The Best Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are the BEST cookies for fall! They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and have the perfect soft, yet chewy texture. They are one of my favorite fall recipes and are so easy to make, too. No chilling required!
For more Fall Baking Recipes, be sure to check out my Homemade Apple Pie Bars, Pecan Pie Cheesecake, and Southern Sweet Potato Pie.
If you are looking for the perfect fall cookie recipe, look no further. These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are just what you need!
Most pumpkin cookies turn out too cakey and puffy for my taste. I prefer my cookies to be soft and chewy, so I took some inspiration from my Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (another one of my fall favorites!) and adapted them into a pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe.
A lot of time and effort went into this cookie recipe and I’m so thrilled to share it with you! I made more batches than I can count trying to get the perfect chewy texture balanced with just the right amount of pumpkin spice flavor. All while trying to maintain a true snickerdoodle makeup, too!
The result is a soft, yet chewy cookie with a very mild tang (from that all-important snickerdoodle ingredient: cream of tartar!) and a nice, crackly top. They are coated in cinnamon sugar and absolutely irresistible! I promise you won’t be be able to eat just one!
Ingredients for Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Melted butter – I recommend using unsalted butter. You will need one whole stick.
- Sugar – I like to use both white sugar and brown sugar, with a larger amount of brown sugar to really give your cookies that chewy texture. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract – gives depth of flavor to your cookies. You can also use vanilla bean paste instead.
- Egg yolk – you will only use the yolk from the egg, so make sure to separate it from the white. Using just the yolk minimizes the extra moisture from the batter, helping to make your cookies more chewy. Make sure to allow your egg to come to room temperature first, as the yolk will blend into your batter much more smoothly. Pro tip: If you are short on time, simply place your whole egg in a mug or small bowl of warm water for about five minutes before cracking it and separating the egg white from the yolk.
- Pure pumpkin puree – you want to look for canned real pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling!
- Dry ingredients – you will need all purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Cream of tartar – a very important ingredient for making true snickerdoodle cookies! It gives a bit of tang to the cookies which really sets them apart. It’s an essential ingredient for classic snickerdoodle cookies, so your pumpkin snickerdoodles need it too!
- Spices – you will use a combination of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt to really amp up the pumpkin flavor.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, cream of tartar, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 2: Spread the pumpkin puree out flat on a small plate. Dab the pumpkin with folded paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Continue until very little moisture is absorbed on the towels. The amount of pumpkin will decrease by about ⅓.
Step 3: In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix together the cooled melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until well mixed and moistened.
Step 4: Add in the egg yolk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix by hand until combined.
Step 6: For the cinnamon sugar, combine the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
Step 7: Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls (about 2 Tablespoons each). Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated and place the balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still soft and the cookies are golden brown. Cool the cookies on the pan for at least 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.
Tips and Notes
- Make sure to blot any excess moisture from your pumpkin puree with paper towels. This is a very important step to ensure your snickerdoodles turn out chewy and not puffy or cakey. My favorite brand to use is Libby’s. Their pumpkin is really good quality and usually contains less moisture than other brands.
- Use a cookie scoop to help scoop out the dough. This helps keep all of your pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies uniform in shape and size so that they will bake evenly. I like to use a 2 Tablespoon size scoop.
- Line your sheet pans with parchment paper. This will help prevent the cookies from sticking to the bottom of the pan and also makes clean up a lot easier.
- You will not need the whole can of pumpkin puree, so use what’s left to make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes or Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal!
- To freeze, place fully cooled cookies in a freezer safe container or zipper freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying. You can also freeze the dough in the same manner, thawing the dough thoroughly in the fridge before baking as directed.
- Store fully cooled and baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: The Best Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar
- 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, cream of tartar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Spread the pumpkin puree out flat on a small plate. Dab the pumpkin with folded paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Continue until very little moisture is absorbed on the towels. The amount of pumpkin will decrease by about ⅓.
- In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix together the cooled melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until well mixed and moistened. Add in the egg yolk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix by hand until combined.
- For the cinnamon sugar, combine the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls (about 2 Tablespoons each). Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated and place the balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still soft and the cookies are golden brown. Cool the cookies on the pan for at least 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.
Notes
- Make sure to blot any excess moisture from your pumpkin puree with paper towels. This is a very important step to ensure your snickerdoodles turn out chewy and not puffy or cakey. My favorite brand to use is Libby’s. Their pumpkin is really good quality and usually contains less moisture than other brands.
- Use a cookie scoop to help scoop out the dough. This helps keep all of your pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies uniform in shape and size so that they will bake evenly. I like to use a 2 Tablespoon size scoop.
- Line your sheet pans with parchment paper. This will help prevent the cookies from sticking to the bottom of the pan and also makes clean up a lot easier.
- You will not need the whole can of pumpkin puree, so use what’s left to make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes or Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal!
- To freeze, place fully cooled cookies in a freezer safe container or zipper freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying. You can also freeze the dough in the same manner, thawing the dough thoroughly in the fridge before baking as directed.
- Store fully cooled and baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
