How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
How to make snickerdoodles:
- Make the cookie dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Next, beat together the wet ingredients in a separate large bowl. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients until combined.
- Chill the snickerdoodle dough: Chilling is essential for getting perfectly thick, chewy cookies. Chill the bowl of dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar: Combine cinnamon and sugar in a shallow dish. Then, take a spring loaded scoop to your chilled cookie dough and form into 3-tablespoon sized balls. Roll in the sugar, coating evenly, then place the dough balls on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Enjoy!
What is cream of tartar? Can you make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?
This is the key ingredient to developing that tangy taste, chewy texture, and distinct craggly surface of the classic snickerdoodle. You can omit it if you must, but the final taste and texture won’t quite be the same. The combination of the cream of tartar and baking soda helps leaven the cookies so they’re nice and thick and fluffy.
Why is there coconut oil in this snickerdoodle recipe?
This recipe uses part butter and part coconut oil as a replacement for the traditional choice of shortening. The oil helps create a thick chewy cookie since unlike butter it contains no water. It also allows the pumpkin spice flavors to shine. Choose refined coconut oil which is neutral in flavor (unlike virgin coconut oil which has the coconut flavor and aroma). Measure coconut oil when it’s solid yet creamy and scoopable or better yet, just weigh it to be accurate. It should not be melted nor so cold that it’s hard and brittle.
What if I don’t have refined coconut oil? What can I use instead?
Simply use 2 sticks (227 grams) of unsalted butter total in this recipe if you don’t have coconut oil.
Why does this recipe only call for an egg yolk?
This helps prevent the cookies from becoming too cakey. The pumpkin puree is already adding in so much moisture, the egg yolk is the perfect thing to help bind the dough together and add richness and a little bit of chewiness. The result are ultra soft and fluffy cookies that don’t just taste like dense cake!
How to store snickerdoodles so they stay soft:
Place the baked cookies in an airtight container with an apple wedge, slice of sandwich bread, or tortilla to keep them softer for longer.
How to freeze snickerdoodles cookie dough:
Shape the dough into balls, coat in the cinnamon sugar, and flatten as the recipe directs. Place the disks of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until firmed. Remove to an airtight container. Bake directly from the freezer at 325°F for about 15 minutes.
a great pumpkin snickerdoodle, yay, thank you since pumpkin flavor would be a very nice change for what to me is an often too sweet conventional snickerdoodle, much appreciation
Hi Tessa! I’m looking forward to making these! Just wanted to give you a heads up that the tips above are for the butter pecan sheet cake. Thank you for the awesome recipes!!
Fixed 🙂 Thank you so much and hope you enjoy these cookies!
These look great! I want to try to make them but don’t have any coconut oil. I saw that it can be replaced with butter, but do you know if this would change the cookies at all?
Perfect fall recipe!! Highly recommend!
So glad you enjoyed!
These are delicious and came out wonderfully. Positive feedback from friends who I have some to, as well. Once I made sure to have the right temp for the coconut oil so it would mix in properly, the consistency was perfect.
I have some dough in the freezer now, to experiment with later, as well!
Woohoo! So glad you were able to get the coconut oil to melt properly 🙂