Mascarpone Cookies with Pumpkin

These mascarpone cookies are a uniquely flavorful and chewy cookie. The pumpkin in the dough gives these cookies a soft texture. But my favorite part is the homemade mascarpone espresso frosting, which brings in comforting, cozy vibes. Especially if you're a tiramisu fan, these cookies will be a huge hit.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love this Recipe
• 📋 Key Ingredients for the Mascarpone Cookies
• Best Results: Baking in Grams
• Recipe Substitutions and Variations
• 📖 Prep and Baking Instructions
• 💡 Pro Tip for Mascarpone Espresso Frosting
• Instructions for Mascarpone Espresso Frosting 
• ❓ Macarpone FAQ and Recipe Troubleshooting
• Storage Instructions
• Party Suggestions
• More Tips for these Tiramisu Cookies
• More Ideas for Fall Baking
• Mascarpone Cookies

These are mascarpone cookies, pumpkin cookies, and tiramisu cookies. They have the best of many worlds and flavors going for them in one cookie.

And while I would gladly eat them with a cup of coffee any time of year, they're an especially fitting fall recipe.

In spite of the decadent and creamy mascarpone frosting on top of these pumpkin cookies, they're surprisingly easy to make. They'll impress friends and family at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.

Check out my fall recipes for more seasonal baking.

Here are a few other favorites worth highlighting:

• Mini apple Bundt cakes - Another classic fall flavor, these mini apple cakes are perfect during sweater weather. Plus the spiced glaze on top takes them to the next level.
• Brown butter sugar cookies - I love brown butter allllll year long, but it is an especially comforting ingredient that fits great into fall baking. These chewy cookies are easy to make, too!
• Pumpkin cookie decorating - Who else loves a good baking project? 🙋🏻‍♀️ These pumpkin sugar cookies are frosted with a tasty buttercream and are absolutely adorable.
• Dirty chai spice cake - Chai is a favorite fall flavor of mine, and it shines through in this pretty marbled layer cake! Plus it's in every bite of the chai buttercream that coats it.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

If you're a fan of tiramisu, you'll especially appreciate these soft, tender cookies. 

The flavor combos of coffee (from the espresso powder), pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and hint of chocolate from the cocoa powder together make for a great flavored cookie.

And in the frosting recipe, you'll see rum extract. This isn’t a need-to-have, but it does add a little “oomph” to your flavors. Plus, many tiramisu recipes call for rum or rum extract.

📋 Key Ingredients for the Mascarpone Cookies

The recipe card contains all the steps and list of fairly simple ingredients. Below are a few key items that bring flavor to this recipe for tiramisu cookies:

• Pumpkin pie spice: This iconic spice blend brings out the warmth and coziness in these cookies, but it doesn’t actually contain any pumpkin! Instead, it’s a mix of spices—usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice—that complements the natural flavor of pumpkin.
• Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste – Vanilla adds a smooth, subtle warmth that makes the flavors sing. It plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall flavor. And know the extract from your local grocery store is perfectly fine; I never taste much difference between pricier extracts and more basic ones.
• Instant espresso powder - Espresso powder intensifies the richness of the cocoa powder, creating deeper, more complex flavors. In the frosting, it adds a hint of coffee flavor that complements the mascarpone's smoothness.
• Creamy mascarpone cheese - Similar to American cream cheese, mascarpone, which is sometimes called Italian cream cheese, has a higher fat content (about 20% more) than its American cousin. American cream cheese is also more tangy and firm than mascarpone. Mascarpone is made from butterfat and leaves a noticeably velvety mouth texture behind after you eat it.
• Pumpkin puree - On top of being a fabulous seasonal flavor, pumpkin also adds moisture and natural sweetness to the cookie dough. And use puree, not pumpkin pie filling!
• Cocoa powder - This powder brings depth to the cookies and helps with the dough's structure. Its subtle bitterness balances the sweet flavors of the cookie and frosting while giving the cookies a more complex taste.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Replacing the mascarpone cheese frosting - In this recipe, American cream cheese will be your next best bet, though I haven't tried it here. The flavor of the frosting will be different, and the texture will be firmer to whip than mascarpone would be. I'd recommend adding a few teaspoons of heavy cream to it at a time to thin it in the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also warm it in a heat-proof bowl in your microwave in short bursts to help loosen it.
• Skipping the rum extract - To bring in the tiramisu vibes, the frosting recipe calls for rum extract. This isn’t a need-to-have, but it does add a little “oomph” to your flavors. Many tiramisu recipes use it. But if you don't have it, do not add rum directly. Extracts are much more concentrated versions of the flavors they recreate. You would have to add a lot of rum to your frosting to achieve the same effect. Doing that could really water down your consistency and make it runny. And the flavor would not be great!
• Ditching the frosting - While the mascarpone really elevates the flavor of these cookies, they'd be delicious pumpkin cookies on their own! You could skip the topping, though I recommend you trying the frosting at some point! You won't regret it.

📖 Prep and Baking Instructions

Mix Dry Ingredients - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.

Cream Butter and Sugar - In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 60 seconds, until just combined. Ensure the butter is first at room temperature for best results.

Combine Wet Ingredients - In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and rum extract (if using). Add this mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until just combined.

Add Dry Ingredients to Wet - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and ensure everything is fully incorporated.

Form the Dough Balls - Scoop and form balls of dough. Place them on an unlined cookie sheet, spacing them evenly.

Bake the Cookies and Let Cool - Bake for about 14 minutes, or until the cookies bounce back slightly when touched. Then, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

💡 Pro Tip for Mascarpone Espresso Frosting

When making the mascarpone frosting, I highly recommend using a chilled mixing bowl and chilled beaters.

Instructions for Mascarpone Espresso Frosting 

Whip the Mascarpone - Using a chilled mixing bowl and chilled beaters (or the chilled bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment), whip the mascarpone on medium speed for 45 seconds.

Add Flavorings and Sugar - Stop the mixer and add the rum extract, vanilla extract, espresso powder, and powdered sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Watch closely to avoid over-beating, which can cause lumps or curdling.

Add Whipping Cream - Increase the mixer to high speed. Slowly drizzle the whipping cream along the side of the bowl. Continue whipping for 60-90 seconds until the frosting is thick, smooth, and creamy. Keep an eye on it to prevent lumps or curdling.

Frost the Cookies - Spread with a spoon or use a piping bag to frost the fully cooled cookies. (If your cookies are still warm, the frosting will soften and potentially melt!*)

Dust with Cocoa or Espresso Powder - For added flavor, lightly dust the tops of the frosted cookies with unsweetened cocoa powder or espresso powder.

❓ Macarpone FAQ and Recipe Troubleshooting

Storage Instructions

Room temperature - Unfrosted, these pumpkin cookies will stay fresh at room temperature (around 70°F) for about 3 days.

Refrigerating - With the frosting on them, I would keep the cookies in the refrigerator and bring out individual servings as you plan to share and eat them over the course of more than 3 days. They'll stay fresh for 4-5 days at most if kept in the refrigerator.

They'll taste best if given at least 20 minutes to come closer to room temperature before serving.

Freezing - Frosted or not, these delicious cookies also freeze well for up to three months in an airtight container.

Particularly if they have the mascarpone on top, I add wax or parchment paper between the layers as I stack them.

To enjoy, let them come to room temperature before serving. You may also gently warm them for a few seconds on low heat in the microwave. 

Party Suggestions

If you're hosting a fall or holiday party, this mascarpone cookie recipe would go great alongside these mini pumpkin muffins in a seasonal spread of sweet treats!

If Halloween is still on the horizon, you could also share these black cocoa cookies. They're rich, chocolatey, and have a spooky feel to them, thanks to their dark color. 👻

More Tips for these Tiramisu Cookies

Below are some general tips to keep in mind when baking these simple cookies and any recipe, really:

1. Periodically check the freshness of your leavening agents. Mix a pinch of baking powder with hot water to see if it reacts. For baking soda, you can mix a pinch of it with a few drops of something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. If your leavening agents have no reaction (i.e. you see no fizzing or bubbling), it means they also won’t help your ingredients rise during the baking process. 
2. Before diving into the recipe, clear your workspace and set out all your ingredients in front of you. This will make it less likely that you’ll forget to leave something important out of your mixing bowl! 

More Ideas for Fall Baking

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