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Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
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★★★★★

5 from 24 reviews

These Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies combine the classic cinnamon-sugar shell of traditional snickerdoodles with the soft, spiced warmth of pumpkin puree, creating moist, tender cookies with a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. The key to their chewy texture is browned butter cooled to the ideal temperature, and pumpkin puree carefully pressed to remove excess moisture, making these cookies festive, flavorful, and ideal for fall baking.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (184 grams, browned and cooled to 70-75°F)
  • 2/3 cup Libby’s Pumpkin Puree (approximately 68–75 grams, moisture pressed out)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (108 grams)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed (128 grams)
  • 2 large egg yolks (38 grams), room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (208 grams), measured using spoon-level method or scale
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Rolling Mixture

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Prepare baking trays and preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside for later use.
  2. Brown the butter: In a large stainless steel pan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Stir occasionally as it foams, pops, and crackles. Once the butter turns golden brown with nutty aroma and brown bits form at the bottom, remove from heat. Pour the browned butter into a glass measuring cup and refrigerate, stirring every 20 minutes, until cooled to 70-75°F (about 45-60 minutes). The butter should be cool but still liquid to ensure chewy cookies that don’t spread too much.
  3. Prepare the pumpkin puree: Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate and press a stack of paper towels into it to absorb excess moisture. Repeat this process with fresh paper towels until the pumpkin puree feels thick and dry, resembling soft playdough, measuring roughly 1/3 cup (68-75 grams).
  4. Mix sugars with browned butter: Once the browned butter is cooled, whisk in the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar for about 1 minute until the mixture resembles wet sand.
  5. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and pumpkin: Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the dried pumpkin puree until fully incorporated.
  6. Fold in dry ingredients: Sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and kosher salt. Fold this mixture gently into the wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender texture.
  7. Chill the dough: Place the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 5 minutes to firm up. If still too soft, chill longer to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
  8. Prepare cinnamon sugar coating: In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for rolling the cookie dough balls.
  9. Shape and coat cookies: Using a spoon or cookie scoop, form 3-tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Roll each ball thoroughly in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on the prepared baking trays, spacing the cookies 2-3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
  10. Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the centers look puffy and slightly underbaked for a chewy texture.
  11. Cool and store: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For freezing, freeze dough balls and thaw to room temperature before baking.

Notes

  • Measure flour properly using spoon and level method or kitchen scale to avoid dense cookies.
  • Cooling browned butter to 70-75°F before mixing is crucial for chewy texture and maintaining cookie shape.
  • Use Libby’s Pumpkin Puree for consistent moisture content and flavor.
  • Press pumpkin puree dry with paper towels to avoid puffier, cakier cookies.
  • For smaller cookies (around 2 tablespoons), reduce baking time to 9 minutes.
  • If cookies spread too much, make sure the browned butter is properly cooled.

Nutrition

Keywords: Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, chewy pumpkin cookies, fall cookies, pumpkin spice cookies, browned butter cookies

Find it online: https://kitchenwithkai.com/chewy-pumpkin-snickerdoodle-cookies-recipe-2/