Get the Recipe: Soft, Fluffy, But Also Crispy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
These pumpkin snickerdoodles are soft, cakey, and fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and rolled in a generous amount of pumpkin pie spice sugar!
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 3 cups (13.5 ounces or 383 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup tightly packed (5.65 ounces or 160 grams) dark OR light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (5.25 ounces or 149 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
For the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Topping
- ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients for the cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients for the cookie dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla.
- Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the pumpkin puree mixture and beat until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
- Chill the dough while you prep your oven and pans. Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator while you prep your oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Make the pumpkin snickerdoodle topping. Whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice for the topping in a shallow bowl.
- Assemble the cookies. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls, dropping them directly into the bowl with the topping. Toss until the cookie dough balls are completely and generously coated. Place the cookie dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still soft. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. To encourage them to fall, bang the sheet pan with the cookies against a wire rack. Cool the cookies on the pan on the rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- Serve and store. Serve warm, or at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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