These pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies combine the best of fall flavors with classic snickerdoodle cookies. The cookies are soft, chewy, and full of fall spice.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
If snickerdoodles are your favorite cookie, you'll easily fall in love with these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. The soft and chewy cookies take the traditional recipe and turn them into a fall-forward treat.
The classic Snickerdoodle flavor is heightened by the amount of fall flavors in the cookies. Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger make their way into the dough and can be tasted throughout each bite. The fall spices, plus the addition of the brown butter, make these cookies truly addicting.
My favorite part about these pumpkin snickerdoodles is the texture. They are soft, chewy, and super pillowy. The cookies get their signature texture from chilling in the fridge for an hour before hitting the oven. While it might seem like a long time to wait to bake the cookies, it is well worth it.
Looking for more fall treats? Try my apple crumb loaf and baked pumpkin donuts.
Why I Love These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Seasonal Treat - I love turning classic recipes into seasonal treats. These pumpkin snickerdoodles do just that, making them excellent for the fall months.
- Super Soft - If you haven't picked it up by now, these cookies are the perfect texture. They aren't crispy like some snickerdoodles, but that is not missed at all.
- Easy to Make - These cookies follow your basic wet-to-dry ingredient step-by-step process. Browning the butter is the hardest part, but really isn't all that complicated.
Ingredients For Making Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- Brown butter - the nuttiness of the butter blends perfectly with the fall spices.
- Sugar - both brown and granulated sugar are needed in the recipe.
- Pumpkin puree - canned pumpkin puree will work just fine.
- Cream of tartar - the signature ingredient to snickerdoodles to give them that rise.
- Fall spices - cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are all added to the cookie dough.
- Cinnamon and sugar - before hitting the oven, the cookies get covered in cinnamon and sugar.
How To Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Set to the side.
- Brown the butter.
In a saucepan, brown the butter. It will melt, turn foamy, and then brown. When the butter looks clear, keep a close eye on it, as it will be down very soon and can quickly burn. When done, remove from heat and let cool.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Mix the wet ingreidents.
Cream together the sugars and the butter until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, followed by the pumpkin puree.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Chill the dough.
Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Bake the cookies.
Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to roll out the cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before placing on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool fully on a cooling rack before enjoying them.
Make-Ahead and Storage Recommendations
The pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies can be ahead of time. The cookies will last about 5-7 days in an airtight container, so they can easily be made for a later date. This also means that any leftover cookies can be saved to snack on a few days after, too.
The cookies can also be frozen and kept in the freezer for 2-3 months. Simply store the cookies in an airtight container and place them in the freezer.
Tips and Variations
- Don't Skip The Chill - Chilling the cookies may seem like an unnecessary step, but don't skip it! It allows the butter to harden and melt throughout the cookies when baking.
- Be Patient - Patients will be key when making these cookies. When browning the butter, go low and slow. Otherwise, they may burn.
- More Fall Spices - Want to add more fall flavors to the cookies? G for it! The addition of allspice, pepper, and cardamom will go great with the pumpkin puree.
FAQs
There are two reasons why you are not getting the soft texture out of your cookies. You may not have chilled the dough long enough, or your oven is too hot.
If you find yourself without cream of tartar to make the pumpkin snickerdoodles, don't worry! 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice can substitute for ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar.
Yes! These cookies freeze well and can be made into cookie dough balls and frozen. Follow the recipe and roll the cookie dough balls into the cinnamon and sugar mixture before freezing the cookies. The cookie dough balls will last in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment. Set to the side.
- Brown the butter. In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, melt the butter. The butter should foam, turn clear, and then brown. Make sure to continuously stir the butter while it is melting. The process should take 5-6 minutes depending on the heat. Make sure to watch the butter towards the end as it can burn very quickly. The butter is done when there is a nutty aroma to it. Once the butter is browned, take off the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl. Let it cool while you prepare the dough.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cooled butter and sugars. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the egg, followed by the vanilla and pumpkin puree.
- Add the dry ingreidents to the pumpkin mixture. Mix well to combine and continue to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for an hour. While the cookies are chilling, combine the cinnamon and sugar mixure in a small bowl.
- When the cookies are done chilling, take the bowl out of the fridge and scoop the cookie dough balls using a medium-sized cookie scoop. Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, making sure they are completely covered.
- Place the cookies on the baking sheet, evenly spacing them out, about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookie until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on a rack before enjoying.
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