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.
For the sugar mixture that you roll the balls in…initially you call for sugar and pumpkin pie spice. But later in the recipe instructions you refer to it as the “cinnamon-sugar mixture”…so which is it??
Pumpkin pie spice and sugar 🙂 (Pumpkin pie spice is mainly cinnamon, so you get a pretty cinnamon-y flavor! :))
no scale..what does 1.7 oz equal in tsp/tbs..chilling fridge now..Help…
About 2 and 1/2 tablespoons
What a fantastic recipe! I actually used half coconut oil and half butter and the results came out so tasty! Added heaping teaspoons of pumpkin spice because I love the fall spices!! Thank you for sharing an easy and delicious recipe!!
So happy to hear these were a hit! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I made these for a work function, and they were a HUGE hit. They were the talk of the office. I used half a cup of homemade pumpkin puree, since I had it on-hand and they turned out PERFECT. They were so good that I might bring these to Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Yay!! So happy these were a hit 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and review Faith!
These were fantastic especially when chilled overnight! I cooked one tray after a couple hours of chilling but the ones I cooked the next day came out better. I replaced the flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour with great results. Even the non-GF peeps raved about them and have been asking for more! I also doubled the recipe 🙂
Thanks for the tip about rolling into cylinders, the engineer in me loved thinking about the science behind the chewy center… OH and giving the ounces per ball was clutch!! Thanks again!
Yay! So happy these were a hit! And thanks for sharing your gluten free modifications 🙂
Delicious! Other than the cloves, followed the exact recipe. Even my picky kid loved them!
So happy to hear it! Thanks Natalie! 🙂
These are simply AMAZING. I made them for work – and my coworkers raved that they are the best cookies they have ever eaten – I had to give the recipe out so many times. One co-worker described them as “sinful” – and I had a student want the recipe too – to make for company. Snickerdoodles are my favorite – but this just elevates them to the BEST level!!!! Perfection!
Yay!! So happy to hear it! Thanks so much for the comment and review Julie 🙂
I’m making these cookies right now and weighing out 1.7 oz makes a huger cookie ball – this is right?
Just made these cookies and wish I would’ve doubled or tripled the recipe. So delicious. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed!! Thanks for the comment Cheryl!
Wow. These were my first Pumpkin snickerdoodles and they will be my only recipe. So good! And thank you for explaining tips for baking. It was so helpful.
Ahh I am sooo happy you enjoyed these! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂