If you love snickerdoodle cookies, pumpkin, and fall flavors, you will love these pumpkin snickerdoodles without cream of tartar. They are a twist on the soft and chewy, slightly tangy, classic cinnamon sugar cookie.
Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar combine the classic cinnamon sweet cookies with pumpkin puree. This is an easy snickerdoodle recipe with no chill time. And it's a perfect way to use up leftover pumpkin puree.
Keep an eye out for the tips I'll share to level up this dessert. We're talking cookies with a perfect soft, gooey, chewy texture and the ultimate sweet pumpkin spice flavor. There's a good reason for each technique in the recipe.
I've made hundreds of batches of incredible snickerdoodles, and I want you to have the same success with this easy recipe. It's the perfect fall treat to share at holiday parties and potlucks.
Ready to get your pumpkin on? Grab your apron, and let's bake.
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Ingredients
- All-purpose flour. Sifting the flour before weighing it is crucial to get the perfect soft, chewy, gooey texture.
Measure the flour on a digital kitchen scale (recommended) or spoon flour into a measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife.
- Sugars. Use a combination of white granulated sugar and brown sugar to bring out more flavor.
- Unsalted butter. Unsalted butter is the best option to control the salt level in the cookies. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.
Please note: The butter should be about 65°F (18℃). Colder butter could prevent the cookie from spreading enough as it cooks.
Warmer butter will cause the cookie to spread too much when baking and may create a more crispy cookie. If the butter gets too warm, refrigerate for a few minutes before creaming it.
- Pumpkin puree. Use real pumpkin puree for the best pumpkin flavor. Not the canned pumpkin pie filling. I recommend Libby's canned pumpkin which tastes the best of all the canned pumpkin out there.
It is also thicker than most brands, which helps prevent the cookie dough from being too wet. Wet cookie dough can lead to cakey cookies that don't spread very much.
However, you can make your own pumpkin purée if you like. Just be sure to squeeze the excess moisture out before mixing it into the dough.
- Large egg. Use a cold egg, straight from the fridge.
- Vanilla extract.
- Leavening agent. Instead of cream of tartar, this recipe uses a combination of baking powder and baking soda. You will get the rise and spread without the tangy aftertaste from cream of tartar.
- Fall spices. Unlike traditional snickerdoodles, you'll roll your cookie dough balls in more than just a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
The coating will also have cloves, nutmeg, and ground ginger. This gives the cookie a warm, pumpkin spice flavor you'll love.
Substitutions
- Use cream of tartar + baking soda. Skip the baking powder if you do. Use 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar with ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
You'll get a similar rise and spread. But you will also get the distinct sour tang from the cream of tartar.
- Swap out cloves, nutmeg, and ginger and replace them with pumpkin pie spice. Keep the cinnamon the same.
- Try butternut squash puree instead of pumpkin. Butternut squash puree and pumpkin puree can be used interchangeably in most recipes. These snickerdoodle pumpkin cookies are no exception.
Variations
- White chocolate pumpkin snickerdoodles. Add 1½ cups of white chocolate chips to the pumpkin snickerdoodle dough before rolling and baking.
- Classic snickerdoodles are soft and fluffy with tangy cream of tartar.
- Snickerdoodles without cream of tartar. These are thick, soft, gooey, and the best cookies for anyone who doesn't like the sour tang of cream of tartar.
- Mini snickerdoodle cookies. These two-bite cookies will be your favorite cookies to put on top of vanilla ice cream. They contain cream of tartar, so expect a tangy flavor.
- Chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles. This pumpkin cookie recipe is made with cooled brown butter, egg yolk, and pumpkin pie spice. These are the chewy cookies you don't want to skip.
RELATED: You may also be interested in a comparison showdown between snickerdoodles and sugar cookies.
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Do the prep work.
- Preheat the oven.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour.
- Press the moisture out of the pumpkin puree.
STEP 2: Make the cookie dough.
- Stir the dry ingredients together.
- Cream the butter and sugars with a hand mixer in a large bowl. The butter should be at cool room temperature, about 65°F (18℃).
- Mix in the cold egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until everything is combined.
STEP 3: ROLL THE COOKIE DOUGH BALLS IN THE CINNAMON SUGAR COATING
- Stir the cinnamon, sugar, and spices together in a small bowl.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the cookie dough.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about two inches apart.
STEP 4: BAKE, COOL, AND REST
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet after 7 or 8 minutes if your oven heats unevenly.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Cool the cookies completely.
- Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of hours. Allowing the cookies to rest enhances their flavor and gives them a soft, gooey, chewy texture.
RELATED: Try these two-bite snickerdoodles. They will satisfy all your mini cravings.
Tasty Tips
I've made hundreds of batches of snickerdoodles. After all that baking, I've discovered a few techniques that will transform your snickerdoodles to the next level.
They will become the cookies that everyone raves about -- the taste, the texture, the mouthfeel. I've lost count of the number of people who have told me my snickerdoodles were the best they've ever eaten.
Here's what I do to get the best results every time.
SIFT THE FLOUR
Always, always sift the flour before weighing it. I've used both a sifter and a simple mesh colander. Both give excellent results. I recommend sifting at least twice. But I've been known to sift 4 to 6 times.
WEIGH the INGREDIENTS
For consistent results, weighing your ingredients, especially flour, is essential.
We all scoop and measure flour with a measuring cup differently. This means that the amount of flour you scoop in your measuring cup is probably different than the amount I scoop in my measuring cup.
For consistency and precision, use a digital scale. A scale is relatively inexpensive and will make a world of difference in the consistency of your baking.
Read more information in my post on how to eliminate baking disasters with a kitchen scale.
If you don't have a digital scale and must use a measuring cup, I recommend:
- After sifting, lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup until it overflows.
- Shake the measuring cup to even out the flour and shake the excess off. Then, scrape it evenly with the back edge of a knife.
- Be mindful of your dough. Be prepared to add a little more flour if your dough is too sticky.
Be Mindful of the Butter Temperature
The butter should be cool, room temperature. That is about 62 to 65°F (18℃).
Taking the temperature is the easiest way to know how cool the butter is. However, if you don't have a food thermometer, here's how you can tell the butter is ready.
When you poke your finger in the butter, it will make an indentation and hold its shape. Your finger won't slide around (butter too cold) or go straight through (butter too warm).
Don't Overbake
Chewy pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies should be soft and gooey in the middle and slightly chewy on the outside. To achieve the pillowy soft middle, don't overcook them.
When the edges just begin to set, the middle will not look baked. However, when you remove them from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, the cookie continues to bake with residual heat from the pan.
The heat from the cookie and the cookie sheet, rather than the heat from the oven, finish cooking the cookie. The result is a soft, chewy center.
But use your best judgment before pulling the cookies out of the oven. The cookies should not look doughy. The middle will be softer than the edges, but it shouldn't be doughy when you pull it out.
If your batch of cookies needs to bake a minute or two longer, that's just fine. Give them the time they need. Not all ovens bake the same.
I highly recommend you learn your oven's actual temperature. I have a post on how to calibrate your oven. It is easy to do. After you do, you will find your baking becomes more consistent and reliable.
FREEZE, THEN THAW, AND FINALLY EAT
Allow the cookies to cool completely after coming out of the oven. But don't eat them just yet.
I've observed that cookies cooling on a wire rack for an hour can be somewhat dry and not as soft as I like. The solution? Let them rest in an airtight container.
Stack them in an airtight container and let them rest for a couple of hours. The cookies will reabsorb their moisture, the flavors will meld, and the texture will be soft and chewy.
Want to take it even further? I accidentally discovered the secret to soft, gooey, chewy, unbeatable cookies.
Freeze the cookies overnight. Then, thaw them and be amazed at their taste and texture.
If you have the patience, try it to see if you notice a difference in the taste of the cookie.
This method works best when making cookies in advance for an event or potluck.
This technique is also successful if you don't want to eat too many cookies at once. Freeze them so they are out of the way and out of sight.
Then, slowly, over the following weeks, pull out one or two at a time (or more if you have a family to share with) and enjoy them at room temperature.
How to Store These Delicious Cookies
Store all leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3 to 4 days if you plan to snack on them consistently.
However, for the best flavor, freeze them.
To freeze:
Stack them as high as your freezer-safe container allows. But before putting them in the container, wrap each stack with plastic wrap.
Then, put them in the lidded container and freeze for up to 6 months.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Cold glass of milk
- Warm apple cider
- More snickerdoodle cookies
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Recipe
Best Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (300 grams) of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup (227 grams) of unsalted butter, softened (about 65°F)
- 1 cup (200 grams) of white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) of brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) of pumpkin puree (pressed to remove excess liquid)
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 egg, straight from the refrigerator
Pumpkin Spice Coating
- 3 tablespoons (4 grams) of white granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) of cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg (freshly grated recommended)
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger
Instructions
- PREHEAT the oven to 400°F (200℃). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- SIFT the all-purpose flour 1 to 2 times.
- MEASURE the flour on a digital kitchen scale (recommended) or by spooning flour into a measuring cup and leveling it with the back of a knife. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl.
- WHISK the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour.
- In a separate bowl, CREAM 200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the butter together with an electric mixer on high for 1½ to 3 minutes, or until the texture progresses from sandy to creamy. Please note: The butter should be about 65°F (18℃). Colder butter could prevent cookie from spreading enough as it cooks. Warmer butter will cause the cookie to spread too much when baking and may create a more crispy cookie. If the butter gets too warm, refrigerate for a few minutes before creaming it.
- PRESS the pumpkin puree between two paper towels to remove excess moisture. Lay a paper towel on a plate. Spoon puree on top. Then lay another paper towel on top of the puree. Press and squeeze the liquid out. When the paper towels get soaked, replace them with dry ones. Repeat again if necessary until the puree holds together in a ball.
- BLEND the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla into the creamed sugar and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Please note: Take the egg straight from the refrigerator.
- MIX the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on low and mix until the flour is incorporated. Use a spatula to turn the dough from the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour is incorporated.
- STIR the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger with 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small, shallow bowl until well blended.
- SCOOP the cookie dough with a 2 tablespoon muffin scoop.
- ROLL the cookie dough ball in the cinnamon spice sugar mixture until it is completely coated.
- PLACE the cookie dough ball on the lined cookie sheet.
- REPEAT rolling the cookie dough balls and place them all on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
- BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes. Optional: Rotate the cookie sheet in the oven so the cookies after 7 or 8 minutes if your oven heats unevenly. The cookies are done when the edges are set, and the middles look barely done (not doughy).
- REMOVE the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- TRANSFER the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- REST the cookies in an airtight container for a couple of hours before eating for best texture and flavor. The resting period allows the flavors to meld and the cookies to achieve the best soft, gooey, chewy texture. (See Note #1.)
Freeze (See Note #2.)
- COOL the cookies completely.
- STACK the cookies 4 or 5 cookies high.
- DOUBLE WRAP the stacked cookies with plastic wrap, ensuring that the cookie is completely covered.
- PLACE the wrapped cookies in an airtight container.
- FREEZE the cookies at least 24 hours.
- REMOVE the cookies from the freezer at least an hour before eating them.
- BRING the cookies to room temperature.
- UNWRAP the cookies and place on a serving plate.
- EAT AND ENJOY!
Notes
- Resting cookies allows them to soften and reabsorb the moisture that they lost while cooling. It also lets the flavor mix and settle, creating a deliciousness that isn't there when they come right out of the oven.
- The best flavor and texture you'll ever get happens after you freeze the cookies (overnight at least) and then thaw them at room temperature. Try it and see!
Nutrition
Craving More Cookies?
If you love cookies, you're going to want to try these.
- Butter pecan cake mix cookies with warming spices, nuts, and toffee bits
- Triple chocolate cake mix cookies
- Spice cake mix cookies with pumpkin spice glaze
Sandra
Can I use self rising flour instead of plain flour
Tami Mack @ The Tasty Tip
It is not ideal, but if that is all you have, here are some suggestions if you use self-rising flour in pumpkin snickerdoodles. Do not add cream of tartar or baking soda and only add 1/4 teaspoon salt. If you try it, let me know how they turn out.