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Cozy up with the ultimate fall treat – soft, chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles! Made with real pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and a secret game-changing ingredient – brown butter. One bite and you’ll be hooked!
The Fall Cookie I Bake on Repeat
I love all kinds of pumpkin cookies, including the easy pumpkin drop cookies, but these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are always at the top of my list. Made with real pumpkin, brown butter, and warm pumpkin pie spice, they go straight in the oven the moment the leaves start to change. They’re soft, chewy, and rolled in that classic cinnamon-sugar coating – with a cozy pumpkin twist that makes them irresistible.
🧡 Kelsey
“Loved it! I so loved the taste of the butter being browned. Yum!” – Dawn
Key Ingredients
See full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure the label says “100% Pure Pumpkin.” This brings the cozy pumpkin flavor to the cookies, as well as the velvety texture.
- Brown Butter: This will elevate your cookie game with a rich, nutty flavor. Simply melt the butter over medium heat until it turns foamy and a golden brown, then cool for 10 minutes. That same brown butter flavor takes center state in our Brown Butter Pecan Pie.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use a store-bought blend or make your own with our Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe. It’s a rich blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice also known as pumpkin spice
- Cream of Tartar: Adds a little bit of acidity for a tangy taste and a tender texture. In Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, it prevents the sugar from crystalizing so the cookie keeps its soft, chewy texture.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Make brown butter by melting butter in a pot, whisking constantly. When the butter foams and turns a golden brown, remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Blend cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and sugar together in a bowl.
- Add in pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl – flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a mixer on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Scoop dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place cookie dough balls on a lined or greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350°. Do not overbake. Cool the cookies on a baking sheet, not a cooling rack.
Tips for Baking
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats on top of the baking sheets for easy clean up.
- Make a double batch and freeze the extra cookies or cookie dough. Cookies are great in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- After scooping the first batch of cookie dough balls, keep the remaining dough in the fridge until you scoop the next batch.
- With other cookies, I will transfer them to a wire rack to cool. However, with this recipe you want the cookies to stay on the pan the whole time they are cooling. This allows the residual heat to finish cooking the cookies without making them crunchy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe is designed to be quick and easy, no chilling required. The dough holds its shape well, so you can bake them right away for soft, chewy cookies every time.
Pumpkin adds moisture to the cookies, making them more cake-like. For a chewier texture, you can “blot” the pumpkin puree by spreading it on paper towels and gently pressing down on it with more paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. If you prefer a heartier, chewier cookie try our Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies recipe.
No. The pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices. This will throw off the flavor and text of the cookies.
Yes, you can freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes extra baking time. Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe, container.
Brown butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that complements the pumpkin perfectly – but regular melted butter will also work in this recipe.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
Discover more pumpkin recipes – from breads and muffins, to pies and scones, even drinks and dinners! In the meantime, here our some more of our favorite pumpkin desserts:
Have you tried this recipe? Leave a review and rating below – we’d love to hear if these pumpkin snickerdoodles made your fall baking list! 🍁
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles – Soft and Chewy
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus ⅓ cup for cinnamon sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, pat dry with a paper towel
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- To make brown butter: In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat, whisking constantly. After it fully melts, the butter will foam up and then start to turn golden brown. When the butter is golden brown, take it off the heat immediately and pour it into a small bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix brown butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt). Stir to combine.
- While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- In a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar mixture (⅓ cup sugar + 2 teaspoons cinnamon).
- Scoop dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar and place on a lined or greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. DO NOT OVER-BAKE. Let cool on the pan completely.
- Once the cookies are cool, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want flatter cookies, then press them down with a spatula right out of the oven.
- You can use regular melted butter instead of browned butter if desired.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy within a few days of baking.
- Original recipe had chilling time for 1 hour, but after testing without any chilling time, it didn’t make a significant difference. NO need to chill the dough before baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and have passed it on to two different people. I did reduce the amount of white sugar and also pumpkin pie spice just a little because I felt they were a tad too much. Also made sure to bake them for exactly 10 minutes which kept them soft and delicious for several weeks when stored in a zip lock bag. Definitely a keeper!
Initially I was disappointed that this recipe only used 1/4 cup pumpkin purée, that said, the cookies came out absolutely delicious. I would definitely recommend spending the extra time to brown the butter. This recipe is going in my favorite cookie recipes file.
Thank you so much for this sweet comment! I am so glad you liked the cookies!!
loved it. I so loved the taste of the butter being browned. Yum!!