My pumpkin spice cookies could also be called pumpkin snickerdoodles – it’s a modified version of my Grandma’s snickerdoodle cookie recipe.
If you like this recipe, check out my Grandma’s Snickerdoodle Cookies next!
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I’d never baked pumpkin cookies before but I have to say this is the best pumpkin cookie recipe! They are soft and chewy pumpkin cookies with just the right amount of spice. I used my Grandma’s snickerdoodles as the blueprint. I added just half cup of canned pumpkin, swapped the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice and use two egg yolks instead of one whole egg. The result is a soft and delicately spiced cookie with a satisfying chewy texture.
More pumpkin recipes
Ingredients for pumpkin spice cookies
- Dry Ingredients – A mixture of all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Cream of tartar acts as a leavening agent. When combined with baking soda it creates carbon dioxide gas. Which gives the cookies a good puff up and rise in the oven while baking. It also gives the cookies their chewy texture.
- Wet Ingredients – Pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) plus white sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and softened butter.
- Rolling Mixture – Traditional snickerdoodles are rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. My pumpkin spice cookies are rolled in a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. With a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together the softened butter with one cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, two egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat again until smooth and well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Start on low speed and gradually increase the speed until a cohesive dough is formed. Scrap down the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula while mixing. Refrigerate the dough for one hour. This helps to make sure the flour fully hydrates and that the cookies don’t spread too much while baking.
In a shallow small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar with the pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon capacity) to form the cookie dough into 21 balls. Roll the dough balls in the pumpkin spice sugar mixture. Divide the cookies evenly between the two prepared cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes, rotating the baking pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Keep scrolling to find my how-to video and free, printable recipe card.
Serving suggestions
These cookies would be great to take along to a tailgate this fall. Here’s some more of my favorite recipes for football season –
Storage directions
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days. Or store in the freezer, stacked with wax paper in between cookie layers. They will stay fresh for 2 – 3 months.
Kitchen tools
I have been baking cookies for many years. These are my favorite, time-tested tools…
- Nordic Ware Commercial Half Sheet Pans
- Silpat Silicone Baking Mats
- OXO Medium Cookie Scoop
- OXO Bent Icing Spatula (for leveling off flour and sugar)
- OXO Cookie Spatula
Video
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. With a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together the softened butter with one cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, two egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat again until smooth and well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Start on low speed and gradually increase the speed until a cohesive dough is formed. Scrap down the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula while mixing. Refrigerate the dough for one hour. This helps to make sure the flour fully hydrates and that the cookies don't spread too much while baking.
- In a shallow small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar with the pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon capacity) to form the cookie dough into 21 balls. Roll each ball in the pumpkin spice sugar mixture. Divide the cookies evenly between the two prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake at 350 for 12 -13 minutes, rotating the baking pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
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