Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
There are a lot of pumpkin cookie recipes out there, but so many of them turn out thick, soft and almost cake-like. These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are completely different.
They’re big, thin and chewy with slightly crisp edges and soft centers. The cookie dough is made with real pumpkin, brown sugar, plenty of cinnamon and warm fall spices, then each cookie gets rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking.
Basically, everything I love about a classic snickerdoodle with a little pumpkin added for fall.
They’re simple enough to make on a random fall afternoon but also perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving, fall cookie boxes or anytime you’re craving something pumpkin that isn’t another loaf of pumpkin bread.
The Perfect Pumpkin Cookie for Fall
I wanted these cookies to have plenty of pumpkin and cinnamon flavor without turning into a fluffy pumpkin cake cookie.
Pumpkin puree naturally adds quite a bit of moisture to cookie dough, which can make pumpkin cookies puffier and cakier than a traditional cookie. For this recipe, we’re going to remove some of that extra moisture before adding the pumpkin to the dough.
It only takes a minute and makes a huge difference.
The result is a pumpkin cookie that spreads in the oven and develops those thin, chewy edges and soft centers we’re looking for.
And because every scoop of dough gets rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking, you still get that classic snickerdoodle coating on the outside.
shop the ingredients:
Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree measured before blotting
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Measure 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree onto a plate lined with several paper towels.
- Place additional paper towels over the pumpkin and gently press to absorb the excess moisture. Repeat with fresh paper towels as needed until the pumpkin feels noticeably drier and is closer to a soft paste than a wet puree.
- Don’t skip this step! Removing some of the water helps give these cookies their chewy texture instead of making them cakey.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add the blotted pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and whisk again until everything is well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix until a soft cookie dough forms. Don’t overmix.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. You want it firm enough to scoop and roll but not completely hard.
- While the dough chills, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the chilled cookie dough into large balls, using approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
- Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon sugar until completely coated.
- Place the cookies several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. These cookies are supposed to spread, so give them plenty of room.
- Bake at 350°F for 11–14 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Don’t wait for the centers to look completely baked before pulling them from the oven. They’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet as they cool, which helps keep the centers chewy.
- For especially round cookies, carefully swirl a large round cookie cutter around each cookie immediately after it comes out of the oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies Chewy Instead of Cakey
Pumpkin cookies can be tricky because pumpkin puree contains so much water.
That’s why this recipe uses blotted pumpkin and an egg yolk rather than a whole egg. The pumpkin gives us the fall flavor we’re looking for while the egg yolk adds richness without introducing as much additional liquid.
Melted butter and brown sugar also help create that chewy texture.
The other important part is not overbaking them. They should look a little soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven.
Once they cool, they’ll settle into those big, thin, chewy pumpkin cookies.
Pumpkin Puree vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling
Make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices and will change the flavor and consistency of the cookie dough.
You’ll have pumpkin left in the can after making these, so save it for another fall recipe rather than throwing it away. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins or pumpkin pancakes are always a good idea.
faq
How to Store Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
Because pumpkin adds moisture, they’ll continue getting softer as they sit. If you love those slightly crisp edges, they’re especially good on the first day.
You can also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container and thaw them at room temperature whenever you need a pumpkin cookie.
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my baking favs
A New Fall Cookie to Add to Your Baking List
Pumpkin gets added to just about everything this time of year, but I think these might be one of my favorite ways to use it.
They’re simple, don’t need frosting or any complicated decorating and still feel completely fall.
The combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar and that sparkly cinnamon-sugar coating makes these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies so good with coffee, hot cider or a cold glass of milk.
And most importantly, they’re actually cookies…not little pieces of pumpkin cake pretending to be cookies.
Save this one for your fall baking list because I have a feeling you’ll be making them more than once.
If you make this, let me know! I always love hearing from you.
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