Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

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When the air turns crisp and your kitchen starts smelling like cinnamon and butter, you know pumpkin season has arrived. These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are everything fall should taste like, soft, chewy, buttery, and warmly spiced. They’re the kind of cookie that makes you pause mid-bite and say, “Oh wow.”

If you’ve ever been disappointed by cakey, bland pumpkin cookies, don’t worry, these aren’t that. They’re chewy and thick with that signature snickerdoodle tang, wrapped in a golden cinnamon-sugar crust. Perfect for cozy nights, bake sales, or Thanksgiving dessert platters, and honestly, they taste even better the next day.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly — spoon and level!)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, ground ginger, salt
• ¼ teaspoon each: ground cloves, ground allspice

Creaming Ingredients

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk (just the yolk!)
• ½ cup pure pumpkin puree (Libby’s brand preferred)
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Rolling Mixture

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and all the spices. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy and fluffy — about 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients

Mix in the egg yolk, then the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Scrape down the sides to make sure everything’s evenly combined.

Step 4: Combine

Reduce the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined — don’t overbeat! Give the dough one final stir by hand.

Step 5: Chill the Dough

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably up to 3. Chilling prevents spreading and gives you thicker, chewier cookies.

Step 6: Shape and Roll

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls, then coat each in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. For extra-thick cookies, make the dough balls slightly taller than wide.

Step 7: Bake

Place cookies 2 inches apart and bake for 10–13 minutes, until the tops are set and starting to crack. They should look slightly underbaked — they’ll continue cooking on the sheet.

Step 8: Cool

Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
(Pro tip: If they’re not spreading enough by minute 9, remove the tray and tap it gently on the counter a few times before finishing in the oven.)

Tips & Tricks for Perfect Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

• Blot the pumpkin puree if it’s watery. Too much moisture = cakey cookies.
• Measure flour properly — spoon and level, never scoop directly.
• Chill the dough for at least an hour to keep cookies thick and chewy.
• Bang the pan trick: halfway through baking, tap the sheet on the counter for that crinkly top.
• Don’t overbake! Slightly underdone is perfect.
• Storage: Keep in an airtight container up to 10 days — they actually taste better after day 2.

Recipe Variations

Feel like experimenting? These cookies are super flexible. Try one of these:

• Add 1 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
• Mix in chopped pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds.
• Use dark brown sugar for a deeper, molasses-like flavor.
• Go gluten-free with a 1:1 GF flour blend.
• For a vegan version, use plant-based butter and a flaxseed yolk substitute.

Make Ahead & Freezing

To Refrigerate:
Chill dough for up to 3 days before baking.

To Freeze Dough:
Roll dough balls, freeze on a tray for 1–2 hours, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
To Bake from Frozen: add 2–3 minutes to bake time.

To Freeze Baked Cookies:
Cool completely, freeze in layers separated by parchment, and thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Pumpkin Snickerdoodles turn out cakey?

Cakiness usually means there was too much moisture — either from unblotted pumpkin puree or too much flour. Next time, blot the pumpkin and measure carefully.

Can I skip chilling the dough?

You could, but don’t. Chilling is what keeps them thick and chewy. Warm dough = flat cookies.

How long do they stay fresh?

Up to 10 days in an airtight container. The flavor deepens and the texture gets chewier after day 2.

Nutrition (per cookie)

Approximate values:

• Calories: 150
• Fat: 7g
• Carbs: 20g
• Sugar: 12g
• Protein: 2g

There’s something grounding about baking in the fall, maybe it’s the smell of cinnamon and butter wafting through the house, or that cozy moment when you break a warm cookie in half and see the chewy center.

These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are the best of both worlds: nostalgic like a classic snickerdoodle, but richer, deeper, and unapologetically autumn. Bake them once, and they’ll become part of your seasonal tradition, the kind of cookie everyone remembers and asks for again next year.

Try them this weekend, share them with friends, and tag your photos, because fall just isn’t complete without these pumpkin-spiced beauties cooling on your counter.

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