Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

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Welcome fall with these soft pumpkin snickerdoodles made with fresh pumpkin puree! These cookies are the perfect blend of fall flavors, but remain true to the snickerdoodle roots. The pumpkin flavor is subtle and adds moisture and texture to the cookies.

Cookies stacked up on a plate with a yellow and white checkered napkin.

Tis the season for pumpkin

I’ve been trying to get creative around here and do some different pumpkin recipes, particularly baked things, like those pumpkin ginger molasses cookies that turned out so good!

And since you know how much I love cookies, I decided to pumpkin up another one of my favorite recipes, snickerdoodle cookies!

I have a great snickerdoodle recipe, so I thought ‘really the only thing that would make it better would be…pumpkin!’ And I was right. The combination of the cinnamon sugar and the pumpkin make for a very soft and delicious, fall-flavored cookie!

Cookies laying on a baking sheet, showing the cracked tops.
Two tacos sitting on a white plate with chopped avocado and cilantro on top.

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    A note about baking with pumpkin

    Sometimes when you add pumpkin to recipes, you have adjust the moisture or flour content because pumpkin makes everything so moist and soft, so it took me a couple of batches (oh darn!) to get it just right, but these cookies are everything I had hoped for and then some.  The pumpkin is subtle and the cookie remains more a snickerdoodle than a pumpkin cookie, which I love!

    Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies stacked up on a plate with a pumpkin in the background.

    The other thing to keep in mind with these soft pumpkin snickerdoodles is that these are not a thin and chewy cookie; they are supposed to be a fluffy cookie, think Loft House style cookies. For some reason, when I think about pumpkin, I want something substantial to bite into!

    Cookies on a plate showing the beautifully cracked top.

    Making these soft pumpkin snickerdoodles

    As per my norm (cookies you can make in less than an hour), these soft pumpkin snickerdoodles are quick and easy and makes about 18 three tablespoon size cookies or 26 one tablespoon size cookies, and yes, you can easily double the recipe if you need more cookies!

    If you’re feeling really festive, and I would totally recommend it, try these cookies with fresh pumpkin puree! It is MUCH easier than it sounds and trust me, it takes pumpkin recipes to the next level!

    A stack of cookies sitting on a plate with a pumpkin in the background.

    Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

    By: Kristine Underwood
    Welcome fall with these soft pumpkin snickerdoodles made with fresh pumpkin puree! These cookies are the perfect blend of fall flavors, but remain true to the snickerdoodle roots. 
    4.93 from 13 votes
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 14 minutes
    Total Time 24 minutes
    Course Sweets & Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 20 cookies
    Calories 109 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 6 TBS packed brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree
    • 1 TBS vanilla extract
    • 1 egg yolk
    • cups + 2 TBS flour
    • tsp corn starch
    • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp ginger
    • 1/8 tsp allspice
    • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
    For rolling:
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
      1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup sugar, 6 TBS packed brown sugar
    • Stir in vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and egg yolk and mix well.
      1/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree, 1 TBS vanilla extract, 1 egg yolk
    • In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, corn starch, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and spices.
      1½ cups + 2 TBS flour
    • Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until fully combined.
    • Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

    To bake:
    • Scoop dough with a large cookie scoop, roll in cinnamon sugar, and place on baking sheet.
    • Bake for 12-14 minutes.
    • Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    • Store in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookieCalories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 15.6gProtein: 0.9gFat: 4.9gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 82mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 10.3g

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    Recipe Rating




    24 Comments

    1. These cookies sound super delicious I love all the spices you have added to the mix.5 stars

      1. Thank you Nayna! They didn’t last long over here, my family gobbled them up! 🙂

      1. You bet Derek, I’ll get right on it – there are some crumbs left! 😉 Thank you so much!!

    2. I have had the worst luck with pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes because of the moisture issue! But I love the idea of them, so I definitely need to try this one. They look absolutely delicious from the photos. Pinned!5 stars

      1. Thank you so much, Tracy! Oh man, I completely understand. I think most recipes use too much and it’s hard to compensate for the excessive moisture. If you try this, let me know how they turn out. I’m always curious!

    3. These look so yummy! I love the pumpkin theme.4 stars

      1. Thanks so much J! Me too, it’s a fun way to reinvent a recipe! 🙂

      1. Thank you Karen! It’s an easy way to add a little fall to an already delicious cookie! Haha! 🙂

    4. oooo… when I was little snickerdoodles were my FAVORITE!!!! (I think I just liked the funny name). I seriously only ever make cookies now when I’m snowed in- it’s like a tradition now lol- but I’m loving these! I’ll try them next snow day!!!5 stars

      1. Haha Sarah! Thanks so much, I hope you enjoy them – they’re long gone over here! 🙂