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Soft and tender and a little bit chewy, these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles have every bit of pumpkin spice with the classic snickerdoodle feel.
I’ve married my favorite snickerdoodle cookie together with my favorite fall flavor, pumpkin. These cookies have a hint of warm spiced flavor with a subtle pumpkin undertone. They are softer than my usual cookies and chewy in the middle. There are no cakey cookies over here.
You might enjoy these with a cup of coffee or even your favorite pumpkin spiced latte, but truly these are a year-round cookie for me. It’s been on my to-do list for a while and with a quick adaption, these came out better than I expected.
Why You’ll Love Them
- No chilling required
- They’re chewy, not cakey
- A classic snickerdoodle with a spiced pumpkin flavor
- A great way to use leftover pumpkin puree
Important Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree– make sure 100% pure pumpkin
- Cream of Tartar– a signature ingredient for snickerdoodle cookies. No alternatives have been tested.
- Pumpkin pie spice– replaces the cinnamon in a traditional snickerdoodle cookie
What Type of Pumpkin Should I Use?
There is a big difference between pure pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is 100% pure pumpkin with no additives. Whereas pumpkin pie filling has additives such as water, sugar, spices, and other ingredients.
Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin for this recipe. This recipe was tested with Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin. Not all pumpkin purees are created the same. Some of more watery or thinner which can affect the texture of the cookie.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Step1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Combine the coating of the sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter and sugar. Beat the butter together with both the sugar.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract
Step 4: Combine and add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat until mostly incorporated then increase the speed on the mixer and beat until the dough forms.
Step 5: Portion the dough and coat with sugar. Use a large cookie scoop to portion the dough out. This works best if you do it one at a time, placing a scoop of cookie dough right into the prepared sugar mixture and roll until well coated. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, then cool and serve or store.
How to Store and Freeze
How to store: These can last at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Once they’ve cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container and keep them at room temperature.
Can I freeze these? Yes, once they’ve cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can let them thaw at room temperature before eating. You may want to place a piece of parchment paper between the layers, as these cookies are soft and could stick together.
Freezing Cookie Dough: If you’d like to freeze them to bake for later, portion out the dough and roll each one into a ball. Flash-freeze them for 30 minutes until they’re easier to handle. Transfer to an airtight container, place a piece of parchment between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in a single layer until they reach room temperature, roll in the sugar mixture, and bake as directed.
More Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin Puree
Since this recipe only used a ¼ cup of puree, you’ll have some leftovers on hand. Try these delicious pumpkin recipes while you’re in the baking mood.
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Cinnamon and Sugar Pumpkin Donuts
- The Best Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins
- Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Pumpkin Quick Bread
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are soft, tender, and a little bit chewy. They’re flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice, giving you a classic snickerdoodle feel with a touch of pumpkin spice.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (61g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large egg
- 2 teaspoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the coating
- 3 tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, combine the butter with the sugar and beat on medium speed until well creamed together. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix into the batter until the eggs are well beaten.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add into batter and beat on medium low speed until well combined and dough forms.
- For the coating, in a small bowl, combined the sugar and pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine. Use a large cookie scoop and scoop cookie dough into the sugar and roll to coat the cookie.
- Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes. Allow cookie to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Baking time: At 12 minutes, these cookies will be slightly underbaked in the middle, may sink a little bit and will be perfectly soft and moist. At 15 minutes, these cookies will be drier, and thicker, less moist in the middle. Each oven time will vary for baking but bake according to your preferences.
- The dough is sticky: The dough will be a little sticky but should still be perfectly scoopable with a cookie scoop. I recommend scooping the dough directly into the sugar coating and rolling. Once it’s rolled in the sugar, it’s much easier to handle.
- Pumpkin puree is 100% pure pumpkin with no additives. Whereas pumpkin pie filling has additives such as water, sugar, spices, and other ingredients. Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin for this recipe.
- Storing:
- At room temperature: Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Baked cookies can be frozen once cooled. Place a piece of parchment paper between the layers and freeze in an air-tight container
- Freezing dough: Scoop the dough (but don’t roll in the sugar mixture). Flash freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between layers. Thaw in a single layer to room temperature. Roll in the sugar mixture and bake as instructed.
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin cookies, snickerdoodle cookies
Thinking of incorporating cinnamon into the recipe. Would you recommend it?
Sure! It can only enhance the flavor, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon along side the pumpkin pie spice