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Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are snickerdoodles filled with pumpkin pie spice!! These are the best fall cookie; they’re sweet and warm with that familiar spice mix and we love making them all year long! I used my favorite snickerdoodle recipe and added my favorite spice to make this easy cookie recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles Without Pumpkin
A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she hates pumpkin season because it ruins summer; that bloggers start posting pumpkin recipes in August when it’s still warm and not yet fall (guilty as charged). What do you think?
I’m in camp BRING ON THE PUMPKIN IN AUGUST because I just love fall way more than I love summer! What do you think?
Either way, these cookies can satisfy both camps because they’re pumpkin spice: no actual pumpkin was harmed in the making of these cookies.
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are my favorite snickerdoodle recipe with some pumpkin spices mixed in – they’re the perfect cookie to get you in the fall mood!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: I use unsalted butter that’s been softened.
- Granulated Sugar: These are cookies without brown sugar.
- Baking Soda: These help the cookies spread.
- Cream of Tartar: A MUST for Snickerdoodles – this keeps them soft but gives that tang associated with the cookie.
- Spices: Normal Snickerdoodles have cinnamon, but these are full of pumpkin spice! Nope – no pumpkin in these. But if you want ones with pumpkin – try my Pumpkin Snickerdoodles!
How to make Snickerdoodles with Pumpkin Spices
- Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you may use a hand mixer).
- Once the mixture is creamed and fluffy, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth, then mix in the baking soda, cream of tartar, pumpkin spice and salt.
- Slowly mix in flour until the mixture is just combined.
- Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar and pumpkin spice in a small bowl and stir. Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar, then place them 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- Be sure not to over bake these cookies. I err on the side of under-baking them. Learn how to tell if your cookies are done!
- Make sure you measure your flour correctly so you don’t end up with too much.
- You can make these with apple pie spice too!!
FAQ
Yes – freeze them in an airtight container or gallon size bag for up to 3 months. Learn how I freeze all desserts!
These are made soft and chewy from using the cream of tartar with the baking soda. I use less cream of tartar in these than a normal snickerdoodle keeping them puffy.
You do not need to chill Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle cookie dough – just scoop and bake!
Probably in the late 1800s and they’re thought to be of German or Dutch descent.
This varies by brand and by recipe, but you can use my homemade recipe to make it or use individual spices: 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
More unique snickerdoodle cookie recipes:
- Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles – a fan favorite!
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
- Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler
- Don’t Miss my BEST Snickerdoodle Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
For topping:
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats.
- Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you may use a hand mixer). Once the mixture is creamed and fluffy, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth, then mix in the baking soda, cream of tartar, pumpkin spice and salt. Slowly mix in flour until the mixture is just combined.
- Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar and pumpkin spice in a small bowl and stir.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar, then place them 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the bottoms just start to turn golden brown. (These taste better if you err on the side of under rather than over done). Cool at least 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
The BEST Fall Snickerdoodle Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles. No pumpkin just spice! Easy one bowl cookie recipe for fall.
Pumpkin Spice Recipes
Last Updated on October 31, 2023
These were so soft and tasty! I’m a nanny so I had the help of some little hands and they thoroughly enjoyed it as well. My husband was so happy that I brought a few home to him too. Definitely will be making again!
Can I use Splenda instead of the sugar? And what would the ratio of pumpkin pie spice and splenda for the topping be?
Easy & so yummy!
Turned out beautifully. I doubled the recipe and used the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Topping mixture I had in lieu of “pumpkin pie spice” (same stuff though- ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & clove). I’ve seen some poor reviews on Pinterest, but one looked like they forgot to add the flour, and one should always make sure you have fresh baking soda and cream of tartar as these are the leavening agents. I love these Pumpkin Spice Sandies as I call them! Definitely writing this recipe down in our favorite recipes book!
Thanks for sharing! They would be fun to make and decorate with kids!
These look so good! Can I use this snickerdoodle recipe without the pumpkin for the classic version?
Hello from Alaska! I saw these and are excited to make them – tonight in fact. I just wondered something. I noticed that you add the spice, salt, and other things into the creamed mixture and then the flour. I wondered if there was a specific reason for that – instead of adding all the dry ingredients to the flour and mix in at once? Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I just finished making these and not only does my house smell fantastic but now I have some delicious cookies to munch on. I tried a different snickerdoodle recipe before and my husband was not impressed, he said that they just tasted of sugar, but he has already devoured 2 of these and is reaching for his third. So thank you so much for this recipe!
I am going to make these yummy cookies, but I am with your friend on the pumpkin push to herald fall in a month before the actual new season is underway. I love warm temps, swimming at the beach or in the pool and our days for that are limited here in New England. In less than a month the night temps will get so cool that we won’t be swimming any longer, outdoors! The gardens will be prepped for winter and our time for lovely weather days will also be limited. By the end of October the trees will be getting bare and snow will soon be here. So, no, for us, the autumn season, brief in its glory is always the harbinger of many long, cold, gray days to come. On a brighter note, I love pumpkin so I sure don’t mind all the recipes, yum!
Dorothy! I think you are the only food blogger I need to follow these days! Sharing these cookies on the weekend edit next weekend. Hey, would love for you to share some food photography tips on a future post! Your pics are awesome. I can’t wrap my head around food photos! xo laura in COLORADO.
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