Pumpkin snickerdoodles are the perfect cookie for fall! With hints of pumpkin spice and puree, and a classic snickerdoodle’s texture and taste.
You might also like our chocolate chip oatmeal pumpkin cookies, baked pumpkin donuts, or quick-rise pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
Watch our step by step video!
My husband’s favorite cookies are snickerdoodles. I made him a fall version and they passed the taste test. The classic elements we all know and love about snickerdoodles with extra spice and pumpkin. Not just pumpkin spice, but a big spoonful of pumpkin puree. Perfect for fall!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch.
Dry Ingredients
- all purpose flour: make sure to properly measure your flour. Here is a guide to show how to measure flour.
- baking soda: to help the cookies rise.
- cream of tartar: a snickerdoodle isn’t a snickerdoodle without cream of tartar. It adds a tanginess to the cookies and helps them rise.
- salt: a tiny bit to add flavor.
- pumpkin spice mix: if you don’t have a bottle on hand you can make your own by following my pumpkin spice mix recipe at the end of the post.
- ground cinnamon: pumpkin spice mix already contains cinnamon, but you’ll want a bit of extra too.
- sugar: I use white sugar for this recipe, the same that I would for classic snickerdoodles.
Wet Ingredients
- butter: I always bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you’d like.
- egg: you can use a whole egg or omit the egg white and simply use the egg yolk for a richer cookie.
- vanilla extract: for flavor. Have you ever made your own vanilla? It’s easy and makes a great gift.
- pumpkin puree: not pumpkin pie filling, but 100% pumpkin canned puree.
Topping
- cinnamon and sugar: the cookie dough balls are rolled in a combination of cinnamon and sugar before baking.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Cream: butter and sugar together. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree.
- Combine: flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.
- Mix: wet ingredients and dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Roll: cookie dough balls into cinnamon and sugar.
- Bake: cookies for 6 minutes, tap baking sheets against the counter to flatten cookies, then bake for an additional 3-4 minutes. Tap sheets against the counter once more (if necessary) then let cookies cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
DO NOT OVERBAKE the cookies. All cookies continue to bake while they sit on the cookie sheets when they come out of the oven so it’s better to slightly undertake vs. overbake.
Why Tap the Cookie Sheets Against the Counter?
The pumpkin puree adds moisture and creates a cookie that won’t flatten as easily as a cookie made without the pumpkin puree. Tapping the pans against the counter helps the cookies flatten down during the baking process. For this recipe I do it at the 6-minute mark, then once more when they come out of the oven. If you don’t tap the cookie sheets the cookies will be delicious, they just won’t have the crackly tops and will be a little thicker.
Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice
Don’t have pumpkin spice mix? No worries. Here’s a simple recipe for making your own, and you can adjust the spices to fit your taste. Mix everything together and store in an airtight container for all of your fall baking needs!
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons. nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Recipe
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
For Rolling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until cookie dough forms. It will be a soft dough.
- Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons) and roll each cookie dough ball in cinnamon and sugar.
- Bake on an ungreased (or parchment paper-lined) baking sheet for 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and tap against the counter a few times to flatten the cookies.Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes.Tap against the counter once more (if necessary).
- Allow cookies to sit on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I only bake 6-9 cookies at a time on a cookie sheet to allow them to spread.
- Tapping the baking sheets against the counter is optional, but helps to flatten the cookies. The pumpkin puree changes the texture, slightly, making them flatten less than a classic snickerdoodle. Tapping the baking sheets during and after baking will yield flat snickerdoodles with the crackly tops.
Nutrition
Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!
Awesome cookies!!!!