Super chewy and gooey, these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies combine the cozy fall flavors of brown butter, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon sugar. A spin on my viral brown butter snickerdoodles, with no extended chill time or mixer required.
Creating the best chewy pumpkin cookie has been a proud achievement of mine as a former pastry chef— this recipe continues to go viral year after year with over 500 five-star reviews!
They are everything a pumpkin cookie should be: chewy with crispy edges and bursting with the classic snickerdoodle flavors, enhanced with nutty brown butter and warm pumpkin pie spices. They’re a fall twist on a classic, just like my apple snickerdoodles and chocolate chip pumpkin cookies!
Table of Contents
Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Cookies
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is my #1 baking tip. Like all baked goods, this recipe relies on accuracy for the best results.
Follow the instructions carefully. I recommend reading through the recipe at least once before beginning for success.
Let the brown butter cool before using. You want the butter to be cooled to the indicated temperature before using it. This is really important for a chewy texture. I found that butter that was too cold solidified and resulted in cookies that didn’t spread as much, and conversely, butter that was too warm caused the cookies to spread too much.
Use Libby’s Pumpkin Puree. I found that Libby’s Pumpkin is very consistent among cans and has less moisture than other brands. You won’t use all of it, so you can make pumpkin cheesecake cookies or spiced pumpkin cupcakes with the leftovers.
Blot the pumpkin puree. Spread it on a plate and blot it with paper towels until the towels barely have any moisture left. The dried puree should feel like soft play dough, where you can roll it up into a ball cleanly.
Use a large cookie scoop. Preferably, a spring-loaded one. For thick cookies with chewy and gooey centers, the cookie dough balls must be three tablespoons.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Dark brown sugar: The extra molasses in brown sugar gives the cookies a super chewy texture. You can use light brown sugar if you don’t have dark on hand.
Egg yolk: Egg yolks are used instead of whole eggs for rich and gooey centers. This also prevents a cakey texture, as the egg white holds a lot of moisture.
Pumpkin spice: You can make your own blend or buy it at the store. Use it for all of your fall baking needs (like for pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls!)
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Brown the butter. Once browned, chill it in the fridge, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the proper temperature.
This might seem tedious, but with cookie recipes, it’s more important to pay attention to the small details, whereas in other recipes (like my brown butter pumpkin bread), it’s not as important.
Step 2: Squeeze the pumpkin puree dry. Spread the measured puree onto a plate and press paper towels to absorb the excess liquid.
This is how the pumpkin puree should look when properly dried. I was able to roll it up into a ball.
Step 3: Cream the butter and sugars together. Once the butter is cool, whisk in the granulated and dark brown sugar until well combined.
Step 4: Mix in the wet ingredients. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla extract until combined.
STEP 5: Mix in the pumpkin. Then, whisk in the dried pumpkin puree.
STEP 6: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt until combined.
Chill the dough bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes, which will make it easier to scoop.
Step 7: Scoop and roll in cinnamon sugar. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar and return them to the trays, spaced at least 2-3 inches apart.
Step 8: Bake! Bake one tray at a time until the edges are golden brown and the centers are puffy.
While one tray bakes, leave the other tray on the counter at room temperature.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for 2-3 days.
Freezer: Do not roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar if you want to freeze them. Store the scooped cookie dough in an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to bake them, let them come to room temperature, roll them in cinnamon sugar, then bake.
FAQs
YES! This step is critical for achieving extra chewy cookies. If you skip this step, the cookies will be thick and cakey.
This can happen when you absorb too much liquid from the pumpkin puree. Absorbing too much liquid can mess with the structure of the cookie texture, making it fall apart. I would also try baking them 1-2 minutes longer. If cookies aren’t quite baked enough, they will fall apart and crumble.
Make sure you are absorbing the liquid from the pumpkin puree. The second thing is making sure the butter is cool, but still liquid. If it has solidified, the cookies won’t spread as much as they should.
This could be caused by the butter not being chilled properly. Make sure it is within the temperature range indicated in the recipe card.
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup Libby's Pumpkin Puree, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, **see notes for measuring**
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for rolling
Instructions
- Brown the butter over medium heat in a large stainless steel pan. While it cooks, it will foam, pop, and crackle. This is normal! Stand nearby, watch, and stir it occasionally so it doesn’t burn. When the bottom is covered in brown bits of butter and it smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- You should have just slightly under 1 cup of browned butter (184 grams). Pour it into a glass measuring cup and let it chill in the fridge, stirring it every 20 minutes, for about 45-60 minutes, until a thermometer reads 70–75°F. It should feel cool and remain completely liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(180°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Spread the pumpkin puree onto a plate. Press a stack of paper towels into it and soak up the extra liquid. Then scrape the pumpkin into a pile and re-spread it around the plate. Use a new stack of paper towels to keep absorbing the extra liquid until the pumpkin feels pretty dry, like soft playdough, and now measures roughly 1/3 cup (68-75 grams).2/3 cup (156 g) Libby's Pumpkin Puree
- When the butter is cool, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute. It should look like wet sand.1/2 cup (108 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 g) dark brown sugar
- Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla, and dried pumpkin puree.2 (38 g) large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Fold in the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda until just combined. Set the bowl of dough in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up. If the dough is still soft, you can chill it for longer!1 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the sugar. Scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon-sized balls and roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2-3 inches apart.1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the middle is puffy and slightly underbaked. Let the tray cool completely on a wire rack, then enjoy!
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you choose to freeze the cookie dough balls, let them come to room temperature before baking.
These received high praise from my family. Thank you for the step by step directions. I was apprehensive at first with all the steps, but the extra time was definitely worth the results!
Hi Cambrea, what is the purpose of egg yolks in the recipe? Can they be omitted or substituted with something else? Thank you.
The egg yolks help bind the dough together. Unfortunately they can’t be omitted or substituted!
These were AMAZING! They are so soft in the middle! You can’t taste the pumpkin a lot but it’s fine. If you follow the steps they’ll come out great.
I MADE THESE AND THEY ARE AMAZING.
I AM A BIG FAN OF BROWN BUTTER IN COOKIES.
I COULD SIT DOWN WITH A CUP OF COFFEE AND EAT THE WHOLE BATCH!
Literally the best cookies I’ve ever made. Amazing recipe! A little time consuming to dry the pumpkin but worth it for the final result🤩🤩 Also, I swapped the flour for Bob’s RedMill gluten free 1-1 flour (Celiac here) and it was incredible.
I’m not a huge pumpkin spice fan, and these cookies are the perfect balance of pumpkin, cinnamon, and sugar. yum! For my two different batches, I put the second in the fridge for the 10 minutes it took for the first batch and the second came out much fluffier.
Will these cookies freeze well in an airtight container?
They should!
These cookies were the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Seriously, AMAZING!!! All pretty simple ingredients that are mostly pantry staples too!! Can’t thank you enough for this recipe.
Delicious and perfect for the fall! I was confused by the measurement of pumpkin puree that goes in, but it still turned out fantastic! I measured the flour as directed and I got out as much moisture in the puree as I could. The browned butter turned out perfect and was 75 degrees when I mixed it. Thank you for the recipe!
These cookies turned out so amazing. I think my new favorite cookie of all time. Seriously, can’t wait to make them again!!
All I have is organic light brown sugar. It was the only option at Costco at the time. I wonder if that was a mistake. Haha! Will it still turn out, do you think?
Should still turn out just fine Suzanne! 🙂
Nice twist on Snickerdoodles & we loved this cookie recipe. Delicious! Hello Fall! 🧑🍳❤️
Good recipe. Browning the butter while melting it is a clever idea and it goes well with the warmth of the pumpkin spice and cinnamon. I followed the recipe as-is and used weight measurements throughout. I also used a 2 tbsp cookie scoop and got exactly 24 cookies out of it. I found that baking the smaller cookies for 10 minutes worked best for me but really check on them around the 9 minute mark.
Mine were chewy and soft but not as flat as the ones in the picture. Maybe I didn’t press enough pumpkin juice out of my puree. I was being careful since I saw that pressing out TOO much can cause the cookies to fall apart, but I think getting to that point would be pretty difficult. When in doubt just press out as much as you can, it should be okay.
Lovely cookies will be making again.
Ps, the flour is also off for the 3x recipe. You don’t have to post this, just wanted you to be aware. I can’t wait to make this again, I bet they’re fabulous!
I’m not sure of this has been talked about yet, but when you hit the 3x recipe scale, the brown sugar says ‘7.5 brown sugar’ . I put 7 1/2 cups brown sugar in my cookies! It should say 4 3/4 +2T brown sugar I believe.
Thanks. Super sweet and still good though. Ratingwouldn’t let me give 5 stars but I wanted to.
Hi Traci! The 3x recipe scale is correct, it reads 1 1/2 cups + 6 tablespoons of brown sugar on my end. Hope that helps 🙂
Have you ever tried substituting gluten free flour and gotten similar results?
Hi Mandy, I haven’t tried it with gluten free flour but I’ve heard some readers have had success with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 ratio!