Description

These soft baked pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are the kind of dessert that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with complicated fall baking. They come together in under 30 minutes from start to finish, with no chilling the dough, no waiting for butter to soften, and no fancy equipment needed.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (for dough)
⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar (for coating)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree (100% pure, not pie filling)
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
¼ cup (50g) shortening
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt until evenly distributed—about 15 seconds. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and ¼ cup shortening until light and fluffy—about 2 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed. The mixture should look pale and slightly grainy but smooth.
Mix in ½ cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully combined—about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed after each until just combined. Do not overmix—stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
In a small shallow bowl, mix ⅓ cup granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon until evenly combined.
Using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out balls of dough. Drop each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll around until fully coated. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should look puffed, slightly cracked on top, and set around the edges but still soft in the center. At 10 minutes, gently press the top of one cookie with your finger; if it springs back slowly, they’re done.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This is crucial—the cookies continue to set as they cool. After 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough. If you only have one baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches or run it under cold water and dry it well.

Notes

Don’t overmix the dough; pumpkin adds extra moisture which makes gluten develop faster. Use room temperature ingredients to prevent the shortening from seizing. Measure flour correctly by spooning and leveling. Bake one sheet at a time for even heat circulation. Underbake slightly—cookies continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after removal. For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend containing xanthan gum and add an extra tablespoon of pumpkin puree. For a dairy-free option, this recipe is already dairy-free; just check that pumpkin puree has no milk solids. To freeze, arrange cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 140
Sugar: 12
Sodium: 95
Fat: 6
Saturated Fat: 1.5
Carbohydrates: 21
Fiber: 1
Protein: 2

Keywords: pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, soft baked pumpkin cookies, fall dessert, easy pumpkin cookies, snickerdoodle recipe, pumpkin spice cookies