These Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are the ultimate fall treat! They combine the classic, tangy flavor of snickerdoodles with the warm spices and comforting sweetness of pumpkin, creating a soft, chewy, and incredibly delicious cookie. I love the browned butter in this recipe, which adds a deep, nutty flavor that elevates these cookies to the next level. They're perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any time you're craving a taste of autumn.
Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Soft and Chewy: The combination of browned butter, pumpkin puree, and a slightly underbaked center creates a perfectly soft and chewy cookie.
- Pumpkin Spice Perfection: These cookies are packed with warm pumpkin spice flavor.
- Browned Butter Magic: Browning the butter adds a depth of nutty flavor that elevates these cookies to the next level.
- Classic Snickerdoodle Tang: The cream of tartar gives these cookies that signature snickerdoodle tang.
- Perfect for Fall: These cookies are the epitome of fall baking.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Here's what you'll need to make these delicious cookies. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Main Ingredients
- Unsalted American butter (Fat) See Notes Below
- Libby's Pumpkin Puree, room temperature (Vegetable)
- Granulated sugar (Sweetener)
- Dark brown sugar, packed (Sweetener)
- Large egg yolks, room temperature (Binder)
- Vanilla extract (Flavoring)
- All-purpose flour (Dry Ingredient)
- Pumpkin spice (Spice Blend)
- Baking soda (Leavening Agent)
- Cream of tartar (Acid)
- Kosher salt (Seasoning)
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Granulated sugar (Sweetener)
- Ground cinnamon (Spice)
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)
Variations
I love these Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles as is, but here are a few ideas for variations:
- Add Chocolate Chips: Stir in some white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chips to the dough.
- Nuts: Add some chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Top the cooled cookies with a cream cheese frosting for extra decadence.
- Maple Glaze: Drizzle a maple glaze over the cooled cookies.
How to Make Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Let me show you how to make these incredible Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies:
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets
- I preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- I line two baking trays with parchment paper and set them aside.
Brown the Butter
- I brown the butter over medium heat in a large stainless steel pan. While it cooks it will foam, pop, and crackle. This is normal! I stand nearby, watch, and stir it occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- When the bottom of the pan is covered in brown bits of butter and it smells nutty, I remove the pan from the heat.
Cool the Butter
- There should be just slightly under 1 cup of browned butter (184 grams).
- I pour it into a glass measuring cup and let it chill in the fridge, stirring it every 20 minutes, for about 45-60 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the butter reads 70-75°F. The butter must be cool but still liquid! If your butter is warmer than this temperature range the cookies will spread flat in the oven.
Dry the Pumpkin Puree
- I spread the pumpkin puree onto a plate.
- I press a stack of paper towels into it and soak up the extra liquid.
- Then, I scrape the pumpkin into a pile and re-spread it around the plate.
- I use a new stack of paper towels to keep absorbing the extra liquid, until the pumpkin feels pretty dry like soft playdough, and now measures roughly ⅓ cup (68-75 grams).
Combine Wet Ingredients
- When the butter is cool, I whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute. It should look like wet sand.
- I whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla, and dried pumpkin puree.
Combine Dry Ingredients
- Fold in flour, pumpkin spice, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
Chill Dough (Briefly)
- I set the bowl of dough in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up. If the dough is still soft, I chill for longer!
Make Cinnamon Sugar and Roll Dough
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, I combine the cinnamon and the sugar for rolling.
- I scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon-sized balls and roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar.
- I place on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2-3 inches apart.
Bake
- I bake the cookies one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the middle is puffy and slightly underbaked.
Cool
- Cool.
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Here are my secrets for making these cookies truly exceptional:
- Brown the Butter: Don't skip this step! Browning the butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that's essential to these cookies.
- Cool the Butter: It's important to cool the browned butter to the correct temperature (70-75°F) to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Dry the Pumpkin Puree: Removing the excess moisture from the pumpkin puree helps to create a chewier cookie.
- Don't Overbake: The cookies should be slightly underbaked in the center for the best chewy texture.
- Room Temperature Ingredients
How to Serve
These Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are delicious served:
- Warm: Enjoy them warm from the oven for the ultimate gooey experience.
- With Milk: A classic pairing!
- With Coffee or Tea: Perfect for an afternoon treat.
- With Ice Cream: Make a cookie sundae with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
Make Ahead and Storage
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls. If you freeze the cookie dough balls, let them come to room temperature before baking!
FAQs about Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Can I use regular butter instead of browned butter?
- Yes, you can, but the browned butter adds a lot of flavor.
- Can I make these without the cream of tartar?
- The cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor, so it's recommended.
- My cookies spread too much. What happened?
- The butter was too warm
Enjoy these incredibly delicious and chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies! They're a perfect fall treat that everyone will love.
Print
Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are a delightful fall treat! They combine the warm spices of snickerdoodles with the moist, flavorful addition of pumpkin puree and browned butter for a unique and delicious cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter (see notes on American vs. European butter)
- ⅔ cup (about 150g before drying, then about 68-75g after drying) Libby's pumpkin puree (or other 100% pure pumpkin puree), room temperature, excess moisture removed (see instructions)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (125g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups + 1 tablespoon (218g) all-purpose flour (see notes for measuring)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For Rolling:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Brown the Butter: In a large, light-colored stainless steel saucepan (a light-colored pan makes it easier to see the browning), melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring and swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is browned and has a nutty aroma. The butter will foam, pop, and crackle - this is normal. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Once the bottom of the pan is covered in brown bits and the butter smells nutty, remove from heat.
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Cool Browned Butter: Pour the browned butter (including the browned bits) into a heatproof glass measuring cup. The amount should be slightly under 1 cup (about 184g). Refrigerate the browned butter, stirring every 20 minutes, for about 45-60 minutes, or until it reaches a temperature of 70-75°F (21-24°C). The butter must be cool but still liquid. If it solidifies, let it sit at room temperature for a bit, stirring occasionally, until it's liquid again.
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Dry Pumpkin Puree: Spread the pumpkin puree in a thin layer on a plate. Press a stack of paper towels onto the puree to absorb excess moisture. Scrape the pumpkin into a pile, spread it out again, and repeat the process with fresh paper towels. Continue until the pumpkin puree feels relatively dry and has a texture similar to soft playdough. You should have approximately ⅓ cup (68-75g) of dried pumpkin puree. This step is crucial for preventing overly wet cookies.
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Combine Sugars and Butter: Once the browned butter is cool but still liquid, add it to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
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Add Wet Ingredients: Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the dried pumpkin puree until well combined.
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Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and kosher salt.
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Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Chill Dough (Briefly): Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to firm it up slightly. If the dough is still very soft after 5 minutes, chill for a few minutes longer.
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Prepare Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture: While the dough is chilling, combine the ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
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Shape and Roll Cookies: Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon-sized balls (a cookie scoop works well). Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until evenly coated.
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Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2-3 inches of space between each cookie.
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Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are puffy and slightly underbaked.
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Cool: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets on a wire rack. They will firm up as they cool.
Notes
- Butter: The recipe specifies "American butter." This likely refers to standard unsalted butter. If using European-style butter (which has a higher fat content), you may need to adjust the flour slightly, adding a tablespoon or two more if the dough is too wet.
- Measuring Flour: For the most accurate results, measure flour by weight using a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, use the spoon-and-level method: fluff the flour in the container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level off the excess with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour into the measuring cup.
- Pumpkin Puree: Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. It's very important to remove the excess moisture from the pumpkin puree as described in the instructions.
- Chilling the Dough: A brief chill time helps to firm up the dough and prevent spreading.
- Baking Time: The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
- Storage: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
- Freezing Dough: You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Let the frozen dough balls come to room temperature before baking.
- Serving Suggestion Ice cream.
