These pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies are buttery, chewy, warmly spiced, and perfect for fall baking. They have crisp edges, soft centers, and the classic tangy cinnamon-sugar flavor you expect from a snickerdoodle, with the added richness of pumpkin. The secret is cooking the pumpkin puree with pumpkin spice before adding it to the dough. This concentrates the flavor and removes excess moisture, so the cookies stay chewy instead of turning cakey.
🍂 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crisp edges and chewy centers: These cookies bake up with a beautiful contrast of texture: lightly crisp around the outside and soft in the middle.
- Big pumpkin spice flavor: Cooking the pumpkin puree with pumpkin spice deepens the flavor and keeps the dough from becoming too wet.
- Classic snickerdoodle character: Cream of tartar adds the signature tangy flavor, while the pumpkin spice sugar coating creates a crackly, fragrant finish.
- Perfect fall cookie: These pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies are cozy, buttery, and ideal for autumn baking, holiday cookie trays, or ice cream sandwiches.
📝 Key Ingredients
Read through these ingredient notes before you begin for the best results.
Full steps and ingredient amounts are included in the recipe card below.
Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin puree or a thick homemade pumpkin puree. It should be about as thick as Greek yogurt. If your puree is watery, strain it through cheesecloth or cook it over medium-low heat until it thickens.
All-purpose flour: For the most accurate cookie texture, weigh the flour. If you do not have a scale, stir the flour in the bag, spoon it lightly into the measuring cup, and level it with the flat edge of a knife. Do not pack it down.
Cream of tartar: This is an essential snickerdoodle ingredient. It gives the cookies a slight tang, helps create the familiar crackly top, and contributes to the chewy texture.
Egg yolk: One egg yolk adds richness and helps keep the centers soft and chewy without adding too much moisture.
Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter gives the cookies a rich flavor and allows you to control the amount of salt in the dough.
Pumpkin spice: Pumpkin spice is a warm blend of spices commonly used in pumpkin pie. It gives these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies their cozy fall flavor.
👩🍳 How to Make Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
Step 1: Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture becomes thicker and darker. You should have just under ⅓ cup of concentrated pumpkin puree remaining.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, cooked pumpkin mixture, and vanilla extract, then beat again until smooth.
Step 3: Sift the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar directly into the bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a soft cookie dough forms.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar and pumpkin spice for rolling. Scoop the dough into 1.5 tablespoon portions, roll each one in the spiced sugar, and place them on a plate. Freeze the shaped dough balls for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 5: While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Arrange the chilled dough balls on parchment-lined or non-stick cookie sheets, leaving about 3 inches of space between each cookie so they can spread evenly.
Step 6: Bake the cookies in batches for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the centers are puffed and no longer shiny. Let them cool on the baking sheet for one minute, then transfer them to a rack or plate to cool completely.
✔️ Expert Pumpkin Cookie Tips
- Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour can make the dough dry and heavy. Weighing the flour is the most reliable method.
- Cook down the pumpkin: This step removes excess moisture and helps the cookies bake up chewy rather than cakey.
- Chill the dough: A short chill in the freezer helps control spreading and improves the final texture.
- Leave space on the baking sheet: These cookies need room to spread. If any edges bake unevenly, gently nudge them into shape with a spatula while they are still hot.
🥄 Make Ahead and Storage
Store these pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. They will stay soft and chewy when sealed well. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Let them thaw before serving.
❔ How Do I Make Chewy, Not Cakey, Pumpkin Cookies?
Pumpkin cookies often become cakey because pumpkin puree contains a lot of moisture. To make chewy pumpkin cookies, you need to reduce that moisture before adding the puree to the dough. In this recipe, the pumpkin puree is cooked with pumpkin spice until it becomes thick, dark, and paste-like.
This step does two important things: it keeps the dough from becoming too wet, and it intensifies the pumpkin spice flavor. The spices bloom in the warm pumpkin, making the cookies taste richer without needing extra liquid. Combined with an egg yolk, cream of tartar, and a short chill time, this method creates pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes. Make sure the puree is very thick before measuring it. It should have a consistency similar to thick Greek yogurt or hummus so the cookies have the right texture and pumpkin flavor.
Yes, chilling is recommended. The cookie dough spreads more evenly after chilling, and the texture is better. If you are short on time, freeze the shaped dough balls for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight and bake the cookies the next day.
This version has not been tested with gluten-free flour, but it should work with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
🍪 More Related Recipes
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Pumpkin Pie Cookies
-
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
-
Pumpkin Pie Bars
-
Pumpkin Hand Pies
If you make these pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies, leave a rating and share what you thought in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
Mary
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 270g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
Rolling
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to a pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is darker, thicker, and reduced to just under ⅓ cup.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, cooked pumpkin mixture, and vanilla extract, then beat again.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar into the bowl. Fold until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Mix the sugar and pumpkin spice for rolling in a small bowl. Scoop the dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls, coat each ball completely in the spiced sugar, and place them on a plate. Freeze for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Place the chilled dough balls on parchment-lined or non-stick cookie sheets, leaving about 3 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the centers are puffed and no longer shiny. Cool on the baking sheet for one minute, then transfer to a rack or plate to cool completely.
Notes
Make ahead and storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 months.
Tips for success:
- Weigh the flour for the most accurate dough consistency.
- Cook down the pumpkin puree to remove excess moisture and keep the cookies chewy.
- Chill the dough before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Leave enough space between cookies on the baking sheet so they bake evenly and do not merge together.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 35g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 43mg
Sodium: 147mg
Potassium: 105mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 21g
Vitamin A: 1961IU
Vitamin C: 1mg
Calcium: 20mg
Iron: 1mg