Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Posted Oct 12, 2025
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These pumpkin snickerdoodles have crispy edges and chewy centers and are bursting with cozy spices! Made with real pumpkin and rolled in cinnamon sugar, they’re a delicious fall twist on classic snickerdoodles.
I took my famous snickerdoodle cookies, gave them a delicious fall makeover and created this irresistible pumpkin snickerdoodles recipe.
They’re soft & chewy with perfect crinkly tops, real pumpkin and the perfect amount of fall spices. They’re a seriously delicious cookie to bake on chilly fall days.
Serve them with a pumpkin spice latte and you have the perfect fall combination!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter: unsalted butter & shortening are both good substitutes.
- Granulated sugar. use white sugar, or organic cane sugar.
- Light brown sugar. for a stronger molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin puree. Use store-bought or make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- All-purpose flour. for a gluten-free version, use all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Cream of tartar. In a pinch you can substitute the cream of tartar and baking soda with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. But again, I recommend using cream of tartar for the best results.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Use store-bought or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice (so good).
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Let’s walk through how to make this recipe step-by-step with some helpful notes and tips. Don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by sifting the flour – the trick to perfect pumpkin snickerdoodles is perfectly fluffy flour.
Dough needs to chill
Please note, the dough needs to chill for at least two hours, so please plan accordingly!
Then, add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda to the sifted flour and stir to combine.
Next, beat the butter and sugars together for one minute. You want the micture to be nice and fluffy.
Then, add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 1 minute.
Next, add the pumpkin puree and beat until it’s just combined.
Next, stir in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated into the dough.
Chill the pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie dough for at least two hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I love making the dough the day before I want to bake the cookies so it’s ready to go!
Before you remove the dough from the refrigerator, make the cinnamon sugar coating by mixing the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.
Then, roll the cookie dough into balls using a cookie scoop (for evenly sized cookies that bake evenly I highly recommend using a scoop) and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until they are evenly coated.
As you roll them, place the balls evenly spaced on a parchment or silicone baking mat lined cookie sheet.
Then, bake the in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, until the pumpkin snickerdoodles are puffed and slightly browned but still soft.
Serve
After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, you can enjoy the slightly warm because they’re so delicious!
Serve them with your favorite cookie recipes like pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, classic snickerdoodles, or
Store/Freeze
Store pumpkin snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they even last that long). Or you can freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month in an airtight container.
You can also freeze the dough to bake later. Simply roll it into balls and freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Then, let thaw to room temperature before rolling in cinnamon sugar and baking!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Recipe FAQS
In my classic snickerdoodle recipe I use a mix of both. I found in these pumpkin snickerdoodles butter was better. However, shortening also works.
The cookies will be puffed, and the tops will look set. They crinkle as they cool.
Absolutely, this recipe is easily doubled to make a larger batch.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Cinnamon sugar coating:
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Dough
- Sift flour into a medium bowl.
- Add cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) for 1 minute.
- Then, add egg and vanilla and beat again until light smooth (about 1 minute).
- Beat in pumpkin until combined.
- Beat in dry ingredients on medium speed until incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a glass container with a lid and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Make the Cinnamon Coating
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius)
- Use a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure dough, then roll it into balls.
- Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until it’s evenly coated.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet, either ungreased or lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes until puffed and slightly browned but still soft.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.
Video
Notes
- Salted Butter: unsalted butter & shortening are both good substitutes.
- Granulated sugar. use white sugar, or organic cane sugar.
- Light brown sugar. for a stronger molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin puree. Use store-bought or make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- All-purpose flour. for a gluten-free version, use all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Cream of tartar. In a pinch you can substitute the cream of tartar and baking soda with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. But again, I recommend using cream of tartar for the best results.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Use store-bought or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice (so good).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
