Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
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These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles smell like a warm, cozy fall day! They’re soft, thick, and perfectly spiced. This cookie has the signature ripples of a snickerdoodle cookie with a soft, tender center.
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Drying the pumpkin puree and absorbing as much moisture out of the puree makes the difference between a cookie texture and a cake texture.
If you’re looking for more of cake texture though, I have options! Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is a super popular recipe of mine that people rave about.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Perfect texture – Thick, soft, chewy centers with light crisp edges.
- Holiday-approved – Cookie boxes, cookie exchanges, family gatherings are all perfect reasons to bake these up for a great holiday dessert.
- Not cakey – When preparing the pumpkin puree correctly, you’ll avoid a cakey cookie which is definitely a plus for the signature snickerdoodle texture.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cream of tartar – This gives the cookies their signature chewy tang.
- Spices – What’s a pumpkin cookie without all of the spices? Cinnamon plus all of the great spices in the pumpkin pie spice – cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Brown sugar – Adds moisture and sweet all in one shot!
- Pumpkin puree – Pick a pumpkin puree that’s on the dryer side, like the great value brand. You’ll still need to pat it dry, but maybe it will be a little less work.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
- If you HAVE to substitute cream of tartar, you can swap it with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and omit the baking soda.
- Dark brown sugar can be used instead of light brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
- For a little variation, you can add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, caramel chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips to these pumpkin snickerdoodles.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
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How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
1. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
2. Dry the Pumpkin: Squeeze the pumpkin puree in layered paper towels until most moisture is removed and it feels like dry, pliable Play-Doh
3. Cream Butter & Sugars: Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
4. Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the dried pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract.
5. Combining Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Coating Mixture: Stir together the cinnamon sugar coating in a small bowl.
7. Scoop Cookie Dough: Scoop 3 tablespoon sized balls, roll until smooth, and coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
8. Bake: Place in the preheated oven and bake for 13 – 16 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look soft, but matte color.
9. Get the Signature Snickerdoodle Look: Tap the baking sheets gently on the counter to create the snickerdoodle ripples. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
Tips for Success
Don’t Skip squeezing the pumpkin. It’s the biggest tip for the success of this pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie.
Tap the cookies while they’re fresh out of the oven to get the signature snickerdoodle look.
Underbake the cookies slightly and let the centers finish setting as they cool.
How To Store and Freeze
Store the cookies in an airtight container. Cookies should be good on the counter for 5 days.
You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer container or freezer bag. Remove the cookie(s) and thaw to room temperature before serving it.
Unbaked dough can be frozen into balls for up to 3 months without the cinnamon sugar coating on them. Place the cookie dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze until firm. Pop the frozen cookie dough balls into a freezer-safe bag or container. To bake, roll the frozen dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. Cookies may need an additional 2 – 3 minutes to bake.
More Fall Cookies
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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
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Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree patted dry
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the large mixing bowl, add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Over an extra bowl or sink, wrap the pumpkin puree in several layers of paper towels and use them to squeeze the excess moisture out of the the puree. You may have to repeat this process 1 – 2 times if your paper towels are saturated with the liquid from the pumpkin puree. After doing this the puree will be about half the amount and feel like playdough (play-doh). Set aside the puree.
- In a separate large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until the egg is incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until most of the dry ingredients are incorporated and bump the speed to medium to mix until fully incorporated. Avoid over-mixing the cookie dough.
- In a small bowl, combine the coating ingredients together, the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Using a large 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll it between your palms until a ball forms.
- Roll the cookie dough in the in the cinnamon sugar coating until completely coated and place on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 13 to 16 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly soft.
- Once out of the oven, gently tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to eliminate air pockets and create ripples along the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
