Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

With a soft interior and rolled with cinnamon sugar, snickerdoodle cookies are the best kind of comfort. The perfect recipe to pop onto any dessert table, these cookies have a unique fall flavor to them that makes them better than most.

No one can refuse the soft bite of a Snickerdoodle cookie. However, this recipe takes their flavor even further by giving them a pumpkin spice twist.

Made with pumpkin puree and seasoned with pumpkin pie spice, these snickerdoodle cookies pack a punch of classic fall taste. With a golden brown exterior and dusted with cinnamon sugar, the cookies look just as good as they taste.

Ingredients For the cookies: 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup shortening at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 

Ingredients For the cinnamon sugar (for rolling the cookies): 

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Preparation time: 

Prep time: 15 minutes 
Dough chilling time: 30 minutes 
Bake time: 13 minutes 
Total time: 50-60 minutes 

Serves: 15 cookies 

Directions 

1. Mix the wet ingredients: 

In a large bowl, beat the shortening with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 

Add the egg, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice, and beat until all ingredients are well incorporated. 

2. Add the dry ingredients: 

In the same bowl, mix in the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Use a spatula or hand whisk to mix until a uniform dough forms. 

3. Chill the dough: 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

4. Form the cookies: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 

Using a #20 cookie scoop, form dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them.

5. Bake: 

Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, until the edges are golden but the center remains soft. 

6. Prepare the cinnamon sugar: 

While the cookies are baking, mix the 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. 

7. Roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar: 

Once the cookies are out of the oven, let them cool slightly for a few minutes. Then, roll each cookie in the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

8. Cool completely: 

Let the cookies cool on a rack until they are completely cooled. 

Substitutions and Variations

Seasonings: Adjust the amount of pumpkin pie spice based on your taste preferences. Know that you can also use a homemade pumpkin spice so that you can control the flavor even more. Or, add more of the individual spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for a greater depth.

Sweetness: Increase the sweetness by rolling the cookies into the cinnamon sugar both before and after you bake them.

White chocolate: Another way to increase the sweetness and just pure indulgence in each bite is to mix in some mini white chocolate chips to the dough before you bake them.

Chocolate: For a cocoa-snickerdoodle taste add in a bit of cocoa powder to the cookie batter or the cinnamon sugar mixture. This will give a small hint of chocolate to the cookies.

Cinnamon roll: If you love a cinnamon roll flavor you could glaze or drizzle the Snickerdoodle cookies with vanilla icing.

Nutty taste: Add some chopped pecans to the batter or a bit of almond extract for a nuttier base.

How To Make the Best Snickerdoodle Cookies

You’ll get a more natural flavor by using homemade pumpkin puree. To make it; roast a small pumpkin, removing the skin and pureeing the flesh in a food processor.

If you decide to use homemade puree, you’ll want to strain it with a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer before you mix it into the cookie batter as it tends to be waterier than storebought which can result in the cookies changing texture.

For crispier cookies, chill the dough for an hour or longer. This will also help them hold their shape better while baking.

You can adjust the size of cookies by using a smaller or larger cookie scoop and altering the baking times. For smaller cookies, reduce the oven time by 2 minutes, for larger cookies add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

You can easily prepare these Snickerdoodle cookies in advance of when you need them. You’ll want to make and portion the cookies into balls but instead of baking them, freeze them for 30 minutes on a baking tray. Once frozen, store them in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for them, bake them from frozen adding 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.

Store leftover Snickerdoodle cookies once cooled in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.