Pumpkin Snickerdoodles – Two Peas & Their Pod

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles-soft and chewy snickerdoodles packed with pumpkin flavor and fall spices. Everyone’s favorite snickerdoodle cookie for fall!

Best Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodle cookies are my FAVORITE! I love a classic snickerdoodle cookies, but I also love mixing things up. Have you tried my brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles? Or how about my chocolate snickerdoodles? They are all amazing!

Today, I am introducing you to the perfect fall snickerdoodle cookie recipe, pumpkin snickerdoodles. Oh yes, you heard me correctly, PUMPKIN snickerdoodles! Pumpkin and snickerdoodles combined?? Pretty much the best fall cookie ever!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour-a good all-around flour for baking. I prefer unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Cream of Tartar-cream of tartar is the key ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies. It helps activate the baking soda and adds tanginess and chew to the cookies.
• Baking Soda-baking soda is a leavening agent and helps the cookies rise.
• Salt-I prefer to use a coarse salt when baking cookies, like kosher or sea salt.
• Spices-these pumpkin snickerdoodles are loaded with spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. The spices give the cookies lots of flavor!
• Butter-for this snickerdoodle recipe, use unsalted butter and room temperature butter.
• Brown Sugar-pack the brown sugar in the measuring cup. The molasses in the brown sugar adds moisture and produces a chewier cookie.
• Granulated Sugar-I like to use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• Pumpkin-use canned pumpkin puree. Libby’s is my favorite brand. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
• Egg-binds the cookies together and keeps them moist.
• Vanilla Extract-use pure vanilla extract, it’s the best and worth the extra money!
• Cinnamon & Sugar-before the cookies go into the oven, roll them in cinnamon and sugar. A snickerdoodle staple!

How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

• Don’t pack your flour! When measuring flour, don’t pack it in the cup. Fluff the flour, spoon it in the cup and then level it off with a knife. If you pack your flour the cookies will be too puffy and dry.
• Check expiration dates! Make sure your cream of tartar and baking soda are good. They do expire!
• Whisk the dry ingredients! Make sure you whisk together the dry ingredients so all of the spices get incorporated.
• Cream the butter, sugars, and pumpkin! Use a stand mixer with the beater blade or a hand mixer, to beat the butter, sugars, and pumpkin together. You want the mixture to be creamy and smooth.
• Don’t over mix! When you add the dry ingredients, mix on low until JUST combined.
• Chill the dough! This is a MUST! I know it is annoying, but SO worth it! Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading AND it brings out the flavors. I like to chill the dough for 24-48 hours so the flavors can chill out! I swear it makes the cookies even better. If you are in a rush, you can chill the dough for 30-60 minutes, but I highly recommend 24-48 hours, especially if you want a chewy cookie. The snickerdoodles are chewier the longer the dough chills out in the fridge. Chilling also makes the cookies easier to roll into balls.
• Roll! Roll the cookies generously in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Make sure the cookies are well coated!
• Don’t over bake! You want the snickerdoodles to stay soft and chewy, so don’t over bake! They will finish baking on the baking sheets as they cool.
• Bang! I always bang the pans on the counter a couple of times right when they come out of the oven. This releases air pockets and creates slightly rippled edges and a chewier cookie.
• Set up! Let the snickerdoodles cool and set up on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Store

After the pumpkin snickerdoodles are completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days on the counter. To keep the cookies super soft, place a piece of bread in the container. The bread will get hard, but the cookies will stay extra soft!

You can also freeze pumpkin snickerdoodles for up to one month in a freezer container or bag. Defrost before enjoying…or you can eat them frozen. I am always up for a frozen cookie.

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