Recipe Inspired by Fruitables Popular Flavor Mashups: Pumpkin Spice Lofthouse-Style Cookies with Yogurt Frosting

Human Recipe Inspired by Fruitables Flavor

Recipe Inspired by: Fruitables Skinny Minis Pumpkin Spice and Fruitables Greek Vanilla Baked Treats

This recipe gives everyone’s favorite supermarket cookie a Fall upgrade! Soft and tender, eating these is like enjoying a sliver of pumpkin spice cake with a tangy buttercream that’s fortified with a bit of high-protein yogurt. If you want a classic Lofthouse Cookie look, tint the frosting with a bit of color: you can go with the classic pink or amp up the autumnal vibe by using orange or red!

Pumpkin Spice Lofthouse-Style Cookies with Yogurt Frosting

Recipe by Stacie Billis for Fruitables

Makes 2 dozen cookies

For the cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional; see headnote)

1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon sour cream

For the Yogurt Frosting:

1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

⅓ cup plain Greek-style yogurt, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

Scant 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar, plus more to taste as desired

1. Begin by making the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

2. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and mix for another minute. Add the pumpkin and sour cream and mix until combined.

3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Detach the bowl from the mixer and, using a silicone spatula, fold the dough one or two times to ensure that no flour streaks remain. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or up to overnight. 

4. In the meantime, prepare the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, yogurt, milk, and confectioners sugar. Beat until creamy and soft. Set aside until needed, in the refrigerator if your kitchen is hot or if you will not be using for at least an hour or more. 

5.  When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set it next to a small work area dusted with flour. Remove the chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and, using a medium (1 ½ tablespoon) scoop, divide the dough into 24 even portions, rolling each portion in a bit of flour to keep it from sticking to everything. Dust off any excess flour and place as many cookie dough balls as will fit on your cookie sheet, keeping them about 2 ½ inches apart. Once the cookie sheet is full, flour the bottom of a glass and use it to press each cookie dough ball flat, to about ¾“ thickness. Bake for 12 minutes and allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls. 

6. If your frosting is waiting in the refrigerator, remove it about 10-15 minutes before using to help it return to room temperature. Once the cookies have cooled completely, spread some frosting on each one and cover with sprinkles. Serve immediately or store, with a piece of wax paper between each frosted cookie, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.