Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Last October I had leftover pumpkin from making bread and decided to mess around with my snickerdoodle recipe. Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies weren’t even on my radar until I tasted that first batch.

My neighbor Sarah came over while they were cooling and ended up taking half the batch home. She’s been bugging me for the recipe ever since.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Look, I’ve tried tons of pumpkin cookie recipes and most turn out like little cakes. These stay chewy for days without getting hard or crumbly. The brown butter thing sounds fancy but it’s literally just cooking butter until it smells good. Takes maybe 10 minutes and completely changes the flavor.

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📝 Ingredient List

For the Cookie Base:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – browned, then cooled
• ⅔ cup pumpkin purée – dried/reduced (Libby’s recommended)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⅔ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

🔍 Why These Ingredients Work

Browning butter is a game changer. You cook it until the milk solids turn brown and it smells nutty. Regular melted butter tastes boring compared to this.

The pumpkin needs work though. Straight from the can it’s too wet and makes mushy cookies. I press it between paper towels for a few minutes until it’s thicker. First time I skipped this step and the cookies were terrible.

Only using egg yolks keeps things rich without adding water. Cream of tartar makes these actual snickerdoodles instead of just cinnamon cookies. Don’t ask me the science – I just know it works.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk and rubber spatula
• 3-tablespoon cookie scoop (trust me, this size is perfect!)
• Baking sheets lined with parchment paper
• Small bowl for cinnamon-sugar coating
• Paper towels for drying pumpkin
• Round cookie cutter (optional, for perfect circles)

👩🍳 How To Make Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

1. Brown the Butter (15 minutes) Cut butter into pieces, throw in a pan over medium heat. Stir constantly. It’ll melt, then foam up, then turn golden brown. When it smells like toasted nuts, you’re done. Let it cool down completely.

2. Dry the Pumpkin (10 minutes) Dump pumpkin on paper towels and press hard. Keep pressing with fresh towels until you’ve gotten rid of about half the moisture. This step sucks but it’s important.

3. Mix the Base Mix cooled butter with both sugars. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and dried pumpkin. Stir until smooth.

4. Add Dry Ingredients Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until just combined. Don’t overdo it.

5. Quick Chill Stick the bowl in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. Makes scooping easier and prevents the cookies from spreading too much.

6. Shape and Coat Heat oven to 350°F. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Scoop dough and roll each ball in the mixture.

7. Bake Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Edges should be golden but centers still look a bit soft. They finish cooking on the hot pan.

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

My cousin went to culinary school and taught me to taste the butter while browning. You’ll know it’s ready when it tastes nutty instead of just greasy. She also said to always bake one sheet at a time for even results.

❗ You Must Know

Don’t skip drying the pumpkin. I know it seems dumb but wet pumpkin makes flat, gross cookies. I’ve thrown out entire batches because I got lazy with this step.

Personal Secret: I bang the baking sheet on the counter right after taking cookies out. Helps them settle into that perfect chewy texture.

💡 Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Weigh flour if you have a scale – too much makes them dry and crumbly
• Let browned butter cool completely or cookies will spread like crazy
• Even 5 minutes of chilling helps with shaping
• Parchment paper prevents sticking better than grease
• Stick a piece of bread in the container to keep them soft

🎨 Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Maple: Add a tablespoon of maple syrup and cut back on vanilla Chocolate: Throw in mini chocolate chips after adding flour Nutty: Add chopped toasted pecans Spicy: Use chai spice instead of pumpkin pie spice Citrus: Add orange zest

⏲️ Make-Ahead Options

Cookie Dough: Scoop and freeze on a baking sheet, then bag them up. Bake straight from frozen – just add a minute.

Browned Butter: Make this up to 3 days ahead and keep in the fridge. Bring to room temp before using.

Baked Cookies: These taste better the next day anyway.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Cream of tartar is what makes these real snickerdoodles. The tang is important. The chill time seems pointless but it really does help with shaping.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Good with milk or coffee. I like them slightly warm when the cinnamon sugar is still crispy. Perfect for fall stuff or just when you want cookies. My kids take them in lunch boxes.

🧊 How to Store Your Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Room Temperature: Airtight container for a week. Add bread to keep them soft.

Refrigerator: Don’t need to but they’ll last 2 weeks.

Freezer: 3 months. Thaw for 30 minutes.

Reheating: 300°F oven for 3-5 minutes brings back that fresh taste.

⚠️ Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy, eggs, gluten

Dairy-Free: Vegan butter works but browning it is weird Gluten-Free: Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour Egg-Free: Try aquafaba instead of yolks

❓ Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Why do I need to dry the pumpkin purée?

Wet pumpkin makes cake-like cookies instead of chewy ones. Just press it with paper towels.

Can I use whole eggs instead of just yolks?

Yolks give richness without extra water. Whole eggs make the dough too wet.

What if I don’t have pumpkin pie spice?

Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Heavy on the cinnamon.

Why brown the butter?

Nutty flavor that’s way better than regular butter. Worth the extra step.

Can I make smaller cookies?

Sure, just bake for 8-9 minutes instead.

My cookies spread too much. What happened?

Butter was too warm or you didn’t chill the dough. Both matter.

These became our fall cookie. Something about pumpkin and cinnamon sugar just works. Hope yours turn out good.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Let me know how they turned out or if you changed anything.