Easy Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

These easy spiced pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies feature a soft and chewy texture and warm pumpkin spice flavors, all made in one bowl with no mixer and no chill time! Made with melted butter, pumpkin puree instead of an egg, and a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, all surrounded by a cinnamon sugar coating, these pumpkin snickerdoodles are a fall favorite. This egg-free recipe makes 18-20 cookies and will be ready in less than 30 minutes!

If you like fall treats like these pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies, you’ll also want to check out my other pumpkin recipes like soft pumpkin oatmeal cookies, pumpkin spice muffins, and pumpkin spice bundt cake.

Recipe development and why you’ll love it

This recipe is an autumn version of classic snickerdoodle cookies – a tangy, soft, chewy sugar cookie coated in cinnamon sugar. I love making snickerdoodles at the holidays (so much that I even created a snickerdoodle cake) — but the warm cinnamon sugar flavor lends itself to cozy fall cookies as well. Pumpkin and cinnamon were meant to be together!

The problem is…most pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes are kind of complicated, requiring a few irritating steps such as drying the pumpkin puree, using an egg yolk instead of a whole egg, and chilling the dough before baking. Ugh! I knew there had to be an easier way to get chewy (not cakey) pumpkin snickerdoodles, and after MANY tests, I’m happy to report that I was right.

You’ll love these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies because:

• They’re incredibly easy – made in one bowl with no mixer required and no chilling, plus no need to dry the pumpkin puree like other recipes (hallelujah)
• They’re soft with supremely chewy centers, and slightly crispy edges
• Perfectly pumpkin spice flavored from a mixture of warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves
• They stay soft for days thanks to pumpkin puree and melted butter
• They’re egg-free – by replacing the moisture and binding function of the egg with pumpkin puree (see more egg-free baking recipes)
• The recipe yields a smaller batch 18-20 cookies (great for my household of 2) but you can always make a half batch since there’s no egg, or double batch if needed

Recipe development

You won’t be surprised by this if you’ve spent any amount of time on this website: I tested these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, a lot. And then even when I thought the recipe was final, I tested them AGAIN because I knew they could be better. All of that testing centered around 3 critical ingredients:

First, the puree: it’s hard to create a chewy pumpkin cookie recipe because the moisture in the pumpkin puree usually creates a cakey texture. Pumpkin puree is between 80-90% water, and water creates steam, which creates fluffiness in baked goods. In order to achieve chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles, the solution most recipes use is to squeeze the excess moisture out of the puree with paper towels before using it, so we get the pumpkin flavor and color but not the water. Tasting Table went so far as to call this step “crucial” to achieving chewy rather than cakey cookies.

During my first few tests of these pumpkin snickerdoodles, I tried to use this drying method, but I found it was subjective, prone to error, inexact, and downright annoying. Who has the time or inclination to use up 15 paper towels squeezing the water out of pumpkin puree?

Second, the egg: most pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes use an egg yolk rather than a whole egg, because the fatty yolk helps maintain a chewy rather than cakey texture. This being a blog that focuses on easy and efficient baking recipes, however, I don’t like asking you to take the extra time or trouble of separating eggs — so in the end, I simply substituted 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, exactly as it is, for the egg. It works like a charm.

Third, the butter: again, most pumpkin cookies cream softened butter with the sugars for a chewy yet airy texture, and in early testing that’s what I did – but for my last test, I was feeling lazy and tried it with melted butter, and it turns out I liked the texture better that way. Soft, chewy cookies (as long as they’re a bit underbaked), and full of pumpkin spice flavor!

Ingredients

Only a few simple ingredients needed for these spiced pumpkin snickerdoodles, and you can substitute or customize as noted below to make these your own! See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.

• Unsalted butter (for best results, use a European butter with a higher fat/lower water content, like Kerrygold, or otherwise the best quality butter you can find – I promise it’s worthwhile because fat and moisture balance is key here)
• Brown sugar (just 1/2 cup)
• Canned pumpkin purée (unsweetened pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour 
• Cream of tartar – also known as tartaric acid, which reacts with the baking soda to produce the rise and that classic snickerdoodle tang
• Baking soda 
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Ginger
• Ground Nutmeg
• Ground Cloves
• Or, you could use pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices, but I like to control the spice ratio
• Granulated sugar + cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating

Equipment Needed

• Glass or other microwave-safe mixing bowl
• Whisk (or fork) and rubber spatula
• Kitchen scale – I recommend weighing your ingredients as it’s much more precise than using measuring cups (and there are fewer dishes to clean)!
• Cookie scoop (1.5 Tablespoon, #40) – very helpful when scooping a softer cookie dough like this one

How to make pumpkin snickerdoodles: step by step

Like many of my recipes, the method here is streamlined and simple. No mixer and only one bowl needed! See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a microwave-safe large bowl, melt the butter in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until just melted but not overly hot (this takes about 45 seconds total in my microwave). 
3. Whisk in wet ingredients (brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract) then the spices, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar until mixture is well-combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients (flour) and stir with a fork or rubber spatula until fully incorporated and a cookie dough is formed. It should be soft, but hold together when scooped. (If the dough seems too soft to scoop, your butter was likely a bit too warm – chill the dough for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator before scooping).
5. Make the cinnamon sugar by mixing granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
6. Scoop dough using a tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll it between your palms to create a smooth dough ball. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls, spacing 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
7. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed. Bang the cookie sheet on the counter a few times when you take it out to deflate them. This helps with chewiness. Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Storage

Pumpkin spice snickerdoodles can be stored as follows:

• At room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days (they stay soft for SO long and don’t dry out!)
• In the refrigerator for 7-10 days
• In the freezer for up to 3 months. This is my favorite way to keep cookies on hand when the craving strikes. Make sure to wrap the cookies individually and store in a freezer bag. When ready to eat, simply microwave a cookie for 30-45 seconds, or allow to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours.
• Cookie dough can also be frozen and baked later: scoop and roll dough in cinnamon sugar, then arrange dough balls on a flat surface like a plate or baking sheet and place in the freezer for an hour.  Then store frozen cookie dough balls in a freezer-safe bag to be baked whenever cookie cravings strike!  Bake from frozen for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F, or 14 minutes if you like them crispy on the edges.

Additions and Substitutions

Here are some options to customize the recipe and make it your own:

• Spices: instead of the individual spices in the dough, you can substitute 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
• Add-ins: feel free to add 1/2 cup (85g) of chocolate chips to the cookie dough to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
• Make it gluten-free: substitute an equal weight (156g) of gluten-free oat flour or a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix that contains xanthan gum. I’ve tested and like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
• Make it vegan: just use vegan butter – there’s no egg in these pumpkin snickerdoodles so no worries there!
• No cream of tartar: I highly recommend using it for best snickerdoodle flavor, but if you don’t have it or don’t want to buy it, you can use 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder (total) INSTEAD OF the cream of tartar and baking soda in the recipe.

More Easy Fall Baking Recipes:

• Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Baked Pumpkin Donuts
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread with Greek Yogurt
• Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
• Easy Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Topping

Recipe

Like this pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie recipe? Please RATE it and LEAVE A COMMENT below.  Your feedback means so much and helps other bakers too!

Also, if you want recipes straight to your inbox every time I post, sign up for my email list! Let’s be friends on Instagram too: you can find me @katiebirdbakes.