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These pumpkin snickerdoodles are super soft and fluffy, and the best part is that they’re egg free. They’re filled with cozy spices and make a delicious fall treat!
These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are the perfect way to celebrate the fall season. They’re made with pumpkin puree, warming spices, and are coated in cinnamon sugar. We specifically created these to be egg-free, so there’s no need to set any out beforehand!
For more pumpkin recipes, try our Pumpkin Streusel Bread with Espresso Glaze or this Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Latte.
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Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Texture: These cookies are pillowy soft and keep their fluffy texture days after baking.
- Egg-Free: The amount of pumpkin puree in this recipe not only adds flavor, but it also works as a substitute for eggs.
- Flavor: By using homemade pumpkin spice, you’re guaranteed to have the perfect ratio of cozy fall flavors.
Ingredient Notes
Below are a few notes about the ingredients. For a full list with quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- All-Purpose Flour: Use high-quality unbleached flour.
- Leaveners: You’ll need 1 tsp of baking soda plus cream of tartar.
- Fall Spices: We prefer to use individual spices because it allows for more flavor control. You’ll need all the classic pumpkin spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
- Unsalted Butter: Use high-quality butter and make sure it’s softened before using it. We prefer European style butter since it has a higher fat content.
- Granulated + Dark Brown Sugar: You’ll need a mixture of both as well as ¼ cup (50 g) of granulated sugar for coating the outside of the cookies.
- Pumpkin Puree: Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling.
- Vanilla Extract: Be sure to use a good quality pure vanilla extract. You can also use vanilla bean paste if you like a stronger vanilla flavor.
Instructions (with photos)
This section is an overview of the recipe steps with visuals to help you through the process. For full written instructions with measurements, click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page or in the table of contents.
Step 1: Beat the butter and both sugars together until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Fold in the dry ingredients with a silicone spatula until just combined. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
Step 3: Use a 3 tbsp cookie scoop to portion out the dough.
Step 4: Roll each cookie into a ball then coat them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.
Baking in Grams
While we provide cup conversions, we highly recommend using a kitchen scale particularly for baking recipes. Measuring in grams will provide you with more accurate results and a better baked good.
Some ingredients are more forgiving, but flour is one that you need to look out for. It’s extremely easy to overpack your flour when using cups, and doing so can lead to a dry baked good.
If you do use cups, we can’t guarantee the same results and we suggest using the spoon and level method. But as mentioned, grams are more reliable for getting consistent and accurate results.
Tips
- Use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. This is because fillings already contain sugar and spices, so it would throw off the whole taste as well as the texture of the cookies. The only ingredient that should be listed on the label is “pumpkin”.
- Spoon and level method: If you’re using cups, fluff up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off with the straight edge of a knife.
- Be sure to chill your dough for 1 hour to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. This also allows the flour to hydrate and the flavors to bind together.
FAQ
Besides giving snickerdoodles a slight tang, it also gives them their classic fluffy texture. Cream of tartar prevents sugar from crystallizing, meaning it keeps your cookies soft instead of crunchy. It also reacts with the baking soda in the dough which puffs up the cookies and makes them nice and fluffy.
There are two reasons why your cookies may have come out dry. The first being that you used too much flour. This is why we recommend using grams so that you’re using the exact same amount of flour every time. The second reason could be that your cookies are over baked. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are set and the centers looks slightly under baked.
Storage
Place the pumpkin snickerdoodles in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Once you’ve chilled and scooped your cookie dough into balls, place the dough balls into an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Roll them in cinnamon sugar before baking and add an extra 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW and comment if you loved this recipe! Tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your tasty creations! For more inspiration, follow us on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or electric hand mixer
- Large Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Snickerdoodles:
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter softened
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (¾ cup) dark brown sugar packed
- 120 g (½ cup) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
For Rolling:
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until combined.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small shallow bowl, combine the 50 g (¼ cup) of granulated sugar and 1 ½ tsp of cinnamon for rolling.
- Use a 3 tbsp cookie scoop to portion out the dough and roll each cookie into a ball with your hands.
- Coat each cookie in cinnamon sugar and place 1 ½-2 inches (4-5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges have set and the centers look slightly underdone. You should also see a few cracks on top.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storing: Place the baked cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: After chilling the dough, portion out the cookies with a cookie scoop and place in an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months then roll in cinnamon sugar just before baking. Add an additional 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
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