Classic snickerdoodles are dressed up for fall with the addition of pumpkin pie spice. These delicious Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are a great way to start off your fall season baking!
These Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are my newest fall baking obsession! They are the perfect thickness, nicely spiced, and wonderfully chewy.
Classic snickerdoodles rank very high on my list of favorite cookies. They are absolutely perfect in their simplicity. For this reason, I tread lightly when it came to modifying my base recipe to come up with this fall-inspired version.
This is not an in-your-face pumpkin recipe. While I wanted to add a seasonal twist, I didn’t want to mess with the beautiful integrity of this classic. The true snickerdoodle-ness remains, but a little pumpkin pie spice adds an undeniable fall flavor without affecting the soft, tender, chewy texture that is absolutely vital for this cookie.
I take my snickerdoodles very seriously.
Table of contents
Ingredients in Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- Wet Ingredients – Softened butter, granulated and light brown sugar, eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, cream of tartar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
What is Cream of Tartar?
A true Snickerdoodle recipe will always include cream of tartar. What the heck is cream of tartar? It is an acidic by-product of the wine making process (strange but true!). It’s commonly used as a stabilizer and to add volume when making meringue. It’s also a component of baking powder. In this recipe, it helps to activate the baking soda and lends to the distinctive texture. It’s a vital component to this recipe.
What is in Pumpkin Pie Spice?
All pumpkin pie spice blends should contain a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and sometimes they’ll also have a little allspice. Any brand of pumpkin pie spice you’ve got on hand will work for this recipe but Penzeys is my favorite.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- Use an electric hand or stand mixer to cream together butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until creamy and well combined.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, in increments, beating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least an hour or longer.
- Combine the sugar and pumpkin spice mixture in a small dish. Roll the cookie dough into small balls with your hands or small cookies scoop and roll each ball in the spice mixture.
- Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined or ungreased baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, just until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for only a minute or two and then transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Chilling the dough solidifies the butter a bit and helps ensure the cookies won’t spread too much when baking. Return the bowl of cookie dough to the refrigerator between batches.
Baking Tip
If cookies don’t spread enough when baking, use the back side of a spatula to flatten slightly to achieve the correct thickness. This can be done just before baking or when you remove the cookies from the oven.
Storage Tips
Transfer completely cooled cookies to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles?
It’s best to freeze the cookie dough and then bake up as many as you’d like when you need them. Shape the dough as directed and place them on a baking sheet without coating in the spice mixture. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for an hour or two or until they are frozen solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.
When ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight then proceed with the recipe, as directed.
The perfect Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles for the fall season!
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Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
Video
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the spiced sugar coating:
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Use an electric hand or stand mixer to cream together butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup light brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until creamy and well combined. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, in increments, beating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least an hour or longer.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if not using parchment paper, do not grease baking sheets).
- Mix the coating ingredients together in a small dish. Shape refrigerated dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on the parchment paper lined or ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, just until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for only a minute or two and then transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Pumpkin Recipes
For everyone that is saying that they would add pumpkin or asking about a different ingredient, please just stop. Valarie posted a great recipe for pumpkin spice cookies and they are called that because, guess what they have in them? If you guessed pumpkin spice then you are a genius that read the recipe. If you couldn’t guess the correct answer please re-read the recipe.
I made these cookies and my son said they were delicious. I didn’t want to add pumpkin because that’s just one more ingredient. Besides, people wanted snickerdoodles with a pumpkin spice flavor not a pumpkin cookie.
Great job Valarie.
Thanks for making my day (and giving me a chuckle!). I’m happy your son loved the cookies. 🙂
My new favorite cookies! They’re great with chocolate chips added in.
I think pumpkin spice cookies need pumpkin otherwise they’re just spice cookies. Why call it pumpkin spice if there’s no pumpkin? I have a great recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodles with pumpkin in the dough and they’re phenomenal!!
Hi Linda. I’ve tried recipes that include pumpkin puree in the cookie dough and I felt it took away from the texture that a classic snickerdoodle should have. I called them Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles because I used pumpkin spice in the coating.
Hi! Can I just don’t use cream of tartar ? Or is it very important ?
I’m afraid that cream of tartar is indeed a very important ingredient for a proper snickerdoodle.
These came out good but I like the traditional snickerdoodle much better.
Mine turned out fluffy & didn’t flatten out. But taste good.
Hi Sharon. If this happens next time, just use a spatula and press down slightly on the cookies towards the end of the baking time to help them spread out a bit. I’ve had this happen too and it works like a charm!
I’ll have to add Pumpkin to the pumpkin spice cookies.
Hi Karen. I’ve tried adding pumpkin puree to my snickerdoodle recipe and did not like what it did to the texture of the cookie. That’s why I stuck with just the pumpkin pie spice to add the seasonal flair to these.
These turned out great! So yummy! And my house smells so good!
Glad to hear it, Shay! We love these cookies!
I would INHALE these!
Thank you so much, Dorothy. They disappear so fast in this house!