These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are thick, soft in the middle, and rolled in a spiced cinnamon sugar that crackles across the top as they bake. There’s no egg in the dough at all — the pumpkin does that job — which is part of why they stay tender for days.
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Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
No eggs required. Half a cup of pumpkin puree binds the dough on its own, which makes this an easy batch to pull together when you’re out of eggs or baking for someone who skips them.
The flavor lands somewhere between a classic snickerdoodle and a slice of pumpkin pie. Cream of tartar gives that familiar tangy chew, and the pumpkin pie spice in both the dough and the coating doubles down on the warm notes.
They also travel well. The cookies are sturdy enough to stack in a tin, so they hold up on a potluck table or in a lunchbox without falling apart.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour — spoon it into the cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and dries out the dough.
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon baking soda — this pair is what makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle: lift, a slight tang, and that chewy pull.
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 teaspoon salt — if you don’t have a blend, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and cloves.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened — soft enough to dent with a finger but not greasy or melting. Overly warm butter is the main cause of flat cookies here.
- 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar — the brown sugar adds a little molasses depth and keeps the centers moist.
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, blotted dry — plain pumpkin only, never pie filling. Press it between paper towels until it looks like thick paste.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract — rounds out the spice so the cookies taste warm rather than sharp.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, for rolling — the spiced coating is what gives these their crackled, sparkly finish.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Blot the 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree between layers of paper towel, pressing until it no longer leaves a wet ring. This takes about 2 minutes and is the single most important step.
- Whisk the 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the 1 cup softened butter with the 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the blotted pumpkin and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled — that’s fine.
- Stir in the dry ingredients just until no streaks of flour remain. Stop there; overmixing makes the cookies tough.
- Chill the covered dough for at least 1 hour. Warm dough spreads into thin, crisp cookies instead of thick, soft ones.
- Combine the 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in a shallow bowl for rolling.
- Scoop the chilled dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls and roll each one in the spiced sugar until fully coated. Space them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly puffed and underdone.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. They finish setting as they cool and settle into their crackled tops.
Tips for Success
Blot the pumpkin, every time. Canned pumpkin is mostly water, and skipping this is the most common reason a batch spreads into greasy puddles. Two minutes with paper towels fixes it.
Give the dough a full hour. This dough is softer than a standard snickerdoodle because there’s no egg holding it together, so the fridge time is doing real structural work.
Pull them while the centers look soft. The cookies keep baking on the hot pan for a few minutes after they come out. Waiting for the middles to look done in the oven gives you a dry cookie.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Variations to Try
Add 1 cup of white chocolate chips to the dough for a sweeter cookie with a little melt in every bite.
Swap the spiced sugar coating for plain cinnamon sugar if you’d rather the pumpkin lead and the spice stay in the background.
If you want a caramel surprise in the middle, our Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles use the same cinnamon sugar coating wrapped around a soft caramel center.
For a thinner, crisper-edged take on the same fall flavor, our Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies use less pumpkin and an egg yolk for a different chew.
What to Serve With Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
A mug of hot apple cider or a chai latte plays right into the spice in the coating, and both cut the sweetness nicely.
For a fall dessert table, set these beside our Mini Pumpkin Pies — same season, two very different textures.
If you’re building a bigger spread, our Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip gives people something to scoop while the cookies cool.
FAQs
Can I make these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with an egg? You don’t need one, and adding a whole egg will make the dough too wet. If you want a slightly cakier cookie, add one egg yolk and an extra 2 tablespoons of flour.
Do I have to use cream of tartar? It’s what gives snickerdoodles their tang and chew. If you’re out, substitute 2 teaspoons of baking powder in place of the cream of tartar and baking soda together, though the flavor will be milder.
How should I store Pumpkin Snickerdoodles? Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The pumpkin keeps them soft, so day three is nearly as good as day one.
Can I freeze the dough? Yes. Scoop into balls, freeze on a tray until solid, then bag them for up to 3 months. Roll in the spiced sugar just before baking and add 2 minutes to the bake time.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Final Thoughts
Between the tangy chew of a classic snickerdoodle and the warm spice of a pumpkin dessert, these land in a spot that makes people reach for a second before they’ve finished the first.
Blot the pumpkin, chill the dough, and pull them a minute early — that’s the whole game. Bake a batch this week and see how fast the tin empties.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- paper towels for blotting pumpkin puree
- Cookie scoop 1½ tablespoon size
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, blotted dry
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (for rolling)
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (for rolling)
Instructions
- Blot the pumpkin puree between layers of paper towels, pressing for about 2 minutes until it no longer leaves a wet ring.
- Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the blotted pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture may appear slightly curdled.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice for the coating in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop the dough into 1½-tablespoon balls, roll each in the spiced sugar, and arrange them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set while the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.