Pumpkin Snickerdoodles blend fall spices and canned pumpkin, resulting in buttery cookies with soft interiors, crisp edges, and a pumpkin-spiced sugar crust.
On a pumpkin kick? Try Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Pumpkin Bread, or Pumpkin Bars next.
The BEST Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m obsessed with cookies! Snickerdoodles are at the top of my list. I’ve been talking about Snickerdoodles for years—first the classic snickerdoodles, then caramel snickerdoodles, and even snickerdoodle blondies.
With fall approaching and my pumpkin spice cravings kicking in, I knew I had to make a Pumpkin Snickerdoodle. And let me tell you, it might be my favorite combination yet. They’re unbelievably delicious, with perfect pumpkin flavors, a spiced, soft interior, and a crispy, tasty exterior. I’m hooked, and you will be too!
Ingredients In Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the salt. Higher-quality butter gives everything a better flavor!
- White Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: Pack it tightly into the measuring cup. Use light brown sugar, not dark.
- Pumpkin: Always use 100% pure pumpkin puree and avoid pumpkin pie filling
- Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla for the best flavor.
- Flour: Just regular all purpose flour. If you have a food scale, use it for the most accurate measurement.
- Cream of Tartar: Helps the cookies rise and stay soft. It’s key for a fluffy texture.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors, so don’t skip it!
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise.
- Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ground Cloves, Allspice, Pumpkin Pie Spice: Gives it the warm fall flavors. Feel free to scale down or up any spice.
How To Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Butter & Sugars: Whisk melted, cooled butter with sugars to avoid greasy cookies.
- Pumpkin & Vanilla: Add dabbed pumpkin to prevent a cakey texture.
- Dry Ingredients: Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and spices. Adjust spices as needed.
- Combine: Blend wet and dry ingredients until mixed.
- Shape & Chill: Form tall cookie dough balls, roll in spiced sugar, and refrigerate for easier shaping.
- Bake: Place on baking sheets and bake. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool, and enjoy!
No Eggs?
Yes, that’s right! This Pumpkin Snickerdoodles recipe contains no eggs. The pumpkin replaces the need for eggs.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Tips
- Pumpkin: Use a dense, non-watery pumpkin like Libby’s® for a better pumpkin flavor.
- Flour: Weigh your flour to get 390 grams for perfect pumpkin cookies every time.
- Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar has a deeper flavor because it has more molasses, but light brown sugar works too.
- Dough Shape: Shape dough into tall, thin balls for chewy middles and crunchy edges.
- Chilling: So important for the right texture and to prevent spreading, especially with melted butter.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles FAQs
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles might turn out flat and crispy if there’s too much butter, not enough flour, or if the dough isn’t chilled enough. Measure ingredients carefully and chill the dough well for the best results.
Cream of tartar gives Pumpkin Snickerdoodles their classic tangy flavor and helps them stay soft and chewy.
Yes, freeze the uncooked dough by shaping it into balls, rolling them in cinnamon sugar, and freezing them on a sheet pan. Then, store the frozen dough balls in an airtight container or bag.
Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Add 1 cup of white chocolate chips for a creamy contrast.
- Consider 1 cup of dark chocolate chips for a richer taste.
- Stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts, for added crunch.
- Insert an unwrapped Rolo® chocolate-covered caramel into the center for a gooey surprise, similar to these Caramel Snickerdoodles.
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes before baking for a sweet-salty combo.
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread with chocolate chips
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins flourless and low sugar
- Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with a streusel topping
- Frozen Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake no baking required!
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake with a simple sweet glaze
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- Sheet pan lined
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 6 tablespoons pumpkin
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cup flour see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, then set it aside to cool to room temperature. Ensure the butter is not hot to prevent greasy cookies.
- Once butter is cooled, add to a large bowl. Add in both sugars, whisk until smooth. Mix in pumpkin and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to combine.
- Combine dry ingredients with wet, mixing until just combined. Avoid over-mixing. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.
- Portion the dough into 45-gram, or roughly 2-tablespoon, balls. Combine granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the spiced sugar coating. Roll the dough balls generously in the spiced sugar mixture. Add the shaped and rolled dough balls to a plate and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 6 dough balls on a lined sheet with ample space between each. Bake for 9–12 minutes, aiming for slight underbaking. Let them sit on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
- Remove and let stand on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely fantastic cookies! One note, if you use softened butter instead of mostly melted butter, there is no need to refrigerate dough before shaping and baking. Made these today using the softened butter, and they came out perfectly.
Yay!! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks Nancy!
I have never made such perfect cookies! The tip about making tall dough balls changed my culinary life. So soft and chewy. My coworkers inhaled them!
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for the comment Laura 🙂
I usually make my snickerdoodles with shortening rather than butter. Any reason why that wouldn’t work here?
I don’t bake a whole ton with shortening so I really don’t know how these cookies would end up with it; sorry to not be of more help.
Not sure if you know but most canned pumpkin is not actually pumpkin at all but usually butternut squash. I wanted to make the tastiest pumpkin pies so bought multiple types of pie pumpkins and other squashes and got baking and tasting. HoneyNut squash is the hands down winner (it has to be ripe minimal green or else it is too watery). They are very easy to bake and small so you can bake a few at once. They have a rich orange color, dense yet smooth consistency and rich “pumpkin” nut flavor. Actual pumpkin is kind of yellow and bland not the traditional “pumpkin” color or flavor you think of. Long story short it made the most wonderful cookies so I highly recommend you give it a try sometime.
Just confirming, this recipe doesn’t use any eggs?
Correct! 🙂
I knew I would love these because I love your original snickerdoodles! Shaping the dough into tall balls is GENIUS! They bake up perfectly, with that extra soft middle which is to die for! I love the little extra spice in these–perfect for a fall cookie! And if you don’t know Chelsea personally, she really is as nice as she seems! We live in the same city, and when I told her I was making a bunch of her pumpkin recipes for a bridal shower, she offered to make the snickerdoodles for me! She brought me over 2 plates of fresh-baked cookies that truly looked and tasted as good as they do in her pictures! What a sweetheart, and an incredible cook!
You are soooo cute!!!! <3 Thank you so much Jana!! 🙂
So I am OCD about following a recipe. The flour was spooned in, and well, they dont bake well. (And I made dough for 6, Yes, SIX batches. So even is off again took out of the fridge and need to warm up to add a little flour, just so it will cook. But for flavor. I gave it 4 stars,
Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
These cookies are amazing!!!
Where I live, there is no Libby’s solid pumpkin available. So, I have to replace it. I’ve picked a squash about 1-kilo weight, cut it into 2-inch chunks and microwaved it on 800w for 10 min. Then scooped out 6tbl spoons for the recipe. My cookies weren’t as pretty as yours, but tasted delicious! Thank you, Chelsea!
Ahh i’m SO glad you were able to make these work! And that you enjoyed them! I’m sure they looked amazing! Thanks Natali!! 🙂
great fall cookies, thanks for the recipe and a nice change from my regular choc chip cookies!
hey girl- these cookies look so yummy!
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I want to thank you for always giving extra “tips”, this time explaining about the effects of melted butter, and the need for chilling the dough. If I understand the reasons for instructions, I will follow them so much better, and I will have the knowledge to apply to other recipes. Your experience is so valuable ! Looking forward to making these cookies, sound wonderful !
Ahh thank you Cathleen!! You are seriously going to love these cookies! 🙂