) in diameter. (Tip: use wet hands and a floured surface to assist if needs be).
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together on a sheet of parchment. Roll the dough logs in the mixture until evenly coated. Wrap tightly in clingfilm.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) until firm.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Unwrap the dough and slice into rounds about ½ cm (¼ inch) thick. Place on the trays with a little space between each. Bake for 10–14 minutes, until just golden at the edges.
Leave to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
VVitch Tip
These cookies keep beautifully in an airtight tin for up to a week, and the dough logs can be frozen for up to 2 months — perfect for baking fresh cookies on chilly autumn afternoons.
There’s something so special about having a tin of homemade cookies ready to go when the weather turns chilly. I love how these Brown Sugar Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies fill the kitchen with the scent of autumn spices — it instantly makes the house feel warmer and more welcoming. If you give them a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out for you. Pop a comment below, or share a picture and tag me on @SororitasStrength - nothing makes me happier than seeing your bakes!
Blessed be,
