Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

These are the perfect chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside snickerdoodles, but with a fall twist that I know you’ll love. Adding pumpkin into cookies can be tricky because it really pushes them into the territory of cake-like in texture, but I have a trick to help keep these cookies chewy!

We’re using all the warm spices, but measuring those out is about as hard as this recipe gets. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

The first step for making these cookies is to remove some of the excess liquid from your pumpkin puree. To do this, I like to spread the puree into a thick layer over a couple of sheets of paper towels, and then press it with another layer of paper towels. Scrap the pumpkin puree out and repeat this process 1-2 more times- you want to be much more dry and almost the texture of play-doe.

In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients which include flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and lots of warm spices. Set this mixture aside and in a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until it’s light and fluffy- this takes about 2 minutes with an electric hand mixer.

Then add in your egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the dried pumpkin puree and beat until everything is just combined. Then add in your dry ingredients and mix everything together until you have a thick, soft dough.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining sugar and the remaining warm spices. Scoop your cookies into two-tablespoonful sized balls and roll each cookie dough piece into the sugar-spice mixture to coat it completely.

Bake off these cookies until they are slightly puffed, sightly cracked, and just lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool the cookies and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Here are my tips to help along the way!

• Don’t skip drying out the pumpkin puree or you’ll end up with very cakey cookies! They’ll still taste amazing, but it works best if you really take the time to dry out the puree first.
• Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead? Yes, you can sub in 2 tsp. of a pumpkin pie spice mixture into the cookie dough, and another 2 tsp. in the sugar mixture if you prefer.
• Do I have to use cream of tartar? Yes, I would not recommend skipping it here. It helps interact with the baking soda to control the rise and texture, and it gives the cookies that signature tang.
• How do I know when the dough is finished mixing? You should mix until there are no dry pockets of flour remaining. The dough should be soft but thick.
• Do I have to roll the cookies in sugar? Yes, it’s an important part of any snickerdoodle cookie!
• How do I know when the cookies are finished baking? They should have puffed slightly, they should have a few cracks on top, and they should be just lightly golden brown on the edges. Don’t over bake!
• I’m about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon separated
• 2 tsp. ginger separated
• 1 tsp. nutmeg separated
• 1/2 tsp. cloves separated
• 1/2 tsp. allspice separated
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 1/4 cups + 1/3 cup granulated sugar separated
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread your pumpkin puree onto a couple layers of paper towels and gently squeeze out the moisture. Repeat this process again to ensure you remove as much moisture from the puree as possible- it should look noticeably drier in texture, almost like play-doe. Set this aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. tsp. allspice, cream of tartar, and salt, and set this mixture aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until fully combined and a soft dough has formed.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the remaining ground spices. (1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves, and 1/4 tsp. allspice).
6. Scoop out dough in 2-tablespoonfuls. Roll each dough ball into the spice-sugar mixture to coat it completely.
7. Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until cookies just begin to lightly brown on the edges- do not over bake! The cookies will look slightly puffy and cracked, but they will settle as they cool. Enjoy!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!