Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

These soft and chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are a MUST for Fall. Filled with pumpkin, white chocolate chips, and coated in cinnamon & sugar, these cookies are thin, chewy, and have the most delicious fudgy centers.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings -30 cookies

Calories 211kcal

Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree blotted to 1/3 cup
1 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
1 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of cinnamon optional for extra cinnamon-y goodness
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fine salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup white chocolate chips plus more for garnishing the tops

For rolling:

¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

*Notes:
1. This recipe was updated in 2025. The old 2020 recipe is in the recipe notes below.
2. If your cookies aren’t turning out like the photos, you can try adding 1/4 cup more sugar, and using 2 1/2 cups flour for a thinner/chewy cookie.
3. The 2025 recipe as written makes a soft, chewy, almost pillowy cookie. The 2020 recipe makes a thicker, cakier
4. Pan banging technique: you can also try banging the pan on the counter when you remove the cookies from the oven for a chewy center.
5. OK - that’s it :) happy baking!
Blot the pumpkin: Place the 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree on a plate or shallow bowl. Add a few layers of paper towels on top and blot it until reduced to ~1/3 cup. This step removes excess moisture and helps keep the cookies chewy, not cakey.
1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
Add pumpkin & eggs: Add the blotted pumpkin, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk again until thoroughly combined and creamy.
1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, Pinch of cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. fine salt, ½ tsp cream of tartar
Bring the dough together: Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until no flour streaks remain, but don’t overmix.
Add white chocolate chips: Gently fold in the white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
1 cup white chocolate chips
Chill the dough: Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 Start Timer minutes or up to 24 hours. Chilling helps prevent spreading and makes the dough easier to work with.
Preheat the oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
Assemble cookies: In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice). Scoop dough into 1.5-2 tablespoon-sized balls (about a medium cookie scoop). Roll into smooth balls, then roll in the spiced sugar mixture.
¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Bake: Arrange dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 9–11 minutes, Start Timer or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Don’t overbake because they’ll continue to set up on the baking sheet.
Cookie scooting: Use any round object slightly larger than the cookies, like a large round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or even the open top of a wide glass or mug. Place the ring around the warm cookie and gently swirl or “scoot” the cookie in small circles. The edges will nudge into a perfect round shape. Be sure to do this while the cookies are still hot and pliable, usually within the first 30 seconds of coming out of the oven!
Cool: Garnish with a few more white chocolate chips on top, if desired. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for ~2-3 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll become perfectly chewy as they cool. You can sprinkle the tops with a little more cinnamon/sugar if you have extra!

Notes

To store: Store these pumpkin snickerdoodles in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely. Then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Freeze cookie dough: To freeze the cookie dough, scoop the dough into 1.5-2 tablespoon-sized balls, and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookie dough straight from the freezer, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time. Ovens may vary.
Homemade pumpkin spice: 4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg.

This recipe was originally published in Nov. 2020 and updated in August 2025.

OLD RECIPE (11/2020)

Ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter, unsalted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup 100% pumpkin puree, blotted* (see notes)
1 large egg, whisked
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Cake flour
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (optional for snickerdoodle taste)
1 cup white chocolate chips

Rolling

2 Tbsp. white granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)

Instructions

Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
Blot out some of the excess moisture in the pumpkin using paper towels. You don't have to get all of the moisture since we still want the pumpkin flavor in the cookies. Measure out 1/3 cup pumpkin AFTER moisture is removed.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract.
1/2 cup melted butter, unsalted and slightly cooled,1/2 cup brown sugar, packed,1/4 cup white granulated sugar,1/3 cup 100% pumpkin puree, blotted* (see notes),1 large egg, whisked,1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. (It might not look like it's incorporating at first but keep folding, it will all come together I promise!)
1 cup All-Purpose Flour,1 cup Cake flour,1 tsp. corn starch,1 tsp. cinnamon,1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice,1/2 tsp. baking soda,1/2 tsp. baking powder,1/2 tsp. salt,1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (optional for snickerdoodle taste)
Fold in white chocolate chips. Chill cookie dough batter for at least 30 minutes. You can scoop the cookie dough into balls first if you'd like, then refrigerate so it's easier to work with.
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for rolling and roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
2 Tbsp. white granulated sugar,1 tsp. cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
Arrange the cookies on prepared baking sheets, and slightly press down just a little. (see video)
Bake for 9-10 minutes or until edges appear set. May take a minute or two longer, ovens vary. Cookies will look and feel very soft when you take them out. Top with more white chocolate chips when they come out of the oven, if desired.
Let them rest on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. (I find they are best and most chewy at least an hour later, and even so soft the next day!). Enjoy!

Notes

Freeze cookies for up to 3 months.
Feel free to leave out the white chocolate chips completely, or you can also use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, too!
To make homemade cake flour, you’ll need 14 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour and 2 Tbsp. corn starch. Mix these together and sift them twice to get them fully mixed and aerated. This will make ~1 cup flour which you need for this recipe.
Homemade pumpkin spice: 4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg.
Blotting pumpkin is a must for this recipe. I simply use paper towels to press out some of the excess moisture. Be sure to measure out the 1/3 cup of pumpkin

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