Hey Besties! We have a good portion of our family who are not fans of pumpkin pie, me included! I actually LOVE pumpkin-flavored goodies, but not the pie! I know many young kids are not fans of pumpkin pie either, which is why this pumpkin pie cookie platter is such a fun alternative! It’s adorable, beginner-friendly and you can go with regular, vanilla cookies or pumpkin spice! We’ll cover all the details and recipes so you can surprise your family or customers with this yummy option!
Cutters and Colors
One thing that is wonderful about this design is that you really only need a pie slice cutter! The one I used is technically a feather cutter. Many people use a candy corn-shaped cutter for this look too. HERE is a good cutter but look at the cutters you have – you may have one you can use for this shape! I also used a simple circle cutter for the center, but a plaque would be super cute too.
For colors, I used ChefMaster colors and always have great results. For the pumpkin pie, I used the orange, brown and red to make the coppery pumpkin color. For the crust, I used a little brown and a drop of orange. I commonly refer to THIS ChefMaster mixing chart which is super helpful too!
Remember to start slowly with your coloring…you can always add more, but if you go too far, it’s hard to correct. And you always want to color your icing BEFORE thinning to your desired consistencies. Gel colors are water-based so the coloring will thin your icing, which is why you should color before getting to the consistency you want.
Recipe Options
I LOVE this pumpkin spice sugar cookie recipe, so I made this batch to match the theme. However, since this is supposed to be an alternative to pumpkin pie, you can always use our fantastic vanilla recipe HERE!
For royal icing, I used our regular go-to vanilla royal icing. You can flavor royal icing, but honestly, I usually go with vanilla so as not to overpower the flavor of the cookie. I find that this recipe complements every cookie flavor I’ve ever made…and that’s a lot.
Consistencies and Design
Let’s talk consistencies since I know that is the bugger for beginners! This design is actually a really great one to practice using different consistencies! I whipped up a fresh batch of royal icing for this platter and separated a couple cups out for the pumpkin pie, colored as described above and then thinned it, using a spray bottle of water (for more control) to about a 15 second flood.
For the crust and ‘whipped cream”, I thickened it quite stiff. You basically don’t want it to move on its own at all. Separate about a cup and make the light brown color, described above. And then bag about 1/2 cup that you’ll use for your whipped cream.
As far as technique, you’ll simply flood your pie slices and let them crust (no pun intended). I always pop them in my dehydrator to speed up the process and give a little more shine.
Then you can add your crust and whipped cream. I simply cut a large hole in my tipless bag to make these effects. You could also use a star tip or a 2D tip if you want more of the starred look. Back they all go, into the dehydrator to avoid any cratering!
Centerpiece
The options are endless when it comes to a centerpiece for this design; use your creativity! I simply flooded a circle cookie white and then used my airbrush and a stencil to make the gingham pattern. But I think a plaque-shaped cookie with polka dots around the border and then a word or phrase in the center would be adorable too and no airbrush needed.
“Grateful” is a word used a lot in our house and so it felt natural to go with that. I made a dark red icing color using red and brown ChefMaster colors. And for writing consistency, I stiffen it until you’ve got a good “DQ curl” when you pick up your spoon. Then I used my projector and the “Autography” font from Dafont, to add the word to the circle cookie.
I LOVE how this turned out! The pie cookies are very simple and beginner-friendly, and you can keep your centerpiece as simple or get as detailed as you’d like! Anyone who ever sees this cookie platter absolutely adores it! It’s always a conversation starter!
I hope you found this post all about the adorable pumpkin pie cookie platter helpful. If you haven’t subscribed to receive Your Baking Bestie’s weekly newsletter, you are missing out! Subscribe below so you never miss a Featured Baker, new technique, inspiration or recipe! In the meantime, enjoy this pretty pie pic, I’m grateful for you following along!
