Soft Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Easy Recipe
These soft baked pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies have a perfectly crinkled top, tender center, and cinnamon-sugar coating. Made with real pumpkin and simple pantry staples, they stay soft for days and are perfect for fall baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes 2 hours chilling)
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (170g) pumpkin puree (100% pure, not pie filling)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar (for coating)
- 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once.
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract on medium speed until fully combined. The mixture may look curdled; that’s normal.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly distributed.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Use a spatula to give the dough a few final folds from the bottom.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
- Preheat and prepare: When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Make the cinnamon-sugar coating: In a small shallow bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined.
- Shape and coat the cookies: Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the chilled dough. Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Drop each ball into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to coat completely. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cookies should look puffed and set around the edges but still soft in the center with a crinkled top.
- Cool on the pan: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Chilling the dough is non-negotiable to prevent spreading. For a more pronounced crinkled top, use the full amount of granulated sugar and chill for the full 2 hours. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend with xanthan gum.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 13
- Sodium: 85
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 3.5
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: pumpkin snickerdoodle, soft baked cookies, fall cookies, pumpkin cookies, snickerdoodle recipe, easy pumpkin cookies