Snickerdoodles are one of those old-fashioned cookies almost everyone grew up with: soft, buttery and rolled in cinnamon sugar. This fall version adds pumpkin and a little pumpkin pie spice, so they come out soft and chewy with a gentle orange color and a cozy spiced flavor.
The secret to keeping them chewy instead of cakey is blotting a little moisture out of the pumpkin and chilling the dough.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Soft and chewy. Not cakey like many pumpkin cookies.
- Warm spices. Cinnamon sugar outside, pumpkin spice inside.
- Classic tang. Cream of tartar gives the traditional snickerdoodle flavor.
- Great for gifting. They stay soft for days.
What You’ll Need
- Butter. One cup (2 sticks), softened.
- Sugars. One cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
- Pumpkin puree. Half a cup, blotted with paper towels.
- Egg yolk. One large yolk.
- Vanilla extract. Two teaspoons.
- Flour. Two and 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour.
- Cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Pumpkin pie spice. One and a half teaspoons.
- For rolling. A quarter cup of sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
1. Blot the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin on a few layers of paper towels and press another towel on top. This removes extra water so the cookies stay chewy.
2. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
5. Roll in cinnamon sugar. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll each one in the cinnamon sugar.
6. Bake. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone.
7. Cool. Let them sit on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack.
Tips
- Don’t skip the blotting. Wet pumpkin makes cakey cookies.
- Chill the dough. Pumpkin dough is soft and needs time to firm up.
- Underbake slightly. They finish setting on the hot pan.
Variations
- White chocolate: Fold in 1 cup of white chocolate chips.
- Maple glaze: Drizzle cooled cookies with powdered sugar mixed with maple syrup.
- Brown butter: Brown the butter and cool it before mixing for a nutty flavor.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the cream of tartar?
You can use 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead, but you’ll lose the classic snickerdoodle tang.
Why are my cookies cakey?
The pumpkin had too much moisture. Blot it well and measure the flour carefully.
Can I bake the dough from frozen?
Yes. Roll frozen dough balls in cinnamon sugar and add 1 to 2 minutes of baking time.
A plate of these and a cup of coffee: that’s a perfect fall afternoon.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
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Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree blotted
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon for rolling
Instructions
- Blot the pumpkin between paper towels to remove extra moisture.
- Beat the butter and sugars until fluffy, then beat in the pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla.
- Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and spice. Chill 1 hour.
- Preheat to 350°F. Roll 1 1/2-inch balls in cinnamon sugar and place on lined sheets.
- Bake 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet.
