Chewy brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies with pumpkin pie spice will be your new favorite fall cookie. Make this chewy, spiced cookie every year!
Looking for pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies that are chewy, soft, and irresistible? Then you'll love this brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe. It's the perfect fall treat bursting with pumpkin spice flavor.
Forget rolling cookie dough balls in a classic cinnamon-sugar mixture. Instead, roll chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles in a homemade pumpkin pie spice coating. You'll love how the warm fall spices flavor this perfect cookie recipe.
If you're ready for pumpkin cookies everyone will beg for, then grab your can of pumpkin and let's get baking. This recipe makes about 32 (3-inch) cookies.
RELATED: You'll also love this soft and gooey pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie recipe without cream of tartar.
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Ingredients
- Pumpkin purée. We're talking real pumpkin here for authentic pumpkin flavor. Use Libby's canned pure pumpkin purée. (Not the canned pumpkin pie mix.)
I think Libby's is the tastiest canned pumpkin brand. And it isn't as watery as other brands.
- Unsalted butter. You'll be melting and browning the butter for this recipe. If you use salted butter, it will taste too salty.
The saltiness of melted butter from salted butter is overpowering.
- Egg yolks. Use an egg yolk instead of the whole egg for a cookie with a chewy texture. You won't miss the liquid egg white since the pumpkin contributes plenty of moisture.
Bring the yolks to room temperature in a small bowl.
- White granulated sugar. Use white sugar in the cookie. And as part of the cinnamon spice mixture you'll roll the cookie dough balls in.
- Brown sugar. Soft, fresh brown sugar is essential in this recipe. For best results, break up all the clumps before adding the sugar to the recipe. Remove any hard lumps that won't break apart.
I prefer light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can also be used.
- Vanilla extract. Add just a bit for flavor.
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Be sure to sift the flour before using it in the recipe.
- Sugar-spice coating. Cinnamon and sugar, plus ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, make the cookie coating.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cream the butter and sugar instead of browning it for a soft, gooey pumpkin cookie recipe.
- Stir in milk or white chocolate chips to make pumpkin chocolate chip chewy cookies.
- Use a cinnamon-sugar coating if you want the treats to be like classic snickerdoodle cookies.
RELATED: You may also be interested in reading up on snickerdoodles vs. sugar cookies. Or try this post on snickerdoodles vs. gingersnaps.
Directions
This pumpkin version of the original recipe may become your new favorite fall cookies.
STEP 1: Brown the Butter
- Heat a medium saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the pan. The butter will sizzle and foam as it melts and water begins to evaporate.
Stir the melted butter occasionally and watch for it to turn golden tan. Small brown bits of milk solids will accumulate at the bottom of the pan and give off a nutty aroma. Watch carefully so the butter doesn't burn.
Immediately take the pan off the heat once the butter reaches a toasty brown color.
- Pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to cool. Then put it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the butter cools to between 70 and 75°F (20 to 25°C).
STEP 2: Preheat the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take the eggs from the fridge to bring them to room temperature.
STEP 3: Remove the Excess Moisture From the Pumpkin Purée
- Measure out about double the amount of pumpkin purée needed.
- Place the purée between two layers of paper towels and gently press to remove excess water.
You will use several paper towels before the pumpkin has the right texture. When the towels are dry after pressing, the pumpkin is ready.
The pumpkin should have the texture of soft play dough and be able to hold the shape of a ball.
If you prefer, use a nut milk bag instead of paper towels to remove moisture from the pumpkin puree.
Place the pumpkin inside a nut milk bag. Squeeze the bag to press out the moisture.
When enough liquid is squeezed out, it will be easy to dump out the pumpkin.
Be sure to rinse the nut milk bag right away and then launder it. Be aware that the pumpkin might stain the bag.
STEP 4: Mix the Cookie Dough
If you prefer, use a hand mixer, although a large mixing spoon will work just fine.
- Sift the flour. Then whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together.
- Remove the browned butter from the freezer and pour it into a large bowl. Mix 1 cup of white sugar and the brown sugar with the butter until combined.
- Stir the pumpkin purée, egg yolks, and vanilla into the wet ingredients. Mix it until it is thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until the cookie dough comes together. The dough will be soft.
STEP 5: Make the Pumpkin Spice Coating & Coat Dough Balls
- In a shallow bowl, stir 3 tablespoons of sugar with the ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Scoop up 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin snickerdoodle dough with a small cookie scoop. Roll each ball of dough in the coating.
Place the coated balls of dough on the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
STEP 6: Bake and Cool the Cookies
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown. The edges will be done and the centers will look soft but solid.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. The cookies will look puffy but will quickly flatten.
- Transfer the cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Eat right away, or wait until the pumpkin snickerdoodles cool. The cookies' chewy texture is most pronounced at room temperature.
How to Store the Cookies
To keep your perfect cookies fresh longer, store the baked cookies in an airtight container on the counter. They will stay fresh packaged this way for 3 to 4 days.
Be sure they are at room temperature before placing them in the container.
For longer storage, freeze the cookies. If you plan to eat one delicious cookie at a time, flash-freeze the cookies first.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Lay the cookies on the pan as close as you like without the cookies touching. Freeze for 1 hour.
Then transfer the frozen cookies to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. Label with the date and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tasty Tips
- Pressing the moisture out of canned pumpkin can be inconvenient. However, it is crucial to get chewy cookies.
Too much moisture in the cookie dough will result in puffy cookies that don't spread much.
- It is important to cool the brown butter before using it. Otherwise, the dough might spread too much, running into the other cookies.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- A tall glass of milk.
- Cold vanilla ice cream. Warm your cookie first -- irresistible.
- Classic snickerdoodles or chewy ginger cookies pair wonderfully with pumpkin snickerdoodles for a holiday party.
Craving More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin snickerdoodles without cream of tartar will become one of your favorite pumpkin desserts.
- Apple ginger pumpkin soup is a perfect cold-weather recipe. Also, check out the best sides to serve with pumpkin soup.
More Cookies You'll Love
What's Your Favorite Snickerdoodle Cookie?
Recipe
Chewy Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) of unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) of pressed pumpkin puree
- 2 cups (240 grams) of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup (200 grams) of white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) of brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Pumpkin Spice Coating
- 3 tablespoons (4 grams) of white granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon (3 grams) of cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg (freshly grated recommended)
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Heat a medium saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the pan. The butter will sizzle and foam as it melts and water begins to evaporate. Stir the melted butter occasionally and watch for it to turn golden tan. Small brown bits of milk solids will accumulate at the bottom of the pan and give off a nutty aroma. Watch carefully so the butter doesn't burn.Immediately take the pan off the heat once the butter reaches a toasty brown color.
- Pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to cool. Place the butter in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the butter cools to between 70 and 75°F (20 to 25°C).
Prep Work
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take the eggs out of the fridge to bring them to room temperature.
- Measure out roughly ⅔ cup of pumpkin purée. Place the purée between two layers of paper towels and gently press to remove excess water. You will use several paper towels before the pumpkin has the right texture. When the towels are dry after pressing, the pumpkin is ready to measure. The pumpkin will have the texture of soft play dough and be able to hold the shape of a ball.Measure 70 grams (⅓ cup). (See note #1.)
Mix and Bake the Cookies
- Sift the flour. Then whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together.
- Crack open the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Use the whites in another recipe. (See note #2.)
- Remove the browned butter from the freezer and pour it into a large bowl. Mix 1 cup of white sugar and the brown sugar with the butter until combined.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- In a shallow bowl, stir 3 tablespoons of sugar with the ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Scoop up 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin snickerdoodle dough with a small cookie scoop. Roll each ball of dough in the spiced coating. Place the coated balls of dough on the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookie is a light golden brown. The edges will be done and the centers will look soft but solid.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies from the pan to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Eat right away, or wait until the pumpkin snickerdoodles cool. The cookies' chewy texture is most pronounced at room temperature.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can use a nut milk bag to squeeze out the pumpkin puree instead of using paper towels. Place the puree in the bag and squeeze until the pumpkin is dry enough to form a ball. Be aware that the pumpkin may stain the bag.
- Use the egg whites in this recipe for sweet and spicy pecans.
Nutrition
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