Description
These Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic snickerdoodle, featuring the warm flavors of pumpkin and cozy spices. Soft, chewy, and coated in cinnamon sugar, these cookies are perfect for fall baking or any time you crave a comforting treat with a seasonal touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Coating
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and allow even baking.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, use a mixer on medium speed to cream together the softened butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar until fully combined, creating a smooth batter.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined to avoid overmixing and developing toughness.
- Prepare the coating. In a small bowl, blend together the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to create the classic snickerdoodle coating.
- Shape and coat the dough balls. Scoop the dough into approximately 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball thoroughly in the cinnamon-sugar coating to ensure an even coverage.
- Arrange on baking sheets. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake the cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain soft, ensuring they maintain their chewy texture.
- Cool the cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely to finish setting the texture.
Notes
- Use canned pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best texture and flavor.
- Don’t overbake; cookies should look slightly underdone in the center to stay chewy.
- For a more intense cinnamon flavor, increase the coating cinnamon to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can help maintain shape and enhance flavor.
