Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- For the coating: 1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, 1 cup of white sugar, and the brown sugar together. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well-combined.
- Add the pumpkin puree, the egg, and the vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Beat again until smooth. Don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled at this stage; it will come together once the dry ingredients are added.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Ensure there are no large lumps of flour or spices left in the bowl.
- Turn your mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix only until the white streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing at this stage can lead to a tougher cookie, so keep it brief.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This step is crucial because pumpkin dough is naturally sticky; chilling makes it much easier to handle and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small shallow bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon for the coating.
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a 1-inch ball using your hands. Roll the ball through the cinnamon-sugar mixture until it is fully and evenly coated. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should be set and the tops should have a beautiful crackled appearance, but the centers should still look slightly soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.