Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are one of my favorite Halloween treats. These charming cookies combine festive fun with delicious flavors, making them a perfect addition to my holiday celebrations.

Jack-O’-Lantern cookies recipe

Jack-O’-Lantern sandwich cookies are a delightful fusion of two beloved treats. These cookies consist of two pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies sandwiched together with various creamy fillings. The outer cookies are decorated to resemble miniature Jack-O’-Lanterns, complete with expressive faces and vibrant orange hues.

Jack-O'-Lantern Cookies on a plate — Halloween cutout cookies

These are made from a sugar or cinnamon cookie dough, often flavored with pumpkin spice for a seasonal twist. They can be filled with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin ganache, or flavored buttercream, with cream cheese being particularly popular for its tangy sweetness.

For these Halloween treats, I will make the pumpkin ganache. Here’s how to make the Jack-O’-Lantern cookies:

Jack-O’-Lantern sandwich cookies

A festive Halloween treat that combines the classic appeal of sandwich cookies with spooky holiday flair.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 17

Decoration time 15

Total Time 52

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients

For the cookies

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Orange food coloring optional, for dough

For the filling

½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup heavy cream

For decoration

Orange and black icing for piping optional

Instructions

Prepare the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk, mixing until combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. If desired, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the dough and mix until evenly colored.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Use a small knife or tool to carve jack-o'-lantern faces into half of the cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

Make the filling

In a small saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, white chocolate chips, and pumpkin pie spice over low heat. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly before using.

Assemble the sandwich cookies

Spread a generous amount of pumpkin ganache on the flat side of each whole cookie (the ones without faces).
Top with a jack-o'-lantern face cookie to form a sandwich.
Decorate with orange and black icing for an extra festive touch. (Optional)

Notes

If you don’t want to use artificial food coloring, try these natural food coloring options:

Beet powder mixed with turmeric
Carrot juice concentrate
Paprika use sparingly

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal

Keyword autumn recipes, cookies, Halloween recipe, home baking, homemade cookies

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These Jack-O’-Lantern sandwich cookies can be adapted for various holidays throughout the year. You just need to change the shape of the cookies:

Heart-shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day
Shamrock cookies for St. Patrick’s Day
Snowflake cookies for winter holidays

Variations

If you want to make other fillings for the Jack-O’-Lantern cookies, check these options below:

Classic cream cheese filling

Ingredients:

4 oz (115g) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and gradually mix in the powdered sugar until fully combined.
Chill the mixture for 30 minutes before use
Spread the filling on the cookies and sandwich them together.

Pumpkin-spiced filling

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Beat the butter until smooth, then gradually add the powdered sugar until creamy.
Mix in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract.
Continue mixing until the filling is smooth and fluffy.
Spread on the cookies before sandwiching them together.

Vegan filling

Ingredients:

½ cup vegan butter (like Earth Balance), softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Beat the vegan butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, alternating with small amounts of almond milk to reach the desired consistency.
Stir in the vanilla extract and continue beating until fluffy.
Spread on the cookies before sandwiching.

Low-calorie filling

Ingredients:

½ cup low-fat cream cheese
2 tbsp Greek yogurt (0% fat)
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Beat the low-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and continue to mix until light and creamy.
Use this lighter filling between the cookies.

How to pair

Jack-O’-Lantern cookies complement a variety of Halloween-themed refreshments. To create a memorable spread for your Halloween gathering, consider these pairings:

Beverages:
- Spiced apple cider enhances the autumnal flavors of the cookies
- Pumpkin spice latte echoes the warm spices in the cookie filling
- “Witch’s Brew” punch provides a refreshing contrast to the sweet cookies
Savory snacks:
- Roasted pumpkin seeds offer a crunchy texture to balance the soft cookies
- Cheese and cracker platters shaped like bats or ghosts add variety to the spread
- Vegetable crudités arranged in a skeleton shape provide a healthy option
Sweet companions:
- Caramel apples create a classic fall pairing with cookies
- Chocolate truffles disguised as eyeballs or spider eggs add whimsy
- Candy corn serves as a colorful garnish around the cookie platter

Contents

Jack-O’-Lantern cookies recipe